The Shortest History Of Italy: 3,000 Years From The Romans To The Renaissance To A Modern Republic - A Retelling For Our Times
Discover the prodigious global influence of il bel paese in this star-studded retelling of Italyās pastāfrom a foremost author of historic Italy. The Shortest History books deliver thousands of years of history in one riveting, fast-paced read.
āEach page brims with Bill Bryson-like trivia that is sure to delight.āāBooklist, starred review
The calendar. The Senate. The university. The piano, the heliocentric model, and the pizzeria. Itās hard to imagine a world without Italian influenceāand easy to assume that inventions like these could only come from a strong, stable peninsula, sure of its place in the world. In this breakneck history, bestselling author Ross King dismantles this assumption, uncovering the story of a land rife with inner uncertainty even as its influence spread.
As the Italian tale unfolds, prosperity and power fluctuate like the elevation in the Dolomites. If Romeās seven hills could talk, they might speak of the glorious time of Trajanāor bemoan the era of conquest and the Bubonic Plague that decimated Romeās population. Episodes of wealth like the First Triumvirate and the time of the Medicis are given fresh life alongside descriptions of the Middle Ages, the early days of Venice, the invasion of Napoleon, and the long struggle for unification.
Highlighting key events and personalities, King paints a vibrant portrait of a country whose political and cultural legacies enrich our lives today.