After looking cautiously round the room he added in an even lower voice, 'Of course to the south we would have a neighbour like Egypt.''. It’s not a typical book of fables fed to adult kids, it’s a serious conversation that invites you to think. The Pursuit of Italy: A History of a Land, Its Regions, and Their Peoples Paperback – Nov. 13 2012 by David Gilmour (Author) 4.3 out of 5 stars 148 ratings See all 14 formats and editions This is very much a personal view of the history of Italy, and while that makes it a lively read, it is not an objective one, indeed, it is a book written with the intention of debunking national myths about the country and arguing that not only was Italian unification in 1859-61 to 1870 an unnecessary and non-determinate process, but also it was a negative one for the peoples of the new state, particularly those of the south. this is a pretty gripping account of the chimera that is (and always has been) Italy, which is seemingly scathing of almost everything it comes across - people (especially politicians and leaders), even the food (although he does preface with a clarification of his position on polenta). Read the Kirkus Review of THE PURSUIT OF ITALY A History of a Land, Its Regions, and Their Peoples. Not as good as Hughes on Rome, but a very good, succinct and clear history of Italy from Pre-Roman times through Berlusconi. A pageant with wealthy and fascinating players: Catholic Church, Florentine bankers, Venetian merchants, Bourbon kings, talented artists and more played across this narrow peninsula. declares there's no such thing as Italy. Subtitle: A History of a Land, its Regions and their Peoples . Review of Gilmour, David, The Pursuit of Italy: A History of a Land, Its Regions, and Their Peoples. The Pursuit of Italy: A History of a Land, Its Regions, and Their Peoples Audible Audiobook – Unabridged David Gilmour (Author), Napoleon Ryan (Narrator), Tantor Audio (Publisher) 4.2 out of 5 stars 181 ratings See all formats and editions History Review: The Pursuit Of Italy, by David Gilmour Funny story written by Ellis Ian Fields. I just have to share my astonishment at one fact I learned in reading this book. Jim Riordan / March 5, 2018. . The Pursuit Of Italy David Gilmour|courier font size 14 format Thank you enormously much for downloading the pursuit of italy david gilmour.Most likely you have knowledge that, people have look numerous times for their favorite books behind this the pursuit of italy david gilmour, but end up in harmful downloads. . A historical book as it should be. For a complete beginner on Italian history this is probably the book to read. Fiction. [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 Italy has] a freshness and readability often lacking in more laborious histories, an attractiveness reinforced by the quality of the writing, which is versatile and vivid and frequently witty, able to encompass both densely factual material and … A claptrap of names and dates, hastily thrown together with no narrative or through line guiding any of it. the pursuit of italy a history of a land its regions and their peoples Nov 16, 2020 Posted By Frank G. Slaughter Media TEXT ID e70aaec9 Online PDF Ebook Epub Library experience and peopled by many of the great figures of the italian past from cicero and virgil to dante and the medici from the pursuit of italy a history of a land its regions He is very much inspired by the neorealist movies of Italy like Bicycle Thieves which, according to him, has certain amount of similarity with Gardner's story (Billington, 2008). This work is expansive and at times overbearing, but nearly always entertaining. (still my brain hurts! Read honest and unbiased product reviews from our users. The chapters on the past 74 years of Italian history (i.e., post-World War II) are fast and "low flying" over some interesting country. Unsure how this was even published, let alone how it received the fairly positive reviews it received. The Literary Review Jonathan Keates British historian Gilmour ( The Ruling Caste: Imperial Lives in the Victorian Raj , 2006, etc.) 2011 James Mustich is the author of the new book 1,000 Books to Read Before You Die: A Life-Changing List. Thursday 03 May 2012 15:04. British historian Gilmour (The Ruling Caste: Imperial Lives in the Victorian Raj, 2006, etc.) That Gabriele Muccino is a great story teller shows the way he has presented the story of his movie 'the Pursuit of Happyness' in a very subtle way. If nothing else, this book will make the reader way more informed about current events in Italy and the EU. The Pursuit of Italy. The historian David Gilmour argues that the 1861 unification of Italy was a mistake. Nor is his book a collection of iconoclastic provocations. Started off well, with interesting ideas about the connection between geography and culture, but eventually became a litany of names and dates from the unification onward that wasn't particularly insightful. The Pursuit of Italy : A History of a Land, Its Regions, and Their Peoples by David Gilmour (2017, CD MP3, Unabridged edition) Be the first to write a review About this product Brand new: Lowest price With The Pursuit of Italy, David Gilmour has provided a coherent, persuasive, and entertain­ing interpretation of the paradoxes of Italian life, past and present. [ The Pursuit of Italy ] has the same tonic, exhilarating impact as the thigh-slapping overture to a Verdi opera." It felt a little scattered early on, more of an “intermediate” book for people with some familiarity with Italy’s general history, but overall it presented an engaging and relatively thorough explanation of the region’s history. It is best, I feel, and most informative in the chapters on the Risorgimento, Italian unification, the period intervening between unification and the fascist era, and the fascist era itself. Italy's strength and culture still come from its regions rather than from its misconceived, mishandled notion of a unified nation. . A certain character. Reviews In the Press. I quickly lost interest, mainly because Gilmour's narrative