Italy Books

This lovely, charming book gives us the life of St. Benedict in the format used by ancient biographers to tell the life of a saint. Each chapter is a small story, an episode in his life, that has a lesson for us embedded into it. And like all ancient saint biographies, there is an air of "magical realism" in that whether or not the miracle actually happened as recorded doesn't really matter. A lesson is imparted to us that holds a higher truth. It is strange that this man, Benedict, who lived 1500 years ago can seem so contemporary in ways. His rule of life has certainly remained meaningful and is lived by many people today, both monastics and lay people. The author well describes Benedict's sense of spiritual and psychological balance, his kindness, and gifts as a spiritual father. I recommend this fine book to anyone who practices lectio, or just wants to learn more about Benedict.

Butcher describes Benedict's Rule, writing, "Its honest voice and kind simplicity draw the reader in completely." However, this does not only describe Benedict's Rule, but also characterizes Carmen Butcher's book, Man of Blessing. I thoroughly enjoyed every word, right down to the appendix where Butcher summarizes the 73 chapters of the Rule. She makes this ancient text accessible to anyone lucky enough to pick up her book. Butcher's investigation into who Benedict was and how he got that way is intriguing and enlightening. The constant delving into word history brings us closer to the heart of Benedict and the words he would have used to communicate with those he loved: his followers and his Leader. By defining Benedict's rule as "...a spiritual guide designed- not for mystics or superhumans- but for the average person wanting to commune with God and enjoy a more meaningful life," Butcher gives a picture of Benedict's Rule, while at the same time defining her own book as well.

As a Catholic law student currently taking a course on Western Legal Tradition, I found this book to provide a wonderful supplement to my course. St. Benedict's compilation of the Rule is an admirable life endeavor and an incredible process of perfecting "laws" applicable to living a faith-filled life. His life story written with an eye to the academic reader, as well as those readers seeking knowledge of his life given our current Pope's namesake, is an easy, informative, and inspirational read.

MAN OF BLESSING is a delightful account of the inspiring life of St. Benedict. Carmen Butcher's gift for language and love for etymology shine through this book and make it both enjoyable and informative. The dramatic story of the transformation of Benedict from the humble hermit of Subiaco to the gentle abbot of Monte Cassino offers a unique glimpse into the often secluded world of Benedictine monastic orders. This book also details the context in which Benedict develops his continuously refined "Rule", which becomes the definitive guidebook for future monastic societies. The value of charity, humility, and poverty personified in this saint of old, still has relevance today. Once again one is reminded that less is always more in the Kingdom of God, and that there is no limit to what God can do with a life that is totally yielded to Him. The impact of such a man of blessing truly is incalculable. Butcher makes this quiet figure of history sing praises once more!!

"Benedict's life was a series of risings in the dark." This
is the opening sentence of the Introduction, and it sets the
stage for all the risings we will read about regarding this
amazing saint.

Carmen Acevedo Butcher has written a book that vividly portrays
a man born about 480 AD. whose life was about rising above many
different kinds of challenges in his world and whose RULE
was to become the foundation of Western monasticism as well
as a spiritual guide for believers.

About half-way through the book is the best lesson of
Benedict's rule: "There is always more to learn. We are all
always beginners. Kindness is never complete." (A summary
of Benedict's RULE is in Appendix A.)

MAN OF BLESSING is full of information told in an engaging way. At the end of the book I felt I had spent time in the
presence of this saint--and that the time was well-spent.

Dr. Butcher's writing style is inviting and her expertise in the
Middle Ages makes MAN OF BLESSING an interesting and
informative read.

This book was probally one of my favorite Mandie books ever!!!!!!!!! I have all of the Mandie books and I have read all of them at least 20 times!!!! I started to read them when I was 5 and I am 12 now and I still love them! I like this book because it has a lot of adventure and is very suspenseful. I think that Grandmother Taft should pay more attention to Mandie, Celia, and Jonathon because they are always getting into dangerous things, and Mandie never listens to anything anybody says. I loved learning about all the things in Rome!!!!! This book is great!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!I especialy liked the part when they got lost in the catacombs.

This book is so great because I just love Mandie and I have every Mandie book. My reccomedation is: Read it!

This was a very good book, but not as good as some. This is one you have to have time to read. It's hard to just set it down and pick it up two days later and understand everything. I can't say anything bad about a Mandie Book. It's impossible! This book takes place in Mandie's travels through Europe in 1901. Mandie takes a trip to the Catacombs with Celia and Jonathan. That one trip is the basis for most of the adventure. I just couldn't get into the story until the very end, when the mystery was solved. This is a good book to read when you have a lot of time, like on a rainy day or a long car trip. It was still a very good book. I still think you should read it, and read the books in order to understand them best.

