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The Dark Heart of Italy |
This book should be essential reading for anyone who wants to understand modern-day Italy. It is an account of the author's three-year journey around the peninsula. His first impressions of Italy as a land of pastoral bliss are soon dispelled. From the terrorism trials of the Slaughter Commission to the corruption and scandals of the football world and the sinister all-pervading influence of Berlusconi, Tobias Jones explores Italy's darker side with candour and humour.
(Diana Davies - bwl 45 April 2008) |
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The Po: An Elegy for Italy's Longest River |
Anyone who has enjoyed Jones's previous affectionate and knowledgable books about Italy will fall on this with glee. He traces the course of Italy's longest river – mostly on foot – from its delta to its source, exploring its influence on the surrounding countryside and its changing role throughout history. He ends up calling this an 'elegy' as he sees how diminished it is, both as a major waterway and as an influence on traditional ways of life. A lovely book!
(Annabel Bedini - bwl 112 Spring 2024) |
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The Po: An elegy for Italy’s longest river |
Any romantic notions of pastoral idylls and exquisite cities are quickly dispelled by the author whose epic journey begins in the bleak estuary as the river debouches into the Adriatic. Through history, the Po has been a vital trading route, an aquatic defence against invaders and finally a major centre for industry and agriculture. Alas the ruined farms, factories and power stations that now disfigure the landscape are now merely epitaphs to happier times.
(Jeremy Miller - bwl 111 Autumn 2024) |
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