Sicily: A Short History From The Greeks To Cosa Nostra

The book "Sicily: A Short History From The Greeks To Cosa Nostra" by John Julius Norwich explores the rich and complex history of the island of Sicily. The author highlights its strategic location and how it has attracted the attention of various empires throughout history, including the Romans, French, and Spanish. Despite its significance, Sicily has often been overlooked in the history books. Norwich brings to life the fascinating stories of the kings, queens, and tyrants who have fought for control of the island. From its origins as a Greek city-state to its role as a multicultural trading hub during the Crusades, and its involvement in the Italian unification and rise of the Mafia, Sicily's history is full of dramatic moments and characters. The author's writing style is engaging and humorous, making this book a captivating read that sheds light on the island's significant impact on world history.

Sicily," said Goethe, "is the key to everything." It is the largest island in the Mediterranean, the stepping-stone between Europe and Africa, the link between the Latin West and the Greek East. Sicily's strategic location has tempted Roman emperors, French princes, and Spanish kings. The subsequent struggles to conquer and keep it have played crucial roles in the rise and fall of the world's most powerful dynasties. Yet Sicily has often been little more than a footnote in books about other empires. Here is a vivid, erudite, chronicle of an island and the remarkable kings, queens, and tyrants who fought to rule it. From its beginnings as a Greek city-state to its emergence as a multicultural trading hub during the Crusades, from the rebellion against Italian unification to the rise of the Mafia, the story of Sicily is rich with extraordinary moments and dramatic characters. Writing with his customary deftness and humor, John Julius Norwich outlines the surprising influence Sicily has had on world history and tells the story of one of the world's most kaleidoscopic cultures in a galvanizing, contemporary way.