Good reads; Venice, Florence, General Italy

I've been listening to a podcast called Talking History - The Unification of Italy. It's 30-40min episodes, about 45 episodes long. Starts in Roman times and goes all the way to the unification in 1870. Much of the action happens in Venice/Florence.

http://www.talkinghistorypodcast.com/

Hi,

I really enjoyed a series of historical fiction novels by Jeane Kalogridis.

Mary

Try John Berendt's The City of Falling Angels. It chronicles interwoven lives in Venice in the aftermath of the fire that destroyed the La Fenice opera house.

http://www.amazon.com/City-Falling-Angels-John-Berendt/dp/0143036939

For a more modern take on Italy, try any of Tim Parks' books, he's the Peter Mayle of Italy.

It's not for everyone, but I really enjoyed The Swerve by Stephen Greenblatt.

http://www.amazon.com/The-Swerve-World-Became-Modern/dp/0393343405

I've been regularly recommending this book: No Vulgar Hotel by Judith Martin (Miss Manners). It is a very clever and witty book about Venice (she has a home there) that mixes history, culture, and social commentary.

The detective series by Donna Leon, Brunetti, is set in Venice, is a fun read and is popular enough that some people make a point of visiting the locations mentioned in the books.

I've been regularly recommending this book: No Vulgar Hotel by Judith Martin (Miss Manners). It is a very clever and witty book about Venice (she has a home there) that mixes history, culture, and social commentary.

The detective series by Donna Leon, (Commissario Brunetti), is set in Venice, is a fun read and is popular enough that some people make a point of visiting the locations mentioned in the books.

Here's another vote for "City of Falling Angels" for Venice and Tim Parks for general modern Italy, esp. his "Italian Neighbors." Along similar lines as Parks is John Hooper's "The Italians."

I read "City of Fortune" and found it rather dry.

Venice: Pure City Peter Ackroyd
Dark Water: Art, Disaster, and Redemption in Florence Robert Clark
Brunelleschi's Dome Ross King
The Lost Battles: Leonardo, Michelangelo and the Artistic Duel That Defined the Renaissance Jonathan Jones
Leonardo and the Last Supper Ross King
Michelangelo and the Pope's Ceiling Ross King

The Agony and the Ecstasy by Irving Stone, historical novel about Michelangelo.

Venice is a Fish by Tiziano Scarpa.... read it to experience the sights and sounds of Venice from the perspective of a local.

One more vote for The Agony and the Ecstacy by Irving Stone. Reading it now after two weeks in Italy in June. Love the book!

Also try "A Thousand Days In Venice" and "A Thousand Days In Tuscany" by Marlena de Blasi. Both are very good.