Description
Washington Post bestseller
Los Angeles Times bestseller A vivid and surprising portrait of the Italian people from an admired foreign correspondent How did a nation that spawned the Renaissance also produce the Mafia? And why does Italian have twelve words for coat hanger but none for hangover? John Hooper's entertaining and perceptive new book is the ideal companion for anyone seeking to understand contemporary Italy and the unique character of the Italians. Fifteen years as a foreign correspondent based in Rome have sharpened Hooper's observations, and he looks at the facts that lie behind the stereotypes, shedding new light on everything from the Italians' bewildering politics to their love of life and beauty. Hooper persuasively demonstrates the impact of geography, history, and tradition on many aspects of Italian life, including football and Freemasonry, sex, food, and opera. Brimming with the kind of fascinating--and often hilarious--insights unavailable in guidebooks, The Italians will surprise even the most die-hard Italophile.
Author: John Hooper
Publisher: Penguin Books
Published: 01/19/2016
Pages: 336
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 0.60lbs
Size: 8.40h x 5.50w x 0.90d
ISBN13: 9780143128403
ISBN10: 014312840X
BISAC Categories:
- Social Science | Regional Studies
- History | Europe | Italy
- Social Science | Ethnic Studies | General
Los Angeles Times bestseller A vivid and surprising portrait of the Italian people from an admired foreign correspondent How did a nation that spawned the Renaissance also produce the Mafia? And why does Italian have twelve words for coat hanger but none for hangover? John Hooper's entertaining and perceptive new book is the ideal companion for anyone seeking to understand contemporary Italy and the unique character of the Italians. Fifteen years as a foreign correspondent based in Rome have sharpened Hooper's observations, and he looks at the facts that lie behind the stereotypes, shedding new light on everything from the Italians' bewildering politics to their love of life and beauty. Hooper persuasively demonstrates the impact of geography, history, and tradition on many aspects of Italian life, including football and Freemasonry, sex, food, and opera. Brimming with the kind of fascinating--and often hilarious--insights unavailable in guidebooks, The Italians will surprise even the most die-hard Italophile.
Author: John Hooper
Publisher: Penguin Books
Published: 01/19/2016
Pages: 336
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 0.60lbs
Size: 8.40h x 5.50w x 0.90d
ISBN13: 9780143128403
ISBN10: 014312840X
BISAC Categories:
- Social Science | Regional Studies
- History | Europe | Italy
- Social Science | Ethnic Studies | General
About the Author
John Hooper is the Italy correspondent of the Economist and a contributing editor of the Guardian (London). He has also written or broadcast for the BBC, NBC, and Reuters. His book The Spaniards won the Allen Lane Award and was revised and updated as The New Spaniards in 1995 and 2006.