The Pursuit of Italy A History of a Land, Its Regions, and Their Peoples [Paperback]

A provocative, entertaining account of Italy's diverse riches, its hopes and dreams, its past and present

Did Garibaldi do Italy a disservice when he helped its disparate parts achieve unity? Was the goal of political unification a mistake? The question is asked and answered in a number of ways inThe Pursuit of Italy, an engaging, original consideration of the many histories that contribute to the brillianceand weaknessof Italy today.

David Gilmour's wonderfully readable exploration of Italian life over the centuries is filled with provocative anecdotes as well as personal observations, and is peopled by the great figures of the Italian pastfrom Cicero and Virgil to the controversial politicians of the twentieth century. His wise account of the Risorgimento debunks the nationalistic myths that surround it, though he paints a sympathetic portrait of Giuseppe Verdi, a beloved hero of the era.

Gilmour shows that the glory of Italy has always lain in its regions, with their distinctive art, civic cultures, identities, and cuisines. Italy's inhabitants identified themselves not as Italians but as Tuscans and Venetians, Sicilians and Lombards, Neapolitans and Genoese. Italy's strength and culture still come from its regions rather than from its misconceived, mishandled notion of a unified nation.

Sir David Gilmouris one of Britain's most admired and accomplished historical writers and biographers. His previous books includeThe Last Leopard,The Long Recessional(FSG, 2002), and, most recently,The Ruling Caste(FSG, 2006).

Amazingly compendious . . . The best one-volume history of Italy now available . . . [The Pursuit of Italy] has the same tonic, exhilarating impact as the thigh-slapping overture to a Verdi opera. Jonathan Keates,The Literary Review

[The Pursuit of Italyhas] a freshness and readability often lacking in more laborious histories, an attractiveness reinls+