Italy Books

I have enjoyed this little precious book now for years. Kudos to Evie Righter and Georgia Downward it is a joy to cook and eat the recipes in this cookbook.

One of the best Italian cookbooks we've found. The recipes are very "downhome" in nature and authentic representations of the cooking we encountered during our trip through Italy. Highly recommend this one. In fact, my wife just ordered another copy to keep in the galley on board our boat.

Jack Greene and Alessandro Massignani's The Black Prince And The Sea Devils is the story of Prince Valerio Borghese and his infamous World War II Italian naval commando unit will intrigue any with a special interest in World War II history beyond the generalist topics and scope. Green has authored four previous military titles and Massignani brings with him a special focus on Italian naval history: the two draw upon official archival sources and veteran accounts on both sides to separate fact from fantasy.

Every major military in the world has it's special elite units. The British have their SAS. The Americans the SEALS, Rangers, and Special Forces. Strangely enough, this trend began with the Italian Navy. Their Decima MAS unit pioneered the concept of small, specially trained units that did damage to their enemies far beyond their size. Movie buffs will recognize their exploits as shown in the 1958 movie 'The Silent Enemy' where frogmen attack the HMS Valiant and the HMS Queen Elizabeth using specially modified torpedoes that they ride into the harbour.

It is nice to see that the Italian military is portrayed here as something other than the bumbling fools so often shown in American films and books. This book treats the unit as they would any other unit, telling how it got started, their training, their failures and their successes. This book is also the basis for a new movie called 'The Sea Devils' although I understand that the project is now on hold.

Before reading this book, I had the impression (without even realizing it) that all saints were people who lived secluded lives hundreds of years ago and spent 90% of their time in prayer. This book illustrates the life a "normal" woman who lived a devout life in the modern world. She was an intelligent woman who was a highly educated doctor, and also a wife and a mother. Her life shows how devotion to God does not have to mean the exclusion of all else.

Read it near tissues though. If you have children, you will almost certainly cry when you read how she refused to sacrifice the life of her child to save her own.

All across global society, there are many controversial issues that predominate the social and political spectrum, none more polemical than the matter of abortion. Those who are Pro-Life versus those who are Pro-Choice lock heads to the point where divisiveness is a constant. Herein is where the uniqueness of Dr. Molla lies. Blessed Gianna, now Saint Gianna Beretta Molla, is a unique yet admirable figure among the vast array of Catholic Saints, having been canonized in 2004 by Pope John Paul II. She was a medical doctor who specialized in pediatrics, but she saw her vocation as a doctor as the Divine gift that it was: "In one way or another, everyone in the world works in the service of humanity. The physician works directly with the human person. The object of our science and work is the human person who is before us, who tells us about him or herself, who asks for help, and who expects from us the fullness of his or her existence. Physicians have opportunities that a priest does not have, for our mission does not end when medicine is no longer of help. There still remains the soul that must be brought to God. Jesus says, 'Whoever visits the sick is helping me.' This is a priestly mission! Just as the priest can touch Jesus, so we doctors touch Jesus in the bodies of our patients: in the poor, the young, the old, children.... May Jesus reveal himself through us; may he find many physicians who willingly offer themselves to him."--page 46. Through her work with Catholic Action, as well as her rich, rewarding faith, Dr. Molla was a woman endowed with much, but there was something else that she had a yearning for--a family. Originally dissuaded from becoming a religious missionary, as her brothers and sister had become-for her calling laid elsewhere-she needed clarity in order to see her vocation clearly in respects to love. Hence, while at Lourdes, she prayed to the Blessed Virgin for insight, and it came when her relationship with Pietro Molla (later her husband) deepened into a true Catholic-Christian marriage. And with the manifestation of that love, came a succession of children. In her time as a doctor, Dr. Molla was frequently asked to perform abortions, and her response would be a consistently resounding, "It is a sin against God. Life is sacred."--page 58. It was a religious and professional truth bravely lived out as a member of the Association of Catholic Physicians and then in the International Medical Association of Our Lady of Lourds. As her work schedule grew so too did her family, and upon her fourth pregnancy-her third one being difficult-she promised that her family work would come first, that she would leave her medical career behind, for however long necessary. But it was her fourth pregnancy whereby she would ununexpectedly become a martyr. Having developed a fibroma on the lateral right wall of her uterus and later septic peritonitis, she had one of three choices: an abortion, a complete hysterectomy or save the baby's life. The first two choices would have assured her her life. The abortion choice would also have guaranteed future pregnancies. However, Gianna Molla, as a doctor, chose the very last option, her will uncompromising to save her baby, knowing full well, however, that it would ultimately cost her her life. But as true as that was and as genuine as her painful suffering was, her faith was unyielding: "Oh, if Jesus were not here to console us at times like this....!"--page 110. Gianna Beretta Molla died quietly in her home on April 28, 1962, slowly living out her Passion, responding fully to her vocation with quiet, saintly courage.

