A Brief History of Italy: Tracing the Renaissance, Unification, and the Lively Evolution of Art and Culture

My husband reads financial books. I love fiction. My son is 100% into anything history related. So when I balked at his recommendation that I read a book about the history of Italy, he promised me this book would hold my interest. And he was so right!I do have a love of learning new things - but it has to be written in a way that holds my interest. And this author truly managed to do that.From the first chapter, I felt like I wanted to know more and more about Italy - a country I have always wanted to visit, but knew little about historically.This book is written as part history book, part story - divided into concise chapters of eras of importance.If I wanted to visit Italy before, I feel that I NEED to see it now!! With all of this knowledge, what an amazing trip through history that will be. And I will take this book with me, to use as I go!I am looking forward to reading other historical accounts by this author in the future.

I read this book just before my visit to this country.Thank that I really enjoyed Italian cultures and historical arts.

This book is a pretty good review of the history of Italy. It’s in a very concise and easily readable format. It talks about the art, history, and culture ranging from early times (Etruscans) to Pompeii to Caesar to the famous artists and any and all things in between. It’s pretty cool how much influence Italy had on the western cultures. Nice quick read for those interested in the country’s history.

This author goes into just the right amount of detail. His writing style is very easy to follow, and not at all like a textbook. It reads like a good story. I bought it in preparation for spending some time in Italy and am so glad I did. I have a new appreciation for its history which will allow me to appreciate what I see more. Highly recommend it as a general overview.

Enjoyed reading this book