A couple of 'new ones' to recommend. The first you may hv heard of, and it's about the Etruscans...'Affreschi..Exploring Etruria' by Mary Jane Cryan, a super collection of travel essays, 42 pages of photos, some maps too. I throoughly enjoyed this book and it is a must for anyone who wants to follow any of the Etruscan trail. I wrote her I think to get a copy..Mary Jane Cryan, Etruria Editions, Palazzo Pieri Piatti, 01019 Vetralla (VT) Italy. Mary Jane is a peach.
I also liked another one by Michael Sedge, which is about the Roman ships recently being unearthed in Pisa...'The Lost Ships of Pisa', I think I got this one from Amazon...ISBN no 0-7434-5265-8, $26...a must for anyone intereested in ships OR archeology. Michael is also very acommodating with information.
I assume you have all seen 'Extra Virgin'.
Janice
Posts: 71 | Location: Orient Point, Long Island, New York | Registered: 05 September 2001
I'm in the middle of 'Ciao America - An Italian Discovers the U.S.' by Beppe Severgnini. Not a scholarly work by any means, but lots of fun and very interesting. Beppe is spending a year in Washington D.C. and discovering all sorts of things that we take for granted. Made my husband laugh outloud.
Posts: 655 | Location: Maine | Registered: 23 November 2002
I really liked Ciao America. Kind of a Italian travel essay in reverse. Trying to think of some of the things he thought odd about us. He really does not understand our love for cold beverages. I guess he likes drinking luke warm Coke!
The Severgnini book was first published in Italian several years ago. Steve read it in Italian and like it. I got the English translation when it came out last year - an interesting read, but it is a bit dated now. We need a new memoir of an Italian moving to the US!
quote:Originally posted by Su Meri: He really does not understand our love for cold beverages. I guess he likes drinking luke warm Coke!
There is a big difference between a cold drink (can I have a glass of chinotto instead of Coke? Coke is too sweet!) and a Coke nealy as cold as ice and with enough ice to make it badly watered and slightly tasting of disinfectant ^_______^
Alice Twain --
Sciur capitan, questa che l’è la verità, adess ghe n’hoo piee i ball, Giovanni el turna a cà. Se te voret scriv te regali la mia pena, se te voret sparam questa l’è la mia schena.
Mr capitain, this is the truth Now I am sick of it, Giovanni goes back home If you want to write to me, I’ll give you my pencil If you want to shoot me, here’s my back.
Here is a new one, for me anyway, a collection of essays about life in rural Sicily: The Stone Boudoir by Theresa Maggio, an American writer who has traveled to and lived in Sicily off and on for the last 30 years. In particular, her essay describing the Feast of Saint Agatha held each year in Catania is fascinating. I highly recommend this book if you enjoy descriptions of life in a traditional culture that has changed little in comparison to the rest of western culture, and that coexist alongside each other.
Posts: 253 | Location: US | Registered: 14 July 2002
I just recieved a excellent new book on the wines of piedmont.A wine atlas of the Langhe:The great Borolo and Barbaresco vineyards edited by Carlo Petrini. It is the first english language book giving detailed maps of the various vineyards and "crus" for each area with very nice photographs,and histories of the most important producers.RR
Posts: 6504 | Location: Culver City, CA, USA | Registered: 08 November 2002
Sadly, because of my poor time management style, I don't have time to sit down very often and actually read a book in hard copy form. I've solved this problem by buying books on CD to "read" when I walk or while on the tread mill. And either CD or cassette tape when I'm in my car driving those country back roads to my clients (translate AM radio and no NPR). My only requirement is that they are unabridged. I dislike someone else deciding what part of the book I don't need to hear.
My recent favorites related to Italy:
The Passion of Artemisia by Susan Vreeland.(I was lucky enough to see the Gentileschi exhibit here at the St. Louis Art Museum so "reading" about the creation of the actual paintings I had see was great.) The Family by Mario Puzo. (Does anyone know if that one is scheduled for film yet?) The First Man In Rome by Collene McCullough. (Really enjoyed this one. But I'm reading The October Horse right now and having a little trouble getting into it. I don't think is is as good as First Man.)
So, those are a couple of my recommendations. If anyone here knows of some good audio books to recommend, I'm all ears!
Deborah Horn
In a previous life I was an Umbrian sunflower farmer. I'd like to do a past life regression and stay there. ----------------------------------- Marketing Solutions for Health Care
Posts: 4988 | Location: St. Louis, MO | Registered: 04 September 2001
Is that Piedmont wine book available in the US? I am assuming so, since you said it is in English.?.?
I have the Tuscany book in the Touring in Wine Country series, and it says there are books for Northwest and Northeast Italy. My Tuscany book has maps but they do not look very helpful at all (have not been there)! I have the Bordeaux book in this series (been there and used it) and it is much better map-wise, although the maps still somewhat difficult to follow.
Deborah, a while ago I read on the Godfather Trilogy message board about a movie based on The Family being in the making and even there was information in the movie database IMDB (names of actors, etc.). I've checked again and it's gone. I wonder why.
