Within Tuscany: Reflections on a Time and Place (Penguin Travel) [Paperback]

Matthew Spender (Author)

Book Description

Series: Penguin Travel | Publication Date: May 1, 1993

More than 20 years ago, sculptor Matthew Spender and his wife left England for what they intended to be a brief interlude in Tuscany. In his memoir Spender takes us on a meditative tour of the place he now calls home - ranging back in time to the 1260 battle of Montaperti when for the last time the Sienese defeated the Florentines, through the days when Byron and Shelley wandered the streets of Pisa, to the present day farmers who use ancient methods to make olive oil. Spender combines history, anecdote and personal observation into a cultural profile of the region, as well as presenting a portrait of a family building a life together in a strange land.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Living since 1967 with his artist wife and their two Italian-born daughters on a farm near Siena, sculptor Spender centers these diverting vignettes and essays on one of his adopted country's historically and culturally richest provinces. Photos.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Penguin (Non-Classics); Reprint Edition edition (May 1, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0140178384
• ISBN-13: 978-0140178388
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,740,384 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

43 of 44 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Real Tuscany, April 11, 1999

By 

G. Anderson (Arlington Heights, IL USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Within Tuscany: Reflections on a Time and Place (Penguin Travel) (Paperback)

Matthew Spender's Within Tuscany was recommended to me by a friend whose family is two generations removed from the Tuscan village of Fiesole. Spender, who is better known as a sculptor whose work was featured in the film Stealing Beauty, writes not to make traveling in Tuscany simpler. In fact, he says, "I loath talking of food, restaurants, hotels, timetables, itineraries." Instead, he seems to be seeking to explain the mysteries and historical complexities of Tuscany to himself and anyone who cares to listen in. Included are ruminations on Michelangelo's struggles to acquire suitable marble, an annual horse race that is at least much cultural ritual as it is a competition, and visits to various churches and offices to marvel at the antiquities which abound in Italy, frequently in the most unlikely places. Spender also captures the Tuscan people in prose which shows respect for them, rather than in the look-how-quaint-they-are caricatures so common in popular travel narratives. As Spender writes to comprehend Tuscany, we are also led to understand, appreciate, and feel the region's daily rhythms as well as its place in Italy's past

33 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Most Unique Travel Book I've Read, August 23, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Within Tuscany: Reflections on a Time and Place (Penguin Travel) (Paperback)

Influenced by the title alone, I bought this book a few months before travelling through Chianti a couple of years ago. Although it is in no way an ordinary guidebook (i.e., hotel and restaurant recommendations, who slept where and when), it offered more insights into the people and culture of the region than anything else I have ever read. In fact, a highlight of our trip was finding the little church near Radda that contains Spender's crucifix. Also, his speculation on Shelley's death was provocative, to say the least.

19 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beats 'Bella Tuscany' by a Mile, May 28, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Within Tuscany: Reflections on a Time and Place (Penguin Travel) (Paperback)

A wonderful read, especially while traveling in Tuscany. Far greater insights to local customs than several best sellers