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After Hannibal  •  Barry Unsworth   • LITERATURE  •  Having taken up residence in Umbria, Booker Prize-winning Unsworth writes of his adopted turf in this excellent novel. His vivid tale encompasses the history, landscape, pleasures, and modern invaders. (ITL100, $17.95)
 
 
Al Dente, The Adventures of a Gastronome in Italy  •  William Black   • FOOD  •  William Black tosses a few receipts into this mix of travel, gastronomy and family history. (ITL548, $13.95)
 
 
The Ancient Mediterranean  •  Michael Grant   • CULTURAL PORTRAIT  •  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, $18.00)
 
 
The Architecture of the Italian Renaissance  •  Peter Murray   • ART & ARCHITECTURE  •  A classic, informative guide to Renaissance architecture throughout Italy. with black-and-white photographs and site plans. Ideal for travelers to Italy with an interest in architecture. (ITL34, $17.95)
 
 
Art and Life in Renaissance Venice  •  Patricia Brown   • ART & ARCHITECTURE  •  An authoritative overview of Renaissance painting, sculpture and architecture, featuring 120 full-color illustrations. This compact volume manages to evoke the spirit of the Renaissance. (ITL57, $24.95)
 
 
The Art of the Renaissance  •  Peter Murray   • ART & ARCHITECTURE  •  A classic, illustrated survey of the world of the Renaissance and its art. With chapters on Florence and its artists, the Netherlands, early illustrated books, and many individual artists. (ITL14, $18.95)
 
 
The Betrothed  •  Alessandro Manzoni   • LITERATURE  •  Manzoni's 1827 classic, by many accounts the first modern Italian novel, concerns star-crossed lovers in 17th-century Lombardy. Hugely popular in Italy, it has been made into several films and even a stage musical. (ITL414, $17.00)
 
 
Birds of Britain & Europe  •  Hermann Heinzel  •  Richard Fitter  •  John Parslow   • FIELD GUIDE • OUT OF PRINT  •  This masterfully organized Collins Pocket Guide, featuring 3,000 color illustrations covers the birds of Europe, North Africa and the Middle East. (EUR49, $27.50)
 
 
Birds of Europe  •  Killian Mullarney  •  Lars Svensson  •  Dan Zetterstrom  •  Peter J. Grant   • FIELD GUIDE • FAVORITE  •  A Princeton field guide to European birds, featuring 3,500 color illustrations that depict 722 species found across the continent. (FG47, $29.95)
 
 
The Birth of Venus, A Novel  •  Sarah Dunant   • LITERATURE  •  A rich novel of art, passion and patronage, memorably set in late 15th-century Florence and prominently featuring the famously pious reformer Savonarola. (ITL532, $13.95)
 
 
Blue Guide Northern Italy, from the Alps to the Adriatic  •  Paul Blanchard   • GUIDEBOOK  •  This guide by a popular tour leader provides a thorough overview of the history, art and architecture of northern Italy from Trieste across to the Valle d'Aosta, Venice, Verona, Milan, Genoa and Bologna. (ITL48, $32.95)
 
 
Casa Rossa  •  Francesca Marciano   • LITERATURE  •  A vivid novel following the lives of a mother, daughter, and granddaughter from Puglia over the course of the 20th century, opening as the narrator prepares to sell Casa Rossa, the family farm. (ITL534, $14.95)
 
 
A Concise History of Italy  •  Christopher Duggan   • HISTORY  •  A history of Italy from the fall of the Roman Empire to the present day. (ITL35, $26.99)
 
 
D.H. Lawrence and Italy  •  D.H. Lawrence  •  Tim Parks   • TRAVEL NARRATIVE  •  This omnibus Penguin Classics edition includes three travel tales, each very different in tone and all wonderful: "Sea and Sardinia" is a nostalgic look at traditional ways of life; "Twilight in Italy" an evocation of Lawrence's memorable stay on Lake Garda; and "Etruscan Places" his musings on ancient sites, including the painted tombs of Tarquinia. (ITL62, $18.00)
 
 
The Dark Heart of Italy  •  Tobias Jones   • TRAVEL NARRATIVE  •  An insightful portrait of contemporary Italy by a roving British journalist living in Parma. (ITL533, $15.00)
 
 
Edith Wharton's Italian Gardens  •  Vivian Russell   • BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR  •  Edith Wharton's essays on the magnificent villa gardens of Lombardy, Veneto, Florence, Siena and Rome are as full of interest today as when they were first published in 1904. (ITL716, $45.00)
 
