The Shortest History of Italy: 3,000 Years from the Romans to the Renaissance to a Modern Republic-A Retelling for Our Times (The Shortest History Series)

ISBN: 1891011456

Author: King, Ross

Condition: New

Discover the prodigious global influence of il bel paese in this star-studded retelling of Italys past-from a foremost author of historic Italy. The Shortest History books deliver thousands of years of history in one riveting, fast-paced read.Each page brims with Bill Bryson-like trivia that is sure to delight.-Booklist, starred reviewThe calendar. The Senate. The university. The piano, the heliocentric model, and the pizzeria. Its hard to imagine a world without Italian influence-and 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 Romes seven hills could talk, they might speak of the glorious time of Trajan-or bemoan the era of conquest and the Bubonic Plague that decimated Romes 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.The Shortest History books deliver thousands of years of history in one riveting, fast-paced read. With black-and-white images throughout