Italy Books

great coorelation between neurophysiology and computer science

Anatomy of Perjury: Field Marshal Albert Kesselring, Via Rasella, and the GINNY Mission is a scholarly treatise piecing together the answer to a World War II mystery - and the lies that enabled German Field Marshal Albert Kesselring to escape execution for his war crime. In the failed GINNY II mission, an Office of Strategic Services operational group landed on the Ligurian coast north of La Spezia with orders to destroy party of the coastal railroad; when the mission failed, the Allied soldiers surrendered to enemy forces. Two days later, they were executed. Author Richard Raiber engaged in meticulous research of microfilmed German operational records to reveal that Albert Kesselring was present at La Spezia, and undoubtedly confirmed the order to execute captured American soldiers in regulation uniforms. His efforts to cover his tracks, including the perjury of his subordinates, saved him from the death sentence swiftly meted out to General Anton Dostler, who was also complicit in the war crime. A detailed, in-depth study, especially recommended for college library and World War II military history shelves.

This book gives a fascinating guide to the churches of the city of Rome up to the 7th century. Not only does it show how the architecture developed and how existing buildings were adapted to liturgical use, but also how (not for the last time) the Christian Church became an arm of the state. It is a pity that the publishers did not have the text of the English translation proof-read by a native speaker but, in spite of the fact that it often clunks and is unidiomatic, the meaning is usually perfectly clear. The superb illustrations and copious plans more than make up, however, for the faults of the text and I recommend it very highly.

This book is invaluable when visiting ancient monuments in Sicily because so many are in pieces with very little signage, and most of that is in Italian. The flip over pages show how wonderful these sites would have been and the visitor really can appreciate all the steps in designing and building them. In many cases, stones from the sites were used to build nearby towns, so the original sites are a jumble of leftover stones for the most part which mean nothing to the average visitor - this is why this book is vital.

Each time I visit the Met at Christmas and see this exqusite creche, I am in awe at the magnitude and splendor of detail. The book was fascinating. I appreciated the in-depth history of Neapolitan artists who meticulosly hand carved the individual figures with such fastidious, detailed execution..

These 42 black and white photographs, taken between 1979 and 1987 with Diana cameras, are eerily beautiful. The cameras were made in the 1960s, are constructed entirely of plastic, and have a lack of focus at the edge of the image. The photographs taken by Lindbloom are all of Florence, but not a familiar Florence filled with commerce and people, Florence is strangely empty and ghostly in these photographs which feature much sculpture and architecture. The text does not go through the photographs to talk about what they are of and how they were taken, so they might make more sense if the viewer has been to Florence, though all the photographs are titled by location. There is a preface by Linda Pastan, an introduction by Ben Lifson, a "Note on the Photographs" by Eric Lindbloom himself, and a very informative afterword on the Diana camera by Italo Zannier.

Before I had children, I wouldn't have appreciated the value of wordless books, but you cannot see one of Mitsumasa Anno's beautiful works without becoming an enthusiastic devotee of the genre in general, and Anno in particular. It is astonishing that these are difficult to come by -- at least one should be in every child's library!

As in other Anno works, an anonymous Everyman is seen in each two-page text-less illustration. In this book, the traveler begins his trek in the empty countryside of Italy, buys a horse and rides through progressively more populated scenes -- and what scenes they are! Filled with literary allusions, mini-stories, children playing, panorama and touching detail -- all at once! It would take a long time to describe even one illustration, let alone the whole book, but the content is rich and evocative. Your child will appreciate this work at various levels at different times, and you will make new discoveries yourself.

These books are not to be missed, and Anno's Italy is especially beautiful.

This book is written for collectors but as a woodcarver, I appreciate the history of woodcarving that is a part of this book. The book is filled with great color photos of carvings done over many years. On the downside, it cost me more money because after reading it, I ended up going to ebay and bidding on several anri carvings. I did note than a number of the carvings for sale were being sold by the books author.

This is a wonderful book for anyone who likes cooking Italian food or who wants to learn it.I found the recipes very easy to follow. Often you only need a few simple ingredients, but they are put together in new and exciting ways so that they give you that special Italian touch and taste. Moreover, the book is fun to read, as it includes many tips plus a wealth of brief mottoes about Italians, food and wine. Let me add that as a diabetic I need to be very conscious of my food. Most of the recipes fit perfectly in my diet, as they are rich on vegetables and low on saturated fats. Some are also great as a main course. Try them!

This book is by far the most outstanding book written on the subject of Antonio Canova. Clear, concise, and masterly.