 
Etruscan Art  •  Nigel Spivey   • ART & ARCHITECTURE  •  A thoroughly-illustrated, wide-ranging and literate introduction to Etruscan art. A volume in the acclaimed "World of Art" series. (ITL68, $18.95)
 
 
Excellent Cadavers, The Mafia and the Death of the First Italian Republic  •  Alexander Stille   • HISTORY  •  This fast-paced book is a gripping account of corruption in Italy. The author offers an utterly absorbing account of the assassination of two top anti-Mafia prosecutors in 1992. (ITL58, $16.00)
 
 
Eyewitness Guide Italy  •   Eyewitness Guides   • GUIDEBOOK  •  This superb guide features color photography, dozens of excellent local maps and a region-by-region synopsis of the country's attractions. Handsome, convenient and up-to-date, this is the guide to carry. (ITL32, $30.00)
 
 
Eyewitness Guide Umbria  •   Eyewitness Guides   • GUIDEBOOK  •  A marvelously illustrated, compact guide to the culture, history and attractions of Umbria, organized geographically and especially helpful for its innovative site plans, building diagrams and local maps. (ITL512, $20.00)
 
 
Fodor's Exploring Italy  •   Fodor's   • GUIDEBOOK  •  An excellent, up-to-date overview of Italy and its attractions. (ITL73, $22.00)
 
 
Fodor's See It Italy  •   Fodor's   • GUIDEBOOK  •  Fodor's informative guide to touring Italy, notable for its especially vibrant presentation of the country. (ITL550, $24.95)
 
 
For the Beauty of the Earth: Birding, Opera, and Other Journeys  •  Thomas Urquhart   • BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR  •  Urquhart chronicles a lifelong affair with nature, combined with a passion for music, as he travels-- and bird watches-- through pastoral England, Italy, the Camargue in Provence, and the villages of Mali. (BRD35, $15.00)
 
 
The Hills of Tuscany, A New Life in an Old Land  •  Ferenc Mate   • TRAVEL NARRATIVE  •  A memoir of the author and his wife, a painter, living among farmers in rural Tuscany. Mate's love of Italy, and especially of its food, comes through loud and clear. (ITL155, $15.00)
 
 
Il Postino  •  Michael Radford    •  A shy Italian postman who learns the ways of poetry and romance while delivering mail to the Chilean poet Pablo Neruda. (ITL541, $19.99)
 
 
The Inferno of Dante, A New Verse Translation  •  Dante Alighieri  •  Robert Pinsky   • LITERATURE  •  The celebrated modern translation of Dante's "Inferno." (ITL411, $11.00)
 
 
Insight Guide Italy  •   Insight Guides   • GUIDEBOOK  •  An illustrated overview of Italy with essays on its attractions, history and culture. (ITL108, $23.95)
 
 
Inventing Leonardo  •  A. Richard Turner   • BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR  •  Turner, a leading art historian of the Renaissance, offers a lively appraisal of the controversial genius. It's an elegant and stimulating book. (ITL79, $22.95)
 
 
Italian Cinema, From Neorealism to the Present  •  Peter Bondanella   • ART & ARCHITECTURE  •  A scholarly history modern Italian film. (ITL350, $29.95)
 
 
Italian English Bilingual Visual Dictionary  •   DK Publishing   • LANGUAGE & PHRASEBOOKS  •  With thousands of neatly arranged color photographs, this compact book is impressively comprehensive, covering everything from the basics of la casa (house) to the vocabulary of le granaglie e i legumi secchi (grains and legumes). (ITL626, $12.95)
 
 
Italian Folktales  •  Italo Calvino   • LITERATURE  •  A treasured collection of 200 lively folk tales presented by none other than the great Italo Calvino, a modern master with great affection for the folkloric traditions of his childhood. (ITL314, $25.00)
 
 
Italian Hours  •  Henry James   • TRAVEL NARRATIVE  •  A classic series of travel essays written between 1872 and 1909 on the art, religion and people of Italy. James is an observant guide to Rome, Naples, Florence and other great destinations in the 19th century. (ITL07, $16.00)
 
 
Italian Indispensables Vocabulary Builder  •   Audio-Forum   • LANGUAGE & PHRASEBOOKS  •  A short audio program wiith 50 common words and phrases for travelers. (ITL401, $9.95)
 
