The Honoured Society: The Sicilian Mafia Observed

Norman Lewis is felt by many to be England's finest living travel writer. He has written a dozen travel books and many novels. Here he brilliantly dissects the Mafia, past and present, combining history, sociology, suspense, horror, and superb travel writing. Originally published in 1964, Lewis describes how, after Mussolini came close to destroying the Mafia, the U.S. Army returned them to power in 1944. Henceforth, they infiltrated every aspect of Sicilian life, corrupting landowners, the police, the judiciary, and even the church. In one of the most astonishing chapters, Lewis tells the story of how an eighty-year old priest led his monks on escapades of murder and extortion, frequently using the confessional box for transmitting threats. Lewis exposes its origins, its code of honor, its secrecy, and its brutality. The Honoured Society is the perfect companion for any traveler to Sicily, and a gripping armchair read.