Thanks for the scoop on Annie Hawes' new book...tried to get it on Amazon, but I guess it's too new. They do have a UK site, but I can wait I guess until they have it here...where did you get it though, maybe Barnes and Noble have it? Janice
Posts: 71 | Location: Orient Point, Long Island, New York | Registered: 05 September 2001
Janice - I see that, according to amazon Uk it is not yet published - seems strange, I saw it in my local bookstore here in Finland last week ! I haven't read it yet but did find the first one a lot of fun. GB
Extra Virgin, a wonderful book (well written and with lots of details about living in Italy) was published in the US last year. Use the amazon link on my books page: Pauline's Picks
OKAY - I haven't had my morning coffee - you mean her NEW book!! I bought Extra Virgin from amazon.uk before it was out in the US. Probably will have to do the same with her new book.
While searching around on Amazon.co.uk I came upon this book which is coming out in the US next month. Anyone read it? It this the estate the book is about: http://www.ilborro.it/home_eng.html
All will be revealed, because I pre-ordered it from Amazon.
Seven Years in Tuscany by Amanda Ferragamo, Michael Peat Synopsis Ferruccio Ferragamo is chairman of the Ferragamo empire - shops throughout the world selling luxury goods to the very wealthy. In 1991, he purchased a medieval ruin south of Florence called Il Borro. Since then his wife has devoted most of her time and energy to restoring the ruin to its former splendour as a palace. No cost was spared to restore the house and garden. Architects, designers, decorators were engaged from all over the world. The result is admired all over Italy and visited by countless people. This is Amanda Ferragamo's account of how this restoration came about.
quote:Originally posted by Livinwell: ...I've solved this problem by buying books on CD to "read" when I walk or while on the tread mill. And either CD or cassette tape when I'm in my car driving those country back roads to my clients (translate AM radio and no NPR). ....If anyone here knows of some good audio books to recommend, I'm all ears!
Deborah, On a recent road trip I listened to "The Enchanted April" by Elizabeth Von Arnim, unabridged, on tape. It's been quite a while since I saw the movie, so the story was (mostly!) fresh, and certainly much more detailed and nuanced than the film. Well written characters, and the descriptions of San Salvatore made me want to go there right now! I highly recommend this book (on tape)!
Posts: 14158 | Location: The Beautiful San Francisco Bay Area | Registered: 06 August 2001
Pauline, thanks for the site for the Annie Hawes book, I ordered it. I love her sryle of writing... I looked at your 'picks' and would love to turn you on to Ann Cornelisen. She wrote several books about Basilicata, when it was very poor. It's so interesting to see the difference in the region today. I don't remember the order in which these books were written, but the first was 'Where it All Began'-when she was a student in Italy in 1954-and is sort of recruited to volunteer for a charity organization which set up nurseries for the poor children of a small region of Basilicata. Another is 'Torregreca','Women of the Shadows' and 'Strangers & Pilgrims'---all of which I would reread! Her style of writing is so engageing, and she is quite 'poetic'...a real cut above. I can highly recommend these books. I have read almost all the ones on your list, I think you hve great taste, lol. Janice Janice
Posts: 71 | Location: Orient Point, Long Island, New York | Registered: 05 September 2001
THANKS COLLEEN, I'm going to the bookstore tomorrow and will look for Enchanted April!
For a slightly "romance novel" type book set in Italy I enjoyed "Hill Town" by Anne Rivers Siddons. It won't challenge your intellect, but there is a lot of local color involved. So you do get that "wish I were there" feeling.
Not Italy related (directly at least) but one of my all time favorites is "How The Irish Saved Civilization" by Thomas Cahill. I must admit that the sexy Irish brogue of the reader might have had something to do with that.
Deborah Horn
In a previous life I was an Umbrian sunflower farmer. I'd like to do a past life regression and stay there. ----------------------------------- Marketing Solutions for Health Care
Posts: 4988 | Location: St. Louis, MO | Registered: 04 September 2001
Okay Deborah, we have to talk. I HATED Hill Town by Anne Rivers Siddons!! First of all, the drive she did was from Florence to Siena and the hill towns were the towns along the S222. I don't classify Greve, Panzano and Castellina as hill towns. Am I wrong? I think more of towns on a big hill - Cortona, Montalcino, etc. Secondly, it was very lightweight - very!! Now I like junk as much as the next person, but when the junk is about Italy I, perhaps wrongly, expect it to be better.
Now, if I heard it as a book on tape and listened while driving, I might have felt differently.
Seven Years in Tuscany by Amanda Ferragamo, Michael Peat Synopsis Ferruccio Ferragamo is chairman of the Ferragamo empire - shops throughout the world selling luxury goods to the very wealthy. In 1991, he purchased a medieval ruin south of Florence called Il Borro. Since then his wife has devoted most of her time and energy to restoring the ruin to its former splendour as a palace. No cost was spared to restore the house and garden. Architects, designers, decorators were engaged from all over the world. The result is admired all over Italy and visited by countless people. This is Amanda Ferragamo's account of how this restoration came about.
We just saw a piece about this , maybe on the travel channel? Anyway, in addition to being Italian, rich, and the owner of the fabulous place, he is also young and GORGEOUS! (now there's a surprise!)I think they said you could rent it our for $350,000...it's basically it's own small village and the idea is to give the privileged few the chance to feel like the all-powerful landowners of ancient (and not so ancient) times!
Pauline, I can't wait for your review!
Posts: 4884 | Location: Umbria | Registered: 29 June 2001
I'm not a big Hill Towns fan too - too much whining and hardly any time spent in any hill towns - hmmm...if any that I recall. A good amount of time spent in Rome though.
Posts: 14950 | Location: Casa dei Cerrbiati, NJ, USA | Registered: 16 June 2001
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