In this book we follow Father Lee through a year spent in Rome in the seventies, teaching American students attending a Catholic University. He opens the eyes of his students, as he does his readers, to the power of art to enrich and inspire us. We follow him as he teachs his students about the works of Homer and Virgil, and we come to understand the freshness of these works written thousands of years ago. We follow him as he travels to the opera houses of Europe in pursuit of one of his passions - opera. The conversations he has with ordinary people he meets en route are powerful ruminations on theology and philosophy. A gay American couple he meets on a train, who are unable to come to terms with Church teaching on homosexuality, challenge his notions of religion and love. A performance of Wagner's Die Meistersinger sparks a conversation with a German couple - innkeepers - who wrestle with Germany and the Holocaust. His thoughts on the fire bombing of Dresden I found powerful and devastating especially in view of today's world situation. His thoughts on 'that most complicated of the performing arts - opera - I found refreshing. I have known Father Lee through his wonderful books on opera, but The Book of Hours gives us a much deeper look at the world around us, and the role the arts play in that world, and in the human soul. What Father Lee reminds those of us who love the arts, is that they connect us with the divine. They draw us to what is deep inside us, and what is extraordinary outside us, for in the end the arts help us touch what is immanent and what is transcendant. A must read for those with a deep appreciation for literature, art and music.

Well known to opera lovers for his insightful commentaries during the Saturday broadcasts from the Metropolitan Opera, Father Owen Lee's memoir of a year teaching in Italy and travelling all over Europe to attend operas adds a remarkable depth to Father Lee's clearly multifaceted life. Combining musings about religion, faith, scholarship,music and human nature, this is a beautiful book, rich in insights and moving in many ways. Although Father Lee's faith clearly derives from his calling as a Catholic priest, his observations and insights into things spirirual and musical should not be off-putting to a person of any faith, or none at all. "I hated to turn to the last page" is quite the literary cliche, but I was genuinely sorry for this wonderful book to end. I wish there were a volume two.

These stickers are small, pretty reproductions of various pieces of artwork. Each sticker is unique in the book, no doubles of any picture. They aren't the most perfect color plates ever, but they're basically for correspondance and craft purposes, or could be used as a reference (say, by Art History students). While I wish there had been duplicates, I can't fault Dover for erring on the side of variety, and I can't argue with the wonderful value the price represents. This little book is great as stationery, but it would also make a nice stocking-stuffer or gift topper. If Botticelli isn't your favorite artist, Dover has made books of other artists' work, which Amazon also offers and which are just as nifty.

BOTTICELLI's art tells what he liked in other artists: the shaded color and light of Andrea del Verrocchio, the energy of Antonio del Pollaiolo, and the faces of Fra Filippo Lippi. From Bruno Santi's book, it becomes clear what he liked in his own work: atmosphere, in the coarse tent with the headless Assyrian King Holofernes and in the dawn alive with Judith and her lady-in-waiting; attention to detail, in the blue enamel armor and metal highlights of his Fortitude; color, in the dawn flesh tones under the cornflower- and daisy-decorated clothing on his Birth of Venus; innovation, in the clear path to the larger-than-life 16th-century art with his Calumny, in the first early Renaissance freely placed figures with his Primavera and in the first Italian inscription in a painting with his Madonna enthroned with saints; meditation, in the golden dusk of his Adoration of the Magi; tension, in the contorted acolytes at his Communion of St. Jerome. The author also shows in his Scala/Riverside published work what the Florentine art world was doing during David Landau and Peter Parshall's THE RENAISSANCE PRINT 1470-1500. Likewise, his beautifully illustrated text is a good way to understand Jill Dunkerton's DURER TO VERONESE, Sylvia Ferino-Pagden and Maria Kusche's SOFONISBA ANGUISSOLA, Mary D. Garrard's ARTEMISIA GENTILESCHI, Andreas Prater and Hermann Bauer's PAINTING OF THE BAROQUE, and Rudolf Wittkower's ART AND ARCHITECTURE IN ITALY 1600-1750.

