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by John Julius Norwich (Author)
Critically acclaimed author John Julius Norwich weaves the turbulent story of Sicily into a spellbinding narrative that places the island at the crossroads of 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.
Praise for Sicily
"Suavely readable . . . The very model of a popular historian, Norwich] writes to give pleasure to the common reader. And what pleasure it is."--The Wall Street Journal "Entertaining on every page . . . There is something ancient and sorrowful in Sicily, 'some dark, brooding quality, ' just as captivating as its spellbinding history or its beautiful and varied landscapes, from beaches to lemon groves, pine forests to volcanoes. . . . The most amiable and freewheeling of guides, Norwich will always find time for the amusing anecdote."--The Sunday Times
"Utterly engrossing . . . written with passion about the art and architecture of this magical island, filled with gossipy tidbits and sweeping historical theories."--The Daily Beast "Dazzling . . . Norwich is an elegantly graceful and entertaining storyteller."--Richmond Times-Dispatch "Charming . . . richly nuanced history relayed with enormous fondness."--Kirkus Reviews "A brisk and always-lively tour."--Open Letters Monthly "Norwich is deeply in love with Sicily. His] boundless affection has inspired a determined effort to understand its painful past. The result is impressionistic, as love often is."--The Times
"Norwich sketches personalities vividly. . . . He does the island and the reader a generous service in providing such an amiable introduction."--The Sunday Telegraph "Norwich tells Sicily's] long, sad but fascinating story with sympathy and brio."--Literary Review
Author Biography
John Julius Norwich was the author of more than twenty books, including the New York Times bestseller Absolute Monarchs. He began his career in the British foreign service, but resigned his diplomatic post to become a writer. He was a chairman of the Venice in Peril Fund and the honorary chairman of the World Monuments Fund. John Julius Norwich died in 2018.
