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John Julius Norwich
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A History of Venice Paperback – June 18, 1989

by John Julius Norwich (Author)
4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 113 ratings
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History Of Venice
History Of Venice
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As comprehensive as it is engaging, John Julius Norwich's A History of Venice is a complete history of "the most beautiful and magical of cities." This necessary volume traces the rise of Venice from its fifth-century origins through 1797 when Napoleon put an end to the thousand-year-old Republic.
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  1. Print length
    673 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Vintage
  4. Publication date
    June 18, 1989
  5. Dimensions
    5.2 x 1.58 x 7.9 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    0679721975
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0679721970
  8. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

At once the most comprehensive and the most engaging history of Venice available in English, this book will be treasured by all those who share the author's fascination with "the most beautiful and magical of cities."

"As a historian Lord Norwich knows what matters. As a writer he has a taste for beauty, a love of language and an enlivening wit.... He contrives, as no English writer has done before, to sustain a continuous interest in that crowded history." -- Hugh Trevor-Roper

"Will become the standard English work of Venetian history." -- C. P. Snow, Financial Times

"Lord Norwich has loved and understood Venice as well as any other Englishman has ever done. He has put readers of this generation more in his debt than any other English writer." -- Peter Levi, The Sunday Times (London)

From the Inside Flap

Traces the rise ot empire of this city from its 5th century beginnings all the way through until 1797 when Napolean put an end to the thousand year-old Republic. 32 pages of black and white photos, 4 maps and charts.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Vintage; First Edition (June 18, 1989)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 673 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0679721975
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0679721970
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.5 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.2 x 1.58 x 7.9 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 113 ratings

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John Julius Norwich

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Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
113 global ratings

Customers say

Customers find the book's history accurate and detailed. They describe the content as thorough, comprehensive, and easy to read. Opinions are mixed on the writing quality, with some finding it beautiful and easy, while others say it's self-indulgent and veers to unreadable.

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History accuracyContent lengthWriting quality
20 customers mention "History accuracy"20 positive0 negative

Customers find the book excellent, incredibly detailed, and informative. They also describe it as superbly researched and written. Readers mention the narrative is good and clear, helping them understand the political and historical context.

"...Birthday in Venezia, and has always loved Venezia, is a remarkable history of Venezia...." Read more

"One of the best history reads I've ever experienced. Venice is a unique city in the world, for its culture and history...." Read more

"...for a novel I'm writing and have found this book to be an invaluable resource...." Read more

"...I found it to be a very informative book about the Doges, The Battles, The Crusades and a wealth of some real characters...." Read more

7 customers mention "Content length"7 positive0 negative

Customers find the book thorough, detailed, and comprehensive. They say it's full of information.

"This is a comprehensive and well written history of the Beautiful City of Venice...." Read more

"Inspired, thorough and beautifully written! A must for lovers and chronic visitors to this unique, mysterious and inexhaustible jewel of a city!..." Read more

"...Norwich's handling of the subject is warm and personal, and yet fair and detailed.Don't hesitate. It's worth every penny." Read more

"Full of information. Free of pride." Read more

4 customers mention "Writing quality"2 positive2 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the writing quality of the book. Some mention it's beautifully written and relatively easy to read, while others say it's terrible, self-indulgent, and unclear.

"Inspired, thorough and beautifully written! A must for lovers and chronic visitors to this unique, mysterious and inexhaustible jewel of a city!..." Read more

"...is completely devoid of them and this is what makes the book a rather dull reading all in all...." Read more

"...to Venice and its history I fond this book comprehensive and a relatively easy read. There could be more, and more comprehensive, maps." Read more

"...on history that I care about, but no longer able to handle the self-indulgent writing, clearly constructed for the author's pleasure rather than the..." Read more

Beware this edition
1 out of 5 stars
Beware this edition
The pages started coming unglued from the cheap binding as early as Chapter 5. What a crime. Here's a book you'd want to revisit for a lifetime, with a respectable cover design, and yet the binding is unspeakably shoddy.
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Top reviews from the United States

