The Italians: History, Art and the Genius of a People (Encompassing the Phenomenon of Italy in All Its Grandeur and Diversity and With the Most Beautiful, Dramatic Images in the Human Repertory)

Oversized hardcover. To immerse oneself in the history of Italy is to go back to the roots of Western civilization. The authors of this major new volume have sought to answer the questions: How did the qualities of "Italianness" that make Italy unique arise in history? To emcompass the phenomenon of Italy in all its grandeur and diversity, John Julius Norwich assembled a team of authors who are all historians gifted with the ability to present the fruits of intellectual inquiry and academic research in prose that is a pleasure to read. Their various journeys to the heart of Italy, the country that has produced the Papacy, such centers of civilization and exploration as Florence and Venice, an imperishable literature, the supreme sanity of humanist art, the intoxication of opera, call up some of the most beautiful, dramatic images in the human repertory. They are fully represented in the almost 300 striking illustrations in this volume, 70 in full color, drawn from the riches of galleries, libraries, and archives all over the world and supplemented by brilliant modern photography.