A delightful book that reads like a story (rather than a historical account) of Francis' many experiences with animals. Great for kids and adults alike.

This is a really fine illustrated life of St. Francis for youth. It is in large print suitable for children age 8 and up, and is likely to appeal to parents as well. I really enjoyed the art work and the well written text.

The book is divided into two parts and in the middle are several very good photographs and drawings of the cupola both interior and exterior including the area between the two domes.

The first part covers the history of the building, where the materials were gathered, how Brunelleschi came up with the design, how he oversaw the construction and workers to complete the project. A detailed chronology of the various repairs and modifications that have taken place since it's completion in 1436 is also examined. Part one concludes with a discussion of the Cupolas greater role in Florence and its impact and perception among artist, architects, writers, and others.

Part two is entirely devoted to examining the structure from an engineering perspective. This part may be very challenging for non-engineer types to really understand, as the analysis becomes quite technical and assumes the reader understands things such as bending moments, tensile stress, laws of elasticity, and more. That being said it does a great job in covering in detail the structural deformation of the cupola, the current tensile loads creating cracks above the four piers, a finite element analysis of the structure in its both cracked and un-cracked states, and methods for reinforcing the cupola so that structural integrity in maintained.

The information in part two alone justifies the purchase of this book, especially for engineering students and practicing engineers who also share an interest in history.

I bought one of these books in paperback form at the museum store in Florence, Italy and ordered more from Amazon when I saw the description specified "hardcover." The books I received were the same as I had bought in Florence...paperback. Yes, the cover is a heavier-than-usual card stock, but it is NOT hardcover as we have come to think of a hardcover binding.

That said, if you have ever seen Brunelleschi's cupola in person, been awestruck by its detail and managed to survive the climb of hundreds of steps to the top for the spectacular views, you will find this book fascinating and instructive. It also makes a terrific gift for the architect or builder in your life.

Although i knew this book, it always surprises me. One of the best issues about it is that, although based upon a deep research, the author does not goes around issuing theories and opinions: when he is not sure about something, just declares it. Great for people tired of ego-based theories, and fond of reality.

Gustina Scaglia's Brunelleschi: Studies Of His Technology And Inventions republishes a seminal 1970 study of an early pioneer of the Italian Renaissance whose architectural ideas changed Europe. His achievements are detailed in a title which surveys not just the art of his works, but the scientific and technological ideas behind them.

The most accessible cookbook by the master of authentic Italian "cucina." The results of the recipes look as good as the beautiful photographs in the book and taste even better. A tour of Italy in your kitchen. Also, I understand that there will be a TV series on PBS for twenty-six weeks, beginning sometime later this fall or winter.

Many "Italian" cookbooks are really Italian-American cookbooks. This one is for you if you want real Italian recipes. Yes, there are some unusual ingredients and not all the techniques are "easy as pie", but this book lets you taste Italy. I have made a number of the recipes with great success. Bugialli knows Italian food and he knows how to teach Americans to make it.

This book is one of my top 10 authentic Italian cookbooks.

This latest attempt at a history of Italian Literature for the English speaking world was highly recommended in a review by Giulio Ferroni in the Corriere della Sera (one of Italy's most important newspapers). Giulio Ferroni is himself the author of a highly regarded history of Italian Literature (in Italian). The writers include Lino Pertile and Franco Fido (both from Harvard), Paolo Cherchi (The University of Chicago), and others.

I have not completed this book yet, as I find myself stopping to investigate a particular author I didn't know much about, i.e., Tasso, Boccaccio, Leopardi, and then doing in-depth research to go along with the details of this book. It is really a wonderful introduction to Italian Literature. I majored in English Literature; therefore, writers like Dante and Petrarch were familiar to me, but still there was so much I wanted to know. This book gives me the chance to learn more and has a wonderful bibliography in order to know where to look for more. If you want to learn about Italian Literature, begin here and I think your experience will be worthwhile.