This is one of my favorite ones, but its very creepy because while Mandie and Celia and Jonathan step aside to read some words written into the wall, someone blows out the candle in front of their faces! They find that all the candles in the catacombs have been blown out. They get lost. Then when someone comes in their room at night and whispers, "Where is it?" it is sooooo scary! I loved it!!!

Mandie's in Rome, and she's excited about seeing the sights. But ever since Paris there's been a mysterious woman following Mandie and her friends, and she's determined to find out who she is. But things take a turn for the dangerous when a valuable ruby is stolen, and Mandie and her friends get lost in the catacombs.
Can things get worse? Apparently they can, but Mandie will not give up, no matter what the circumstance.

This is one of the better books of the Mandie series. The part when Mandie, Celia, and Jonathan get lost in the catacombs is really neat, and also the part when Mandie and Celia scream their head's off because someone is in their room.
Altogether it makes for a very interesting read, and it is an excellent edition to your Mandie collection.

This excellent volume combines 2 books by the highly readable Viscount Norwich. His history of the Normans in south Italy and Sicily in the 10th and 11th centuries fills a gap in our knowledge of these fascinating mercenaries who-would-be-kings and rings true even today with the impact of Europeans on the Arab world and vice-versa. Remember, the Normans (of Norman Conquest of England fame) were the descendants of Viking raiders who settled in France and their military prowess against the Byzantine Empire and conquests in Italy were just as important as their better known invasion and conquest of England and Ireland in the same centuries.

Norwich is a storyteller as much as he is a historian. He resembles Barbara Tuchman -- you might not base a doctoral thesis on his work, but he certaily provides a great read. In many ways, this work is superior to his Byzantium trilogy. This may be because he has bitten off a more managable slice of history. This allows Norwich to go deeper on the main personalities and events he is covering. You really come a way with a feeling for this remarkable adventure of the Normans in Southern Italy and the advanced and powerful state they were able to create. It also highlights thier impact on the crusades, Byzantium, and the broader struggle between the Pope and secular power. I really enjoyed this book -- so much so that I travelled to Sicily to visit some of the many amazing artifacts left behind by this underdocumented "other conquest" of the Normans.

Dull and daunting as this title might seem for the general reader, this is actually a facinating and important episode in European history. For the more cynical it could serve as a primer for any group seeking to achieve political power by taking advantage of the inherent problems of a weak and divided polity. Diplomatically, it proves a brilliant example of a weaker party playing off stronger powers to its considerable advantage. For the more hopeful, it provides one of the regrettably few examples of Christians (Roman and Orthodox) and Muslims not only coexisting, but mutually prospering and profiting, under a pragmatic but culturally informed leadership. Lord Norwich's writing style and sense of what is actually important creates a lively, entertaining and informative look at the period.

The prospect of reading a 750-page tome on the history of Sicily between 1016 and 1194 would probably seem inviting only to the most masochistic of history buffs. That Norwich's book (originally published as two works, "The Normans in the South" and "The Kingdom in the Sun") has enjoyed its well-deserved longevity and such an admiring audience is a testament both to the thoroughness of his investigation and to the enthusiasm of his prose.

By necessity, Norwich populates his history on a crowded and expansive stage. This is less a chronicle of Sicily than the story of Europe during the Middle Ages, with the Normans in Sicily playing a starring role. Popes from Urban II to Alexander III, kings from Henry II of England to Louis VII of France, emperors from Frederick Barbarossa to Manuel Comnenus--they all warily circled the arenas in southern Italy and Sicily, with the Normans of Sicily at the center of nearly every major confrontation of the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, from the investiture controversy to the Crusades.

But the real heroes of Norwich's masterpiece are the Sicilian rulers themselves, along with several of their often-insubordinate underlings. We are introduced to a sequence of memorable dukes and duchesses and kings and queens: Robert Guiscard and Sichelgaita, the fearsome husband-and-wife team who led the conquest of southern Italy and the campaign against Byzantium; Roger II, the first king of Sicily and a brilliant warrior, diplomat, and administrator; William the Bad, William the Good, and the final William III, who ruled over the island and its fragile government in its glory days; and Queen Constance, whose marriage to Henry VI, of the Hohenstaufen dynasty, brought Sicily into the Holy Roman Empire.

As the above dramatis personae suggests, "The Normans in Sicily" is largely a history of military campaigns, political intrigue, and diplomatic schemes. Norwich supplements his story, which was purportedly written with the tourist in mind, with doses of cultural history (particularly art and architecture) and with descriptions of the palaces, churches, monasteries, and other sites that have survived eight centuries of upheaval and restoration. He also examines the unusual melding of the three religious traditions (Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, and Islamic) and how their occasional harmony and ultimate conflict affected the society and culture of Sicily in ways not coincidentally reminiscent of Spain during the same period.

