The Complete Idiot's Guide to Italian History and Culture

by Gabrielle Ann Euvino, Michael San Filippo

You’re no idiot, of course. You know there’s more to Italy’s rich tapestry than spaghetti and the Sicilian Mafia, but you also know you have a lot to learn about the country that brought you the paintings of Michelangelo, the poetry of Dante, and the Ferrari of your dreams.

Get ready to indulge! The Complete Idiot’s Guide® to Italian History and Culture will satisfy your thirst for all things Italian with its in-depth information about Italian art and literature, wine and cooking, and famous Italians and Italian Americans. In this Complete Idiot’s Guide®, you get:

* Secrets of Italian cooking sure to whet your appetite!
* The Italian-American connection, from pizza to the Mafia to soccer.
* A comprehensive look at the centuries-long struggle to unify Italy.
* The power and glory of the Renaissance.

Genres: History, Reference, Nonfiction

408 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2001

Reviews

[Morrigan M · Rating 3 out of 5]

Got this book to learn about Italian history post WWII and try by I understand their modern government.

This book dives into the history and gives you more insight as to why Italy is the way it is, but it doesn’t offer much info past WWII.

Tells you a great deal about Italian Americans and the struggles the immigrants went through (which explained A LOT about my family honestly and was very insightful and helpful), but it did not inform me much about how the Italian government operates today or how elections work and the like.

Overall it’s a great and informative read, but if you want to learn about modern Italian politics and history past the world wars, look elsewhere.

[Jen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I learned a lot from this book, which was clearly written with a lot of passion.