Italy Books

A Taste of Italy
La Dolce Vita
Perfect Party Menus
Risotto
Grand Designs
Kitchens: Tile with Style
Restaurant: L'Enoteca Pinchiorri
Restaurant: Valentino

Antonio Negri is probably best known for Empire, the book he wrote a couple of years ago with Michael Hardt. That brilliant survery of globalization and late capitalism remains essential reading for anyone interested in the subject. Negri's new book is a reprint of some pamphlets he published in 1970's, but it is still an incisive and pertinant work. Reacting to the tremendous disparities between the social classes in Italy, Negri grapples with the central moral questions involved in revolutionary change and violence. I found it an initially difficult but rewarding work, and it would be interesting if many people, not only on the left, but on the right as well, took the time to check it out. This is one of those books that has alot to teach to people on both sides of the political fence, and Negri, as someone who has really paid his dues (he was imprisoned in Italy, and the pamphlets in Books for Burning helped to put him behind bars) is an important figure in Marxist thought.

In this beautifully illustrated work, Johnson plots the dramatic rise of the Borgias from their roots in Spain to their occupation of the highest position in Renaissance society in Italy at a time when that country occupied centerstage in Europe, both politically and culturally. She explains why history has depicted the Borgias as fallen angels in a corrupt era, but considers the condemnation to have been too absolute and maintains that behind the gaudy horrors existed people of real talent and achievement, some of whom even possessed moderate virtues.
All of the Borgias were strong and colorful characters who caught the world's attention whatever they did. The crimes and sins of Rodrigo Borgia (Pope Alexander VI), his children Cesare and Lucrezia, and the legends of poisoning and incest that surrounded them, are here compellingly re-examined by Johnson.
There are maps and genealogical tables, a select bibliography and a detailed index, and the text is enhanced by beautiful black & white and full-colour illustrations. This is a thoroughly researched and well-written book, and I highly recommend it.

Preceedings of the Italian summer school on BEC in 1998. Great coverage from basics to complex phase contrast imaging techniques. Articles from the greatest in the field, including Wolfgang Ketterle, Carl Weiman, Eric Cornell, and Dan Heinzen.

Historian Guy Graybill undoubtedly loves music as well as history. So if you are a fan of either, I am certain you will want to consider his latest book, Bravo! Greatness of Italian Music, published by the Dante University Press.

I must say immediately that I very much enjoyed this writer's brilliant presentation of what many will see as a major historical text with indepth, well-documented information on his chosen topic. This is very true! But there were subtle small touches that added to my personal delight, such as:

· His use of Acts rather than the common "chapter" to separate his material.
· His choice of highlighting both Sinatra and Pavarotti on the cover to show the breadth of his content.
· His inclusion of small asides of personal opinion and/or tidbits of humor that normally would never appear in a significant research effort; for instance his personal comment about ballet: "What perversity resides within the masculine soul that drives men to create ways to physically hobble females?" (p. 144)
· And, finally, the inclusion of many historical pictures as well as many beautiful hand-drawn portraits from the Dante University Press.

Do not doubt that this book will become a major reference for students of music!

The back cover states, "The Italians were so busy creating and performing superb music that they neglected to tell the great epic story of their wondrous achievement." Indeed, the author has "demonstrated...the Italian contribution to music is overwhelmingly superior." (p. 234) His Curtain on that same page provides 14 areas of music in which Italians excel! Obviously, creation of fine instruments, operas, and symphonies are just a few.

Let me illustrate by just highlighting names that many of you will readily recognize: Gregory who composed the Gregorian chants; Stradivari, makers of stringed instruments; Paganini; Monteverdi, opera's first genius; Verdi; Caruso; Pavarotti; and, one of my favorites, Andrea Bocelli, who is involved in both opera and more modern music and even has his singing in a commercial--how cool is that!

If you don't recognize those involved with classical music, how about: Anna Maria Alberghetti, Mario Lanza, Frankie Avalon, Bobby Rydell, Jim Croce, Dean Martin, Bobby Darin, Frankie Lane, Jerry Vale, Sonny Bono, Jerry Colonna, Perry Como, Tony Bennett, and, of course, Frank Sinatra.