Especially notable is his resuscitation of the reputation of William the Bad (or Wicked): "The epithet rings false. There was nothing evil about him. . . . [His] reluctance to face up to so many of his political responsibilities was due not only to his natural indolence but to a genuine conviction that there were others around him better qualified for the task. . . . Perhaps William the Sad might have been a more accurate description."

Of social and economic history, there is (not surprisingly) very little. The sources for such an investigation are limited, and these concerns were barely beginning to blossom among English-speaking historians in the 1960s--and Norwich admits he is not a scholar, though he writes far better than many of them. He was, however, conspicuously ahead of his time both in his assessment of the role of women in the expansion of the kingdom of Sicily and in his even-handed presentation of various religious customs.

"The Normans in Sicily" is, then, a traditional history, but one whose scope and whose value cannot be overestimated. And it doesn't hurt that it's exciting to read.

This is one of the best layman's books about any conquest. Norwich is unputownable history at its best. Witty, wise and taking rather a different view of the Norman Conquest of Sicily and South Italy than Norman Lewis, his is above all a kind of adventure story. It is also a look at a dynasty that makes the Colby family look pathetic. The humour that sparkles throughout the book helps make the whole experience more enlightening. A masterpiece of popular history at its best, it may be unfashionably concerned with the doings of the mighty, but who can resist the corrupt Popes, the machiavellian intrigues of the Byzantines, the gormless Germans and of course the Italians themselves, and the city-states and vassal-states endlessly changing sides, like an Italian football supporter when his own team isn't playing.

I actually got this book by accident. When it first arrived it wasn't what I had expected. Once I began to look and read I discovered it was BETTER than what I had originally thought it would be. The outside back cover is quite explicit in summarizing what is inside. In the book, each page begans with a scripture quote. It is the next paragraph, the second that readers may want to read first. It is one of those paragraphs that will be the one to have our innermost feelings or thoughts that needs our attention on that day. ie. "Why should I praise God when so much has gone wrong in my life". It is then Padre St. Pio on the remainder of the page expresses his assurances of God's love for us and brings us hope by his revealation of God's own messages of encouragement, inspiration and blessing. The bottom of the page suggests a prayer we can use. This book has helped me pray in a way to experience the peace and help that God intends for us.

What a wonderful book for comfort and reflection. We use it daily with our Bible

One of my all-time favorite prayer books. I feel it can really help those who are trying to be more devotional and who may be 'stuck in the mind'. Padre Pio explains the reasons for each prayer and, then, a short prayer is said at the end of each page. I feel these prayers can really open the heart and Eileen Bertanzetti has done a wonderful job putting this together in a very user friendly format. These are words from a man who had a great amount of wisdom and compassion....following his prayers, with trust and patience, can lead you to inner peace and allow you to have a more positive effect on those around you.

This book contains single page meditations on a wide range of topics. Something worthwhile to think about.-from a person worth listening to.

There are 150 Pslams . . . there are 150 "Ave's" in the praying of the Rosary . . . and Eileen Dunn Bertanzetti has given us 150 quotes of Padre Pio of Pietrelcina (now Saint Padre Pio) each accompanied by a Scripture quote and and a question or statement giving the passage a personal "context" . . . and a final prayer.

The words of Padre pio are taken verbatim from his "Letters Vol. I, II, and III" . . . and tell us of a spiritual assurance of god's ever present concern for and love of each one of us.

This is a small treasury of comfort and guidance and consolation which anyone can open even at random for a point of meditation or browse for a topic that speaks to a personal immediate need.

When time perhaps prevents a lengthy time to peruse long spiritual passages for spiritual reading, we do not need to neglect meditation . . . a book such as this makes that much more accessible . . . and STILL gives us much spiritual food for thought and prayer. That was something that Padre Pio was gifted by God with: the ability to speak to souls in great depth with few words. . .

As you read these, unhurried, one thought at a time . . perhaps one day at a time, you can sense the spirit of Padre Pio right there with you and speaking the words to you as you read them . . . we can't travel back in time nor go to the friary of San Giovanni Rotundo "Our Lady Of Grace", but we can still speak to Padre pio (in the communion of saints) and receive his assistance and guidance and help from heaven where he prays to God with us and for us. And we can hear his voice echo from the heavenly court in the words of his which appear in this text.

Padre Pio was a miracle gift to our generation from God . . . read his words and you will encounter for yourself that gift.

This is a fantastic cookbook with an amazing array of recipes for this one sort of custard. Inventive, fresh and simple. Can't wait to work my way through this entire range of recipes!

I really like this cookbook. It has several different and unique recipes for panna cotta as well as the usual ones. I have never found another cookbook that is devoted only to panna cotta recipes. If you like panna cotta, this cookbook is for you.