 
Italian Journey, 1786-1788  •  Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe  •  W.H. Auden  •  Elizabeth Meyer   • TRAVEL NARRATIVE  •  The journals and letters from Goethe's 'grand tour' of southern Italy as translated by W.H. Auden. In addition to much musing on philosophy and art, it includes some wonderful writing on the Italian landscape. (ITL144, $17.00)
 
 
Italian Villas and Their Gardens  •  Edith Wharton   • ART & ARCHITECTURE  •  A facsimile edition of Wharton's witty, astute essays on the history and pleasures of Italy's famous villas. With photographs and the original, full-page illustrations by Maxfield Parrish. (ITL91, $35.00)
 
 
The Italians  •  Luigi Barzini   • CULTURAL PORTRAIT  •  Audio version of the classic essay on the Italian character, first published in 1964. (ITL33, $69.95)
 
 
Italy and Its Invaders  •  Girolamo Arnaldi   • HISTORY  •  A wide-ranging history of the many empires and world powers that have invaded Italy, and their lasting influences, both positive and negative, on Italian art, architecture and culture up to the present day. (ITL661, $19.95)
 
 
Italy Map  •   Borch Maps    •  A laminated map of Italy at a scale of 1:800,000. (ITL19, $11.95)
 
 
Italy Northeast Map  •   Michelin Travel Publications    •  (ITL72, $8.95)
 
 
Italy, A Short History  •  Harry Hearder   • HISTORY  •  Elegantly written, generous and enormously 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, $24.99)
 
 
Knopf Mapguide Naples  •   Knopf Guides   • GUIDEBOOK  •  Full-color foldout maps make this guidebook a handy and practical way to find information on where to go and what to do in the city. (ITL352, $9.95)
 
 
La Dolce Vita  •  Federico Fellini    •  Fellini's celebrated masterpiece about a Roman tabloid reporter who fully indugles in the decadence of "the sweet life." (ITL543, $34.98)
 
 
The Lives of the Artists, Vol 1  •  Giorgio Vasari  •  Julia Conway and Peter Bondanella   • BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR  •  Written in the mid-16th century, Vasari starts with Giotto as painting's prophet and ends with Michelangelo as its messiah in these short, influential biographies. (ITL17, $14.00)
 
 
M, The Man Who Became Caravaggio  •  Peter Robb   • BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR  •  A masterful biography of the Renaissance painter by the author of "Midnight in Sicily." (ART47, $20.00)
 
 
Memory and the Mediterranean  •  Fernand Braudel  •  Sian Reynolds  •  Roselyne de Ayala   • HISTORY  •  A fascinating scholarly history of the Mediterranean by Fernand Braudel, covering the cultures of the Mediterranean from prehistory to the flowering of the Roman Empire. (MED51, $16.00)
 
 
Modigliani  •  Doris Krystof   • ART & ARCHITECTURE  •  This slim illustrated volume showcases Modigliani's distinct colorful style of painting and portraiture in the handsome Taschen style. (ART44, $9.99)
 
 
Northern Italy Map  •   Touring Club Italiano    •  A road map of Northern Italy at a scale of 1:400,000. (ITL38, $12.95)
 
 
On The Road with Francis of Assisi  •  Linda Bird Francke   • TRAVEL NARRATIVE  •  Assisi wandered for 20 years, affording Newsweek editor Francke and her patient husband plenty to see and do in the piazzas, sanctuaries and chapels of Assisi, Siena, Bologna, Venice, Gubbio, Rome and other choice spots. (ITL647, $15.95)
 
 
On the Shores of the Mediterranean  •  Eric Newby   • TRAVEL NARRATIVE  •  A sparkling observer and famously entertaining writer, Newby tackles the Mediterranean in this merry travelogue. He finds himself in North Africa, the Adriatic, Venice, Naples, the Greek Islands, Turkey, Cairo and Jerusalem. (MED25, $14.95)
 
 
One-Hundred & One Beautiful Small Towns in Italy  •  Paolo Lazzarin   • GUIDEBOOK  •  Each charming town gets an appreciative essay and evocative color photographs in this handsome tribute and excellent guide. (ITL546, $45.00)
 
 
The Perfect House, A Journey with Renaissance Master Andrew Palladio  •  Witold Rybczynski   • ART & ARCHITECTURE  •  A professor of urban studies and popular author, Rybczynski is an enlightening guide to Palladio and his influence in in Italy and abroad. (ITL590, $15.00)
 
