Sicily: An Illustrated History (Illustrated Histories (Hippocrene)) [Paperback]

Joseph F. Privitera (Author)

Book Description

Series: Illustrated Histories (Hippocrene) | Publication Date: June 1, 2002

Sicily was the jewel of the Mediterranean, and Sicilians were the first civilized people of the Western World-here is their rich and diverse history in crisp prose and lively illustration. This concise history relates how Sicily rose to become the first independent, civilized nation of greater Italy, as well as home to many of the world's most distinguished philosophers, mathematicians, scientists, and artists. The narrative subsequently recounts the region's millennium-long decline at the hands of foreign invaders, its hard-won battle for freedom in 1860 under the leadership of Giuseppe Garibaldi, and its current status as a center for art and tourism.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Joseph F Privitera

Product Details

• Paperback: 172 pages
• Publisher: Hippocrene Books (June 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0781809096
• ISBN-13: 978-0781809092
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #527,514 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

60 of 61 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great Intro, August 13, 2002

By 

Wallace V. French III (Boston MA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Sicily: An Illustrated History (Illustrated Histories (Hippocrene)) (Paperback)

I'm surprised this book is not getting more attention. It is a great introduction to the confusing history of Sicily. Sicily has been occupied and conquered so many times it is hard to keep track. Privitera does a great job of sorting through all of this and explaining the history of Sicily with ease. His motivation for writing this book was researching the history of his name and in so doing discovered so much about the history of this island. The title says it is an "illustrated history." However, the illustrations are not very good. This should not discourage you from purchasing this book because the text is what counts. I enjoyed this read and it did not take long to finish the book. Recommended for the Italian history buff.

34 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A tremendous undertaking in a little book!, May 8, 2005

By 

Bunny Bunsen, PhD (Boston, Massachusetts) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sicily: An Illustrated History (Illustrated Histories (Hippocrene)) (Paperback)

Privitera's concise and compact history of Sicily is an amazing undertaking and excellent overview of the complex history of this important island. He supplements the text with illustrations that accentuate or expand upon the text, and he discusses the influences of various groups (spanning over two milennia) on the agricultural, industrial, and cultural aspects of Sicily. Overall, this is an excellent and straight-forward work on a fascinating place!

50 of 53 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A distinguished land and its impressive people, September 7, 2002

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sicily: An Illustrated History (Illustrated Histories (Hippocrene)) (Paperback)

Black-and-white photographs and artworks add a visual touch to Joseph F. Privitera's Sicily: An Illustrated History. This very direct and straightforward accounting of a world-famous portion of Italy ranges from the era of the Greeks down to the modern day. Historical figures, the role of the Church, war, colonial powers and much more all figure prominently in this compelling, highly recommended capsule-digest version of the impressively legacy and promising future of a distinguished land and its impressive people.