Food writer, food scholar, recipe developer, cookbook author, and an acknowledge San Francisco Bay area gourmet, Camilla Saulsbury once again applies her considerable experience and impressive expertise in compiling flavorful, lovely, savory, 'kitchen cook friendly' recipes for one hundred delectable dishes involving Panna Cotta (an elegant Italian custard). Thirty of these culinary delights are shown in their final form with wonderful full-color photography that enable even the most novice chef just what to expect and how they might be served as part of a memorable meal. From Lemon-Buttermilk Panna Cotta with Crushed Raspberry Sauce; Caramel-Coconut Panna Cotta; and Strawberry Daiquiri Panna Cotta; to Winter Spice Panna Cotta with Cabernet-Caramel Sauce; Cauliflower Panna Cotta with White Truffle Oil; and Gorgonzola Panna Cotta with Red Currant Gastrique and Crispy Prosciutto, "Panna Cotta" is a speciality cookbook recommended for anyone wanting to add a gourmet Italian touch to their dining menus.

Reviewed by Olivera Baumgartner-Jackson for Reader Views (5/07)

When I visited my family last summer, everybody seemed to be serving panna cotta. Well, to be quite exact, everybody seemed to be serving strawberry panna cotta. While I had to agree that it was one of perfect summer desserts, I truly wished there would be more variety. I even toyed with the idea of trying something different at home, but it just never happened.

Then I came across Camilla V. Saulsbury's "Panna Cotta" and the cover photo was enough to pique my interest. See, the pretty dessert on the cover was not pink. It looked slightly marbled and had interesting dark specks in it. Garnished with mint and peaches it looked so inviting and mysterious. I could not resist delving into the book. The first four pages were a true feast for the eyes. Panna cottas of every hue, some of them even layered! Then came the introduction, where Ms. Saulsbury competently explains the basics and makes you familiar with the history of this deceptively simple, silky wonder and the ingredients as well as techniques used in the creation of various kinds of panna cottas. As fun as I found this first section, the real thrill started with the recipes. Chapter 1 deals with the Top-10 Panna Cotta Favorites. Surprisingly enough, strawberry was not one of them... But there were some that shall certainly become favorites in my kitchen, most notably the exquisite Lavender one. Well, the Cappuccino Layered Panna Cotta was not bad either...

Every one of the following chapters brought more intriguing recipes. They deal - in order of appearance - with Chocolate, Caramel & Spice; Fruit Panna Cotta, Spirited Panna Cotta, Enlightened Panna Cotta and Savory Panna Cotta. While I tried a couple more and I found all of them excellent, I am now waiting for the summer corn to appear on the market. The recipe that intrigued me most was the one using summer corn and crab. While the recipe calls for frozen corn, I just think it would be even better with some fresh corn kernels.

I found this book to be imaginative and down-to-earth. Most recipes don't call for any over-the-top ingredients. The instructions are clear and very easy to follow. While I wish that every recipe would be accompanied by a photo, I certainly appreciate the photo section in the beginning of the book. Having the serving suggestions as well as recipes for the accompaniments to the panna cottas available in the book will certainly make planning meals with those wonderful little creations considerably easier. It was an eye-opener for me to see all of the wonderful savory creations in this book, which could easily serve as the focal point of any meal, especially a summer one.

I would highly recommend "Panna Cotta: Italy's Elegant Custard Made Easy" to all cooking enthusiasts, especially those who are willing to accept the fact that panna cotta does not have to be strawberry flavored.

I love this cookbook. In the first week I tried five recipes, and all of them were perfect. This past weekend I made the Gianduia (chocolate hazelnut) panna cotta for a party of 16, serving it in martini glasses with a drizzle of Frangelico, dollop of whipped cream and chocolate shavings on top. People proclaimed it was the best dessert they had ever had, yet it literally took me about 20 minutes total to prepare (including the garnishes). Turned around and made the cinnamon panna cotta with sticky toffee sauce for my husband, son and his friend who was spending the night. Oh my goodness--what a dessert! The boys, both picky eaters, were literally licking their plates. You will really learn from this book--interesting history notes at the front as well as excellent information about the how-tos of panna cotta (I really appreciated this). And oh, the recipes: unique, easy and delicious that everyone from foodies to picky children will love.

Here are the 7 I've tried and give top marks to:

*Cinnamon Panna Cotta with Sticky Toffee Sauce*
*Gianduia Panna Cotta*
*Lemon Buttermilk Panna Cotta with Crushed Raspberry Sauce*
*Toasted Coconut Panna Cotta*
*Winter Spice Panna Cotta with Cabernet Caramel Sauce*
*Sweet Goat Cheese Panna Cotta with Roasted Plums*
*Ginger & Brown Sugar Panna Cotta with Caramelized Pineapple* (Note: this last one was from the "Light" chapter, lower in fat and calories. INCREDIBLE.)