became strangely disjointed and muddled. As much as I want to believe him, this tome has certainly jaded my glossy-eyed view of Italy as the flower of the Renaissance and height of enlightened living. Unsure how this was even published, let alone how it received the fairly positive reviews it received. Reviews from Goodreads This is not a "review" by any means. A relatively snappy history of Italy written in an engaging style, this book could perhaps have provided greater coverage to certain eras and topics. The books riddled with inaccuracies on Italy. [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 ITALY by David GilmourKirkus Book Reviews Read the Kirkus Review of THE PURSUIT OF ITALY A History of a Land, Its Regions, and Their Peoples. Italy's strength and culture still come from its regions rather than from its misconceived, mishandled notion of a unified nation. Retrouvez The Pursuit of Glory: Europe 1648-1815 et des millions de livres en stock sur Amazon.fr. Oddly organized, and the sentence structure often is so jumbled that it destroys any flow. You see real people, not lacquered and embellished saints or demonized beastly villains. Zero pizzazz or elan that can be found in other histories where the past sings and dances for the reader, becoming, for a moment while reading, the present. David Gilmour argues that it was not. We’d love your help. THE PURSUIT OF ITALY by David GilmourKirkus Book Reviews Read the Kirkus Review of THE PURSUIT OF ITALY A History of a Land, Its Regions, and Their Peoples. With The Pursuit of Italy, David Gilmour has provided a coherent, ... LibraryThing Review User Review - messpots - LibraryThing. byJames Mustich / October 24, 2011 Share. I was truly sorry when I finished this book. Select Your Cookie Preferences. After quoting Napoleon on the excessive length of the country, Gilmour properly points out that Italy is really - and always has been - a "country" of its regions and communes, and that it is too much to expect the average Italian to place his primary loyalty to the modern Italian nation/state, with its many shortcomings. It attempts to capture the major political movements from ancient Rome to modern Italy with a lot of content devoted to the Risorgimento, fascist Italy, and Berlucsconi's modern profligacy. It included many historical over views but jumped around in time and geography. . James Mustich is the author of the new book 1,000 Books to Read Before You Die: A Life-Changing List.A veteran bookseller, he was a founder, and for twenty years publisher, of the book catalogue A Common Reader, and later the founding Editor-in-Chief of the Barnes & Noble Review. Gilmour is a great storyteller, tying together many threads and keeping it comlex and simple at the same time. A pageant with wealthy and fascinating players: Catholic Church, Florentine bankers, Venetian merchants, Bourbon kings, talented artists and more played across this narrow peninsula. - Kirkus Reviews . About the Writer James Mustich. declares there’s no such thing as Italy.Or rather, he argues in this idiosyncratic text, the 19th-century unification of the Italian peninsula into a single nation ignored the reality of its distinct city-states and regions with long separate histories and little in common. There were wars and competition and money and art to be made. David Gilmour has done all of us a great service in the writing of this readable, entertaining and yet serious history of Italy. The basic thesis is that the Risorgimento (when Italy became one nation instead of a collection of various countries' possessions) emphasized Italian nationalism as opposed to local culture on the peninsula, and this opened the doors to Mussolini and the Fascists. I particularly liked the discussion on the unification of Italy in the 19th centuries. An Economist Best Book of the Year“Sweeping . Actually my brain hurts from reading but it's spectacular. Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read. British historian Gilmour (The Ruling Caste: Imperial Lives in the Victorian Raj, 2006, etc.) Historian David Gilmour takes a revisionist view of the past two centuries when he argues in this new volume that the unification of Italy was a mistake, a yoking-together of many disparate strains never meant to huddle under one national umbrella. [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 Italy has] a freshness and readability often lacking in more laborious histories, an attractiveness reinforced by the quality of the writing, which is versatile and vivid and frequently witty, able to encompass both densely factual material and … How any self-respecting nation could ever elect a man like Berlusconi might be the greatest argument against Italy as a functioning state. Ever since the Risorgimento, there has been debate about whether the unification of Italy of 1860-61 was a 'a good thing.' For a complete beginner on Italian history this is probably the book to read. I was delighted with the first part of the book, covering the earlier history of the landmass that is now Italy and its diverse population and culture. Randomly placed chapters about opera and cinema looked odd. The chapters on the past 74 years of Italian history (i.e., post-World War II) are fast and "low flying" over some interesting country. Was this book deal a pay-off for the author? Is there a MI-5 message hidden in the text a la Three Days of the Condor? Venice was its own special case, and then there were the Papal States - the Pope's personal territory. David Gilmour has done all of us a great service in the writing of this readable, entertaining and yet serious history of Italy. The Pursuit of Italy: A History of a Land, Its Regions, and Their Peoples David Gilmour. Visiting a villa built by Lorenzo de Medici outside Pisa, David Gilmour fell into conversation about the unification of Italy with a distinguished former minister: ''You know, Davide,' he said in a low conspiratorial voice, as if uttering a heresy, 'Garibaldi did Italy a great disservice. 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