Tomas Earl
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent History of Venice
Reviewed in the United States on October 12, 2024
Verified Purchase
This book was recommended to me by my older brother who, with our family while we were living in Roma, Italia in the 1960 (where our father was employed for 8 years) celebrated his 16th Birthday in Venezia, and has always loved Venezia, is a remarkable history of Venezia. After borrowing the book from a library my local library and reading it, I simply HAD to find a copy; since I expect to be spending considerably time during the coming years visiting, possibly living in, Venezia and further studying it's history. The British author, who spent considerable time visiting Venezia in his youth - due to his own father's love of Venezia, wrote this book to fulfill HIS father's unfulfilled dream of one day writing such a comprehensive history of the magical city.
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JoséMaria BlancoWhite
5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best history reads I've ever experienced
Reviewed in the United States on January 20, 2015
Verified Purchase
One of the best history reads I've ever experienced. Venice is a unique city in the world, for its culture and history. It was a Republic that lasted over 1000 years, had the most civilized and liberal constitution in the world during its whole existence, up until the creation of the United States of America. Venice truly was the "city on a hill", the light that shines in the darkness of Europe, where everywhere around her there was tyranny, fanaticism, intolerance and ignorance, Venice stood out from the crowd of nations, like a rare species out of its proper environment. And as a rare species we can study her too, like in a lab. Her long history can be easily contrasted to those of more orthodox nations of her time. Venice skipped altogether the feudal times. Watching her birth is like watching the United States being born, only over 700 years before. She didn't need any Independence War, had no civil war to lament, she went straight to business. She went straight to making herself an empire, a military and commercial world empire, out of the blue, like the US in the 19th century.

She also avoided religious entanglements and wars. Fanaticism was not her thing. She was born free and lived free. She was the first ever free and independent state in the world. Ruled by a cultivated class, oligarchy, yes, but in the author's words, a remarkably broadly based one. A nation that was, and stood for a thousand years, way ahead of her time.

Today we may think of Venice as beautiful place, we think of art. Well, that's all true, but that's the least important thing -in my opinion- about this remarkable city. Her beauty is only a symptom of her political stability and her talented citizenry throughout the ages. The Serenissima Republica is a political case to be studied and admired. The Old Lady died old, but what a life she had. Her story is told as beautifully as befits this wonderful city.
15 people found this helpful
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Charles Hill
5.0 out of 5 stars Illuminates a neglected, yet important period in history.
Reviewed in the United States on November 8, 2016
Verified Purchase
I've been researching the Venetian Empire for a novel I'm writing and have found this book to be an invaluable resource. While there may be other historians who have heaped upon us more detail, Norwich keeps the verbiage spare enough without sparing the important details.
For example, while reading an exhaustive history of Venice, the author heaped detail after detail into his report. As I had already read Norwich's book, I knew the author was talking about the sack of Constantinople that occurred during the fourth Crusade. Norwich editorialized convincingly that this lay the groundwork for the conquest of Constantinople by the Turks. The author of the other history failed to comment about the fourth crusade.
While I was hoping to find illumination of aspects of the history of the Rialto that I needed to understand, Norwich did light a flame upon much of this and informed me of many things I needed to know to provide me with the authenticity I seek in the writing of my novel.
While Norwich's "A History of Venice" is not my only resource, I have come to rely on it as it has informed deeply my understanding of this, ignored in the United States, yet deeply important epoch whose repercussions echo in the affairs of men even today.
3 people found this helpful
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David D. Lawson
4.0 out of 5 stars A Great Intoduction to the Serene Republic
Reviewed in the United States on May 17, 2009
Verified Purchase
Lord Norwich has always been one of my favorite history authors. I really enjoyed his 3 volume History of The Eastern Roman Empire. As can be expected, he does not let the reader down here.
The only fly in the ointment is that he does not cover the origins of Venice as well as he does later on. But considering that it was the time of the Dark Ages, this can be excused. (Especially with Attila the Hun running around the neighborhood literally. But then Attila in a way was the Father of Venice) As a there probadly were not a lot of records being kept and I am willing to bet that a lot of them were lost into the mist of History. Also I thought a few more maps & a time line should of been included in this book.
But overall I thought it to be a great introduction to a City that is obiviously greatly loved by the Author. For a person who had only faintest knowledge of the City. I found it to be a very informative book about the Doges, The Battles, The Crusades and a wealth of some real characters. Altogether this book is well worth the time and coin.
2 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

GSB International Consultancy
5.0 out of 5 stars A brilliant history, beautifully written
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 29, 2021
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The history covers an enormous period but JJN writes with such great style and empathy that you are whisked along and caught up by his enthusiasm for the City.
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Trevlyn gilmour
5.0 out of 5 stars On my third reading I needed the hard copy
Reviewed in Australia on July 18, 2020
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Lord Norwich one of the best narrative historians of his generation
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Alexander Ironside
4.0 out of 5 stars A History of Venice - review by Alexander Ironside
Reviewed in Canada on September 13, 2013
Verified Purchase
If you have ever been to Venice and liked it (who wouldn't?) this is the book for you. It brings the city to life by populating its corners with intrigue, murder, real history and romances.
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