No time to write much - twin 19 month-old boys will do that.
I've been to pompeii a number of times, worked on a dig there and have read many books about the town. This book weaves such a fascinating story using known facts and logical assumptions that, after finishing it, I picked it up and read it again.

These two authors, Mr. Butterworth and Dr. Laurence, have brought a great human story to life. Offering insights I found most mesmerizing. I especially liked some of the 'dirt', Nero's challenges, and many attempts to murdering his mother, Agrippina, his acting career, and an account of the burnign of Rome. Their description of the devastating earthquake and the all important water system and aquaducts. The suggestion of the importance of public arenas and games, not unlike modern societies. This is a great non-fiction read.

Mention Pompeii, we tend to think of the ruins of a Roman city, and the eerie plaster casts that were made of those who had perished, the echoes of their bodies found in the ashes. Many books have the hints that the ancient Romans had it coming, the eruption of the nearby Vesuvius being a sign of divine retribution for their decadent, pleasure loving lives, and it was a view point that many later Christian writers took up with glee. Most writers focus simply on the eruption, the efforts of the inhabitants to flee, and not much more.

But authors Alex Butterworth and Ray Laurence take on a very different approach. Instead of imposing modern stereotypes onto the story of Vesuvius and Pompeii, they take a far wider and much more intimate account of the story. The tale begins a few years before the earthquake that shattered the city in 62 ce, a catastrophic event that ruined or damaged many of the buildings, and caused many inhabitants to either be killed or flee to other parts of the Empire.

But a few stay, taking advantage of low land values, and a dramatic political shift and are determined to rebuild. After all, not only was Pompeii on what is now the Bay of Naples, but it was a major port and agricultural center as well. It is an ironic fact that volcanos produce soils rich in nutrients, perfect especially for the grapes that produced the sweet wines that the Romans were so fond of. And during the first century of the common era, many thought that Vesuvius was a dormant volcano. Even Spartacus with his slave army had camped in the crater during his rebellion.

All of this I had known before reading this book. What I discovered afterwards amazed me. For Pompeii had a powerful patroness, none other than Poppaea Sabina, the wife of Nero. Possibly born and raised in Pompeii, Poppaea maintained close ties to Pompeii and the graffiti that was found etched and painted on the surviving walls mention her many times. Indeed, the authors go into great detail about the women of Pompeii, from their business dealings, lives as slaves, wives and workers; all too often, Roman women seem to be skipped over in favour of their more martial, public husbands and sons.

Interspersed throughout the book are small fictional snippets about the actual people in Pompeii. They're not too long, tiny vignettes about ordinary people, whether they are politicians, an abused slave girl seeking sanctuary, a smallholding farmer, or an overseer on an estate. Each one is vividly written and I found myself wanting to know more about each person. It was these snippets that really caught my attention and they kept the narrative fresh and creative. Not that there was a problem with the longer sections -- the authors are wise enough to gear this towards the causal reader; the story flows well for covering nearly twenty years of political turmoil and natural disasters.

Throughout the book, we're given tantilizing hints of the world of Pompeii, from the glittering surroundings of the wealthy and powerful, to the grinding misery of the slaves, graffiti and slander scrawled on the walls -- the Romans were not prudish or shy about denigrating an opponent in public -- the use of frankly sexual art that would horrify most people today, and all of the little bits of a world that was lost on a late morning in August, in the year 79 ce.

It's a great read, and I happily recommend this one for anyone interested in ancient Rome. This was a book that kept me up late at night, moving smoothly between the stories, and knowing that inevitable doom was about to hit. One aspect that I really enjoyed was that the authors bothered to put Pompeii and its story within the larger context of the Roman world, and suddenly a lot of history and ideas of their world came into focus and began to make sense.

Two inserts of black and white and colour photos are included, along with three maps showing the Roman Empire with its provinces and cities, a map of the Bay of Naples and the area around Pompeii, and finally, one of Pompeii itself. Along with the narrative, there are acknowledgements, a bibliography and index, all of which serve to tempt the reader on further discoveries for themselves about Roman archaeology.

I happily recommend this one. It's a worthy addition to anyone's library, and especially those who find the Roman world a very interesting one indeed.

This book takes a very close look at the buried city of Pompeii, and the type of living that went on in it prior to, and at the time of, the eruption of Mount Vesuvius. It goes into great detail, and even has some fictional episodes done in italics to give more of a flavor to the work. It tended to be a bit dry at times, which cost it that last star, in my estimation. On the other hand, you will learn a great deal that you didn't know about life in Pompeii, and by extension, other parts of the Roman Empire during and shortly after the time of Nero.

