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Southern Italy & Sicily

READING AND TRAVEL GUIDE

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Books for

Enrich your travels with reading! Here's a hand-picked list prepared for your journey in conjunction with the book experts at Longitude.

Essential Reading

Item EXITL611. Buy these 4 items as a set for $65 including shipping, 15% off the retail price.
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Between Salt Water and Holy Water, A History of Southern Italy

Between Salt Water and Holy Water, A History of Southern Italy

by Tommaso Astarita

  • HISTORY
  • 2005
  • PAPER
  • 352 PAGES

Astarita captures the fanfare, rivalry and changing fortunes of Sicily from antiquity through Norman, Spanish and Bourbon rule to unification and the 20th century. (ITL597, $22.95)

Stolen Figs, And Other Adventures in Calabria

Stolen Figs, And Other Adventures in Calabria

by Mark Rotella

  • TRAVEL NARRATIVE
  • 2004
  • PAPER
  • 320 PAGES

A warmly told, refreshingly candid account of travels and adventures in the south of Italy from the grandson of a Calabrese. (ITL465, $16.00)

Christ Stopped at Eboli, The Story of a Year

Christ Stopped at Eboli, The Story of a Year

by Carlo Levi | Frances Frenaye

  • BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR
  • 2006
  • PAPER
  • 268 PAGES

An affecting memoir of southern Italy, originally published in 1947, it stems from the author's forced relocation to the region as punishment for anti-fascist political activity. (ITL09, $15.00)

Southern Italy Map

by Touring Club Italiano

  • MAP

A regional map of Italy, stretching from Rome to the southern tip. (ITL222, $14.95)

 
Calabria Map

Calabria Map


by Touring Club Italiano

  • MAP

Detailed map of Reggio Calabria Province, scale 1:150,000. (ITL496, $12.95)

Campania Basilicata Map

Campania Basilicata Map


by Touring Club Italiano

  • MAP

A colorful, durable map of Campania, including Naples and the Amalfi Coast. (ITL116, $14.95)

Italy South Map

Italy South Map


by Michelin

  • MAP

Covering Molise, Campania, Puglia, Basilicata and Calabria at a scale of 1:400,000. (ITL109, $12.95)

Puglia Map

Puglia Map


by Touring Club Italiano

  • MAP

The locals' map of Puglia, at a scale of 1:200,000. (ITL425, $14.95)

Blue Guide Southern Italy

Blue Guide Southern Italy


by Paul Blanchard

  • GUIDEBOOK
  • 2007
  • PAPER
  • 608 PAGES

A comprehensive guide to Southern Italy and especially its archaeology, history and culture. With maps and site plans. Blanchard, a popular tour guide, is also the author of the Blue Guide to Northern Italy. (ITL257, $34.95)

Lonely Planet Southern Italy

Lonely Planet Southern Italy


by Paula Hardy

  • GUIDEBOOK
  • 2012
  • PAPER
  • 286 PAGES

Covering Puglia & Basilicata in detail, this handy travel guide also includes Calabria, Compagnia, Naples and Sicily. (ITL978, $21.99)

National Geographic Naples and Southern Italy

National Geographic Naples and Southern Italy


by Tim Jepson

  • GUIDEBOOK
  • 2011
  • PAPER
  • 240 PAGES

This attractive, visual guidebook features photographs, maps and information on history, culture and nature. Includes Puglia, Basilicata, Campania and Calabria, along with excursions to Sicily and Sardinia. (ITL802, $21.95)

Italy, A Short History

Italy, A Short History


by Harry Hearder

  • HISTORY
  • 2001
  • PAPER
  • 294 PAGES

Elegantly written, generous and informative, this compact book takes in the sweep of Italian history from the Roman Republic through the Renaissance, World War II and up to the present. (ITL56, $29.00)

