The Other Italy

The Italian Resistance in World War II began as a spontaneous rebellion against Nazi oppression in the days following Italy's unconditional surrender to the Allies on September 8, 1943. The story of the underground battle of the Italians against the Nazis and Fascisti, largely unknown outside Italy, was, unlike the French Resistance, a spontaneous city-by-city, region-by-region uprising. This book traces the growth of the wartime resistance from its birth in 1943 against overwhelming odds to its dramatic triumph two years later. Here are Neapolitan youngsters fighting German tanks; patriots operating an underground radio station inside Nazi occupied Florence; Romans ambushing a Nazi patrol; mountain fighters blasting enemy convoys; peasants who hid partisan and Allied escapees; and priests and nuns who outfoxed Nazi and Fascist patrols. It was a moving episode, a lesson for all of us who live so easily in the kind of society dreamed of by the partisans. This is a story of courage, sacrifice and individual heroism - a noble episode in the history of a great people. "A valuable contribution to the history of World War II, which was as much a "peoples war" - a revolution - as it was a gigantic struggle between the armies of the Allies and those of the Axis powers. The book demonstrates with a wealth of facts and anecdotes drawn from survivors and memoirs that given a cause to fight for the Italians are as capable of reckless courage as the bravest. And in Word War II their cause was freedom from the Fascism that had crushed their civil rights for a generation that dominated them after the Italo-Allied Armistice of September 1943. "Particularly valuable are Mrs. Wilhelm's chapters on the often ambiguous role of the Catholic Church; the participation of Jews in the armed resistance; the price they paid in deportations to the German concentration camps, where most of the 3000 Jews perished; and finally the important role of the women of Italy in the liberation as Resistance fighters."

Magnificent natural beauty, rich culture and longstanding traditions, Basilicata packs an incredible diversity into the unassuming instep of the Italian boot. From the renowned Sassi di Matera to the smallest village, this in-depth travel essay uncovers a land, its people, their past and present, sharing the joys and challenges of the experience.

Co-published by: Centre for Reformation and Renaissance Studies.

The book that explains the whole extraordinary course of Italian history like no other in English The Pursuit of Italy traces the whole history of the Italian peninsula in a wonderfully readable style, full of well-chosen stories and observations from personal experience, and peopled by many of the great figures of the Italian past, from Cicero and Virgil to Dante and the Medici, from Cavour and Verdi to the controversial political figures of the twentieth century. The book gives a clear-eyed view of the Risorgimento, the pivotal event in modern Italian history, debunking the influential myths which have grown up around it. Gilmour shows that the glory of Italy has always lain in its regions, with their distinctive art, civic cultures, identities and cuisine and whose inhabitants identified themselves not as Italians, but as Tuscans and Venetians, Sicilians and Lombards, Neapolitans and Genoese. This is where the strength and culture of Italy still comes from, rather than from misconceived and mishandled concepts of nationalism and unity. This wise and enormously engaging book explains the course of Italian history in a manner and with a coherence which no one with an interest in the country could fail to enjoy. David Gilmour is one of Britain's most admired and accomplished historical writers and biographers. His previous books include The Last Leopard : A Life of Giuseppe di Lampedusa (winner of the Marsh Biography Award) Curzon (Duff Cooper Prize) and Long Recessional:The Imperial Life of Rudyard Kipling (Elizabeth Longford Prize for Historical Biography).

The Italian Renaissance marked a period of political and military turmoil. Many regional wars were fought between the states ruled by Milan, Venice, Genoa, Florence, the Papacy, Siena and Naples. For more than 50 years starting in 1494, major foreign powers also exploited these divisions to invade Italy; both France and Spain made temporary alliances with city states to further their ambitions, and early in the 16th century the Emperor Charles V sent armies from his German realms to support the Spanish. These wars coincided with the growth of disciplined infantry – carrying not only polearms and crossbows but also handguns – which proved capable of challenging the previously dominant armoured knights. The widespread use of mercenaries ushered in the early development of the 'pike and shot' era that succeeded the 'High Middle Ages'. During this period costumes, armour and weapons varied greatly due to their national origins and to the evolution of tactics and technology. This masterfully illustrated study offers a fascinating insight into the many armies which fought in Italy during this turbulent period, explaining not only their arms and equipment, but also their structure and successes and failures on the battlefield.

The first story in this book is retold from the "Fioretti" of St. Francis of Assisi. "Calandrino and the pig" is from the "Decameron" of Boccaccio. The last three stories are adapted from "Legends of Florence" by C.G. Leland.

I simply want to live in the place with the best food in the world. This dream led Eric Dregni to Italy, first to Milan and eventually to a small, fog-covered town to the north: Modena, the birthplace of balsamic vinegar, Ferrari, and Luciano Pavarotti. Never Trust a Thin Cook is a classic American abroad tale, brimming with adventures both expected and unexpected, awkward social moments, and most important, very good food. Parmesan thieves. Tortellini based on the shape of Venus's navel. Infiltrating the secret world of the balsamic vinegar elite. Life in Modena is a long way from the Leaning Tower of Pizza (the south Minneapolis pizzeria where Eric and his girlfriend and fellow traveler Katy first met), and while some Italians are impressed that "Minnesota" sounds like "minestrone," they are soon learning what it means to live in a country where the word "safe" doesn't actually exist-only "less dangerous." Thankfully, another meal is always waiting, and Dregni revels in uncorking the secrets of Italian cuisine, such as how to guzzle espresso "corrected" with grappa and learning that mold really does make a good salami great. What begins as a gastronomical quest soon becomes a revealing, authentic portrait of how Italians live and a hilarious demonstration of how American and Italian cultures differ. In Never Trust a Thin Cook, Eric Dregni dishes up the sometimes wild experiences of living abroad alongside the simple pleasures of Italian culture in perfect, complementary proportions.