Just imagine! I've highlighted only those individuals whose name you will probably recognize. I believe you will realize that this book is well beyond a students' text! Anybody who is interested in music will find the personal stories and biographical information on these individuals fascinating!

From Italians and Italian-Americans, there has been "more music lost" than has been created by others! That's a powerful statement, isn't it? Graybill has the statistics--the numbers, to back this up if that will interest you. I think anybody who stops to think about the great music they've come to love, they will realize the impact that Italy's musical genius has made on all of their lives.

Graybill has done an outstanding performance--a major triumph for both history and music! Consider this a must-read for music students and professionals! For others, enjoy this writer, like I did, as I read little tidbits like, "Do corpses really roll over within their graves if something disturbing happens in the world of the living? If so, there's no doubt that the corpse of operatic composer Amilcare Ponchielli took a couple of whirls during the 20th century...especially if he heard the "highly successful musical parody in which Amilcare's stirring music is sung to the opening words, "Hello Muddah, Hello Faddah..." (pps. 98-99) You're going to enjoy this one!

Do you know what I love about this author? She brings in so much emotion from every angle and voice, the romance becomes a living, breathing story you can't put down. It catches you where you hurt and love. This one brought tears to my eyes half a dozen times and that's no lie. Literally gut wrenching in places. Wow, wow, wow.
Jeanne D'Arc

This is an amazing collection of masterfully written short stories. Their depth is subtle, their characterizations are on the mark and the metaphors are perfectly used. Especially in the novella "The Ectasy of Magda Brummel" where every single word is carefully and skillfully used and exactly where it should be. It is with the attention of a marksman Ms. Roeske uses words and it shows here.
If you love the written word, this is the book for you.

a great way to learn about the artist and his works. beautiful colorplates and explanations of the artists' works. a wonderful addition to my collection.

This is a good story for children about St. Francis. 3 or 4 year olds would enjoy having it read to them while 3rd graders will enjoy being able to read it for themselves. While it talks a little bit about who St. Francis is in general. While pointing out that it was while he was sick that he seemed to go through an experience of conversion (though it is put on a child's level of understanding) it does not mention anything about the wars involved. While it tells about the father asking for everything back, there is no picture or mention about his standing in front of the bishop and towns people in the process. It focuses on Francis' preaching to the birds, the wolf of Gubbio and the first live Christmas creche. The pages are filled with pictures of the same artistic kind of work shown on the cover. There is about 10 lines of typing for every 2 pages.

Be warned: This is not for the casual reader; Belfrage goes into levels of detail heretofore unknown regarding Tuscany, Puglia, Sicily, and the rest of the South. He seems to have visited every producer in Italy, and to have traced (where possible) the origins of every grape he comes across--and he comes across quite a few that you won't find in the Oxford Encyclopedia of Wine or in Jancis Robinson's "Vines, Grapes & WInes." I have a special place in my heart for the unfortunate Nuragus, the most widely planted grape in Sardinia, of which Belfrage says "Nuragus probably has little or nothing to do with Trebbiano Toscano, as the ampelographer Cettolini would have us believe, but it does share an inability to rise above a certain fairly basic level of mediocrity winewise..." If you have to look up "ampelographer," you are probably going to find this book heavy going.

On the other hand, it's not like you need to know to enjoy the book. Belfrage is a good writer, a terrific reporter, and has the added benefit of being honest. He's got some commercial connections in Italy, and he's very straightforward about stating them.

His overall take on the slowness of southern Italy to rally to the cause of quality over quantity is astutely observed: He has no love for Italian Bureaucracy, EU bureaucracy, or the Mafia. All three, he says, conspire to prevent progress.

Anyway, if, like me, you find it is actually important to know that the wide variability in quality in Chianti is as much due to clonal selection as anything else, you'll greatly enjoy Mr. Belfrage's company.