This book brings Pompeii alive in way that I've only seen before in well made TV documentaries. The authors bring a depth of scholarship and imagination to this book that makes it easy to read and enjoyable. They have bought together many strands of information that has for many years languished in dusty Italian archives or only been published in Italian in obscure technical books.

This book only really covers the last 20 or so years of the cities life. It interspaces imaginative reconstructions of people's lives with the factual information on what people in the city would have lived with. We get a good overview of the reign of Nero and the impact he had on the city. (He has a deserved reputation for madness if this book is anything to go by) It also covers the great earthquake in AD63 and the impact it had on the city in the years leading up to its final destruction in AD79.

If you have any interest in Pompeii then this is a book you should read. It brings the Roman world alive. You have a distinct feeling that Pompeii was a complex city, in many ways like modern cities with its infrastructure needs - though distinctly different in its political processes and its reliance on the mass of slaves to keep things running. All said, this is a good read and if you know nothing of ancient Rome or Pompeii a good, and lively, introduction to both.

Pronto! Writings from Rome--This collection of eclectic stories is reading entertainment at its best. From the first page to the last, each story taps into some of today's best writing talent. By the time you finish reading this collection of stories, you will feel like you have been right in Rome. This is a great read.

Pronto! Writings from Rome is a collection of short stories that make you feel as if you are there ... you can share the romance of the characters, setting, storyline. My favorite is "Steps". It is about a women we can all identify with... too much in a hurry to stop and smell the roses. The lesson she learns from strangers in a far away place speak quietly to her heart, calling out the person she truly is. Each piece is unique to itself; an enjoyable read!

Compiled and edited by John Tullius Pronto!: Writings From Rome is a unique and enthusiastically recommended selection of stories, essays, and poems all written by a gallery of distinguished contributors expressly by special request and on location within the boundaries of Rome. Embodying the ancient city of Rome in verse, majesty, sensory impressions and more, Pronto!: Writings From Rome is an impressive, moving and diverse offering showcasing dozens of literary snapshots into the life and lore of this great center of European and World history. Whether you are an armchair traveler who enjoys well crafted travelogues or are planning your own personal trip to the Eternal City, you will enjoy reading Pronto!: Writings From Rome.

This collection of very short stories from, for the most part, fledgling authors, is really quite impressive. In "Little Jewels," we are shown views of an unhappy marriage and a husband's indiscretion through the eyes of the family dog. A devastated woman tries to come to terms with the loss of her mother, and becomes reacquainted with the beauty in life thanks to an "Angel on a Bicycle." A "One Night Stand" in a hotel in Rome turns out to be a most intriguing experience - one that is both painful and pleasurable for a lonely spinster. In "The Invisible Necklace," angels help a woman rid herself of three self-imposed burdens: Exile, Enslavement, and Exploitation, and her thoughts of suicide, as well. A novice writer takes the criticism of her poem and turns it into one of the most skillfully crafted pieces in this book, which I highly recommend.

Exceptional writing with a combination of reality and fantasy that makes you wonder. I especially enjoyed the ending. The whole story has a "twist" that you never even see coming. Bravo!

I read this story aloud to my family as we travelled through South Korea on the trains. The constant speaker changes were a wonderful challenge for me as an amateur actor--I rendered almost all of them with accents. As far as I can tell, everyone enjoyed it immensely (I even received appalause from the locals). For the past four years I've had a standing request from my wife to record it as an audiobook...would that I had the time.

The tale recounts events surrounding the boy who discovered the Blue Grotto on the Isle of Capri in Italy, being roughly equal parts an adventure, inter-cultural, overcoming life's challenges, and coming-of-age story. I do not know if the story was pricinpally factual, historical fiction or entirely fabricated, but I do know that four years on, my children are still begging to visit Capri.

I truly can't recommend this title highly enough. It's absolutely shocking to me that the book appears to be out-of-print. The copyright holder is sitting on a great resource. They should license it for others to print (or download) if they don't wish to print it themselves.

NOTE TO WOULD BE NARRATORS AND PERFORMANCE READERTS: I strongly encourage you to pre-read the title with a pack of differntly colored highlighter markers. This will be a great help in getting your voices right. The dialogue moves quickly and, while the mistakes I made were either ignored or missed by my local Korea rail audience, both my children both commented something to the effect that Daddy needs to scan farther ahead.

I would heartily recommend this book to the 11 and 12 year old set. There are not a lot of books appropriate for that age level with the personality of the Red Sails to Capri. It was a bit difficult for even good fourth grade readers to get the nuances, so I would alternate reading pages with the students. That said, after reading the book, I myself want to sail off to Capri to see the island and of course, "the cave." Ann Weil does such a wonderful job of building the characters here from the Mama and Papa to the outgoing Angelo, and then the three travelers each in search of something different in life. And, the discussions we had about finding what we want in life by pursuing them were always interesting. This was one of my favorite books to use when I was teaching. It is not particularly easy reading, I certainly would recommend it wholeheartedly.