La Bella Figura, A Field Guide to the Italian Mind

La Bella Figura, A Field Guide to the Italian Mind


by Beppe Severgnini

  • CULTURAL PORTRAIT
  • 2007
  • PAPER
  • 288 PAGES

Italians themselves love this guide to the Italian character, which addresses the apparently never-ending passion for beauty, disorder and high emotion. Severgnini opens the book with a snapshot of the hubbub at Malpensa Airport, then moves on to Tuscany, Rome, Naples and Sardinia. (ITL718, $14.00)

The Ancient Mediterranean

The Ancient Mediterranean


by Michael Grant

  • CULTURAL PORTRAIT
  • 1990
  • PAPER
  • 374 PAGES

Grant explores the realms of archaeology, geography, art and economics to sketch this classic portrait of the ancient world, from prehistory through the Roman Imperium, and the influence on western civilization. (MED10, $20.00)

The Italians

The Italians


by Luigi Barzini

  • CULTURAL PORTRAIT
  • 1996
  • PAPER
  • 352 PAGES

The definitive portrait of the Italian people, this is a classic, scholarly essay on the Italian character. Though first published in 1964, it's still worth reading for its insight, grace and wit. (ITL05, $16.00)

Italian Days

Italian Days


by Barbara Grizzuti Harrison

  • TRAVEL NARRATIVE
  • 1998
  • PAPER
  • 479 PAGES
  • FAVORITE

Grizzuti Harrison writes with warmth and depth of her journey from Milan south to Calabria in this sprightly account of Italy and the Italians. (ITL02, $15.00)

Seasons in Basilicata, A Year in a Southern Italian Hill Village

Seasons in Basilicata, A Year in a Southern Italian Hill Village


by David Yeadon

  • TRAVEL NARRATIVE
  • 2005
  • PAPER
  • 480 PAGES

This warm-spirited account of a year in the village of Aliano in Italy's rural south. Yeadon finds an altogether different place than that encountered by Carols Levi (Christ Stopped in Eboli) in 1935. (ITL585, $14.95)

Unto the Sons

Unto the Sons


by Gay Talese

  • BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR
  • 2006
  • PAPER
  • 592 PAGES

A wide-ranging memoir of the Talese family, from their origin in the Calabrian town of Maida through emigration to the United States in the early 20th century and settling in Ocean City, New Jersey. (ITL145, $15.95)

Been Here a Thousand Years

Been Here a Thousand Years


by Mariolina Venezia | Marina Harss

  • LITERATURE
  • 2010
  • PAPER
  • 272 PAGES
  • NEW

Venezia deftly weaves the creation of modern Italy, Garibaldi, Mussolini and the tumultuous recent history of the nation into this compact novel of five generations of the Falcone women -- and the rhythm of daily life in an ancient Basilicata hill town near the coastline of Puglia. (ITA24, $15.00)

Italy in Mind

Italy in Mind


by Alice Powers

  • LITERATURE
  • 1997
  • PAPER
  • 349 PAGES

A terrific collection of some of the best literary writing on Italy, including pieces by Melville, Lawrence, Henry James, Mary McCarthy and many others. (ITL39, $17.95)

Italy, A Traveler's Literary Companion

Italy, A Traveler's Literary Companion


by Lawrence Venuti

  • ANTHOLOGY
  • 2003
  • PAPER
  • 256 PAGES

Not just a literary companion, this anthology is also a who's who of contemporary Italian writers that captures the spirit, history and allure of the country. (ITL466, $14.95)

The Castle of Otranto, A Gothic Story

The Castle of Otranto, A Gothic Story


by Horace Walpole

  • LITERATURE
  • 2008
  • PAPER
  • 176 PAGES

First published in 1764, Walpole's classic Gothic novel takes place in and around the 15th-century castle on the Adriatic. (ITL631, $8.95)

More Recommendations

Here are some other groups of books that might be of interest

Longitude provides recommended reading for travelers in partnership with the leading tour operators and travel programs for hundreds of destinations worldwide. We've got the classic, new and hard-to-find books and maps to help you get the most out of your adventures.