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) by Ross King

Discover the prodigious global influence of il bel paese in this star-studded retelling of Italy’s 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 review The calendar. The Senate. The university. The piano, the heliocentric model, and the pizzeria. It’s 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 Rome’s 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 Rome’s 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. Read more

From the Publisher The Shortest History of Eugenics The Shortest History of England The Shortest History of the Universe The Shortest History of Ancient Rome: A Millennium of Western Civilization, f... The Shortest History of S** The Shortest History of Israel and Palestine Add to Cart Add to Cart Add to Cart Add to Cart Add to Cart Add to Cart Customer Reviews 11 281 84 27 66 349 Price $15 80 $15 80 $15 49 $16 02 $16 95 $14 39 no data no data no data no data no data no data