I had this book recommended to me, but had a very difficult time finding it. I'm so glad I finaly did. We read it aloud and the whole family loved it (kids 6-15). Years later, they still talk about it as among their favorite books.

Warning: it will definitely make you plan on visiting Capri some day!

Red Sails to Capri is about a fourteen-year-old boy named Michele Pagano who lives on the island of Capri with his parents, who run a small mountainside inn. His best friends are Angelo, a fisherman, and a goat herder named Pietro. One day, three rich visitors-Lord Derby, Monsieur Jacques, and Herre Nordstrom-arrive on the island on a boat with red sails. Though each has come for different reasons-one for adventure, one for beauty, and the third for peace and quiet-all three become obsessed with the mystery behind a cove that the islanders fear so much they will not even speak of it. Despite the fears of Michele's mother, the three visitors, her husband, Michele, Pietro, and Angelo eventually visit the cove and discover, not monsters or cutthroat pirates, but a beautiful blue grotto.

I am so glad I read this book. I finally took a look at it because of the Newbery Honor award-and because the cover asks, "Can three strangers, each on a separate quest, solve the mystery of the island?" I'm always hooked by the word "mystery," and Red Sails to Capri proved to be an unusual one. Weil had me dying to know what the mystery of the cove really was, but the book is short and I found myself wondering if it would actually be revealed as the number of pages left to be read grew smaller. She brings the book to a satisfying conclusion as the cove is discovered to be the site of a beautifully tinted grotto made by the light passing through the blue waters outside the cave's entrance.

Weil does a lovely job of bringing her characters to life, but her most successful has to be Signora Pagano, Michele's "Mamma." She is excitable; she looks upon Angelo the fisherman with disdain because he likes to spin tales; but her trademark is the way she cooks-by talking to the food: "There, there," she says to some fish, "cook slowly now. Do not hurry yourselves." As Michele's father best explains it, "Does she cook by recipe? No. Does she cook by taste? No. Does she cook by smell? No . . . [She] takes a few fish, and she talks to them, and argues with them, and scolds them, and flatters them, until finally she talks them into cooking the way she wants them." Mamma Pagano is known as the best cook on Capri, and her characterization is charming. She "cooed to the fish, spoke harshly to the soup when it boiled over, and begged the figs to keep themselves juicy." Her cooking skills are illustrated in this way throughout the text, including her "soft-boiled-egg song." The song, performed correctly, yields perfect eggs. This is important, because one of the three guests has eaten two soft-boiled eggs every morning for nearly fifty years, and Signora Pagano makes perfect eggs for him. Later, when the men decide to discover the secret of the cove, Mamma wages the most powerful protest she can think of: she refuses to cook for them. This leads to a crisis at the inn, as Michele and his father attempt to duplicate her unusual cooking methods but only achieve disastrous results. Signora Pagano is a truly unforgettable character in a story dominated by male figures, and she ends up playing a pivotal role at the end when she manages to convince the angry, superstitious islanders of the truth about the cove.

The Blue Grotto really exists, and Weil apparently based her novel on the real people who discovered the cave in 1826: fisherman Angelo Ferraro, notary Giuseppe Pagano, and two German travelers. I was unprepared for this outcome, having expected a simple mystery when I began reading and ending with an almost magical geological wonder known to the ancient Romans, rediscovered a millennium later, and used as the basis for a compelling narrative.

I just loved this book. I haven't read it to the kids - it is too advanced for most 1-2nd graders to read themselves - and I'm not quite sure if they will enjoy the story or understand its humor and characterizations until they are 1 or 2 years older.

The setting is a mountainside village in Capri, and it is wonderfully depicted. The book contains an easy-going adventure story and mystery - a supposedly haunted cove that three visitors to the island want to explore to the horror and dismay of the island residents.

But the real strength of the book is in the warm and lively characterizations of the islanders, particularly the main protagonist, 14 year old Miguel, and the three visitors.

Worth searching for this book.

Just adding my voice to all the positive reviews. I've tried reading other books on ancient Rome and found them to be dry and academic. Hooper presents the history as a history of people, as another reviewer has said, and that makes it much more readable. He gives personalities to the main characters and renders for us the atmosphere and class tensions that surround major events and clashes. He tells where he gets his information and even reviews his sources as strong on some points, weak on others. Finally, it is well-written. Hooper knows his material and knows how to make it interesting. Having said all that, this is not an encyclopedic source book. If you need to know specific facts about a certain period of ancient Rome, then the dry, academic works are where you should start. Roman Realities is a book for those who really want to get a sense of what Rome was like- its people, its politics and its social dynamics.

I read Roman Realities for a class that I had to take for Roman History, although we only touched on a few of the earlier aspects of the book, it is still a great book just to read, even if it wasn't assigned for a class! If you have any intrest to learn about the Rome in any way, go ahead and get this book!

The late Dr. Hooper's terse style is like the Romans he tells of: to the point, shorn of excess, straightforward. The tone of the book matches the expression of the bust of Caracalla that adorns the cover: gravitas personified. He spends more time on the Republic than on the Empire, and breaks off during the Civil Wars for a chapter on Latin letters and poetry (a subject taken again in his "Roman Letters"). Hooper covers all the highlights in highly readable fashion. A fine general/introductory book on the subject, written in magistral fashion. -Lloyd Conway

Although I keep myself busy reading investment publications such as the Wall Street Journal, Barron's, Forbes and BusinessWeek (since I am a financial writer), I also spend my spare time reading about ancient history, particularly the Greeks and Romans. I've tried to get a handle on Egypt but without much success. Among the authors I have read are Michael Grant and Finley Hooper. For the most part, I have not found Michael Grant a very scintillating read-although he does have one fascinating book on Caesar that is read by Nelson Runger for Recorded Books. He knows the territory, but he is not much of a writer. By contrast, the late Finley Hooper has only two books that I am familiar with: Greek Realities and Roman Realities.

Roman Realities is a gem of a book. If I were cast ashore on a desert island, it is one of the 10 books I would hope got washed ashore with me. Dr. Hooper is a superb writer, whose style is crisp and eminently readable. In addition, he focuses on the people more than trends and how the people lived. For my money, people are the key to history. His chapter on Julius Caesar is one of the best summaries of this important figure in Roman history.

If you are intent on reading further about the Romans, Dr. Hooper provides an outstanding list of books to delve into. He also has a detailed index, which some books do not have. There are also plenty of illustrations and helpful maps.

I have read this book at least twice and intend to read it again. All told, I have about 75 books on ancient history, but this one stands out like a beacon. There is simply nothing of a negative nature that I could possible find.

John Slatter, CFA

Dr Hooper does an excellent job on Roman Realities. He not only does a fine job in outlining the history of Rome's transition from Republic to Empire but he also highlights the price of that empire. The inability of the Romans to adjust to the changes that hegemony brought about contained the seeds of its own destruction.

Hoopers narrative is clear and concise and is easily understood by students or laymen. As is pointed out in an excellent review below it is a bit outdated in some areas but its analysis is so well done that few books published on the empire today can match this wonderful book. The reflection on the causes of the fall of Rome are worth the price of the book itself.

Reading Hooper brings to light that fact that much of Roman history is a foreshadowing of the realities empires in every era face.

This is a great map of the city on water resistance paper. Will be with us while spending time in Venice. Have marked on it the location of items we wish to visit. We also have the Rome Rough Guide Map that we are taking on our trip.

The book filled in and added some supplemental information. The book was not used as much as planned as sufficient information was also available via the internet and the local residents.

I spent six days in Venice in April of 2006. After using the
excellent Rough Guide map of Barcelona, I purchase Rough Guide
maps when ever they are published for my destination. What I love
about these maps is that they are complete, accurate and very
tough. You can carry them around in your pocket, bend them and
sweat on them and they still remain as usable as ever.

You cannot get lost in Venice in the sense that you don't know
how to get back to somewhere familiar because there is always
a waterbus stop nearby that you can take to some place you know.
But the twisty pedestrian streets can be very confusing, ending
in canals, so it can be difficult to get from place to place
or to find a place you want to go to. For this you want the
Rough Guide map. I walked all over Venice, including some off
the beaten track areas where I saw very few tourists.

In summary: for Venice my advice is get a wasterbus pass for the
days you are in Venice and get the Rough Guide map. Oh, and
unless you like crowds and higher costs, don't stay in San Marco.

This was a great map! If you want to go anywhere in Venice other than the Rialto bridge or St. mark's square, you will need a map. I put this map through hell, folding it every which way and even dropping it in a rain puddle - oops :) the map stood up to my abuse perfectly and was great for getting us around. we didn't have to find the TI to get a map, and i liked it way better than the nice map our hotel gave us. I highly recommend this map and will use others when we travel!

I can't even count how many times we used it on our trip to Venice, because Venice is one of those cities that once you go off the main streets, you will get lost without a map.

I love that it's rip-proof and water-proof, because I've used other maps and hate when they get worn from folding and un-folding. And since we'll be going to Berlin soon, I ordered the Rough Guide Berlin Map.

It had every street in Venice on it, which when you're navigating your way back to a main street or canal it totally helpful.