 
Pillars of Hercules  •  Paul Theroux   • TRAVEL NARRATIVE  •  Known for his wry wit, Theroux seems to have had an exceptionally good time on his tour of the Mediterranean. He sets off from Gibraltar and circles along the coastline on foot, horseback, train and boat, ending at the other pillar on the African side. (MED20, $15.95)
 
 
Pimsleur Quick & Simple Italian  •   Pimsleur Language Method   • LANGUAGE & PHRASEBOOKS  •  Four audio CDs with eight 30-minute lessons in basic Italian, covering elementary vocabulary and phrases used in travel and everyday situations. (ITL630, $19.95)
 
 
Plant Life in the World's Mediterranean Climates  •  Paul Dallman   • NATURAL HISTORY  •  Richly illustrated, clearly written and engaging, this book is an ecological overview of the landscapes, plants and vegetation types found in Mediterranean climates. (MED21, $34.95)
 
 
Renaissance Florence, The Invention of a New Art  •  A. Richard Turner   • ART & ARCHITECTURE  •  A cultural and social history of the city focusing on the great art and famous monuments, featuring vivid color pictures and illustrations. (ITL50, $24.95)
 
 
Rick Steves' French, Italian & German Phrase Book & Dictionary  •  Rick Steves   • LANGUAGE & PHRASEBOOKS  •  A compact phrase book for travelers, organized thematically and with a brief dictionary. (EUR142, $9.95)
 
 
The Rise of Christianity  •  Rodney Stark   • RELIGION  •  The subtitle to this book says it all: "How the Obscure, Marginal Jesus Movement Became the Dominant Religious Force in the Western World in a Few Centuries." (MED64, $14.95)
 
 
Riveria di Levanti: Cinque Terre, Gulf of Tugillo  •   Litographia Artistica Cartographica    •  A regional map at a scale of 1:140,000. (ITL779, $10.95)
 
 
Rough Guide Italy  •  Ros Belford   • GUIDEBOOK  •  A comprehensive guide in the British series with a good overview of culture and history, dozens of sketch maps and extensive listings. (ITL328, $22.95)
 
 
Short Stories in Italian, Racconti in Italiano  •  Nick Roberts   • LITERATURE  •  These modern tales in the bilingual series of Penguin Parallell Texts make for good reading in any language. (ITL730, $13.00)
 
 
A Small Place In Italy  •  Eric Newby   • BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR • COMING IN JULY  •  An account of 25 memorable years spent in northern Tuscany, where the farmhouse "I Castagni" is as much of a character as the uproarious Newby, his wife Wanda and their eccentric neighbors. Marvelous. (ITL111, $14.99)
 
 
Songbirds, Truffles and Wolves, An American Naturalist in Italy  •  Gary Paul Nabhan   • TRAVEL NARRATIVE  •  The author, a poet and naturalist, heads along the Franciscan Way from Florence to Assisi. This most unusual travelogue combines natural history, spirituality and a lively appreciation of local food and food traditions. A print-on-demand paperback. (ITL99, $16.00)
 
 
South Wind Through the Kitchen, The Best of Elizabeth David  •  Elizabeth David   • FOOD  •  A selection of 200 recipes and travel essays from Elizabeth David's nine influential books, including Book of Mediterranean Food and French Country Cooking. With illustrations from the original Penguin Cookery editions. As Julian Barnes notes in his appreciative introduction, David stood for excellence of ingredients, simplicity of preparation, respect for tradition and for region. (MED30, $18.95)
 
 
Spartacus  •  Stanley Kubrick    •  Stanley Kubrick's riveting epic about the leader of a Roman slave revolt, starring no less than Kirk Douglas, Laurence Olivier, Jean Simmons, Charles Laughton, Tony Curtis and Peter Ustinov. (ITL544, $49.95)
 
 
The Spirit of Mediterranean Places  •  Michel Butor   • TRAVEL NARRATIVE • FAVORITE  •  In this remarkable short book, the celebrated French novelist chronicles his travels to Cairo, Luxor, Crete, Istanbul and other Mediterranean sites in absorbing, appreciative painterly detail. (MED03, $13.95)
 
 
The Talented Mr. Ripley  •  Anthony Minghella    •  A suspenseful thriller of obsession and jealousy starring Matt Damon and Jude Law, based on the popular mystery by Patricia Highsmith. (ITL542, $14.99)
 
 
That Fine Italian Hand  •  Paul Hoffman   • CULTURAL PORTRAIT  •  An affectionate -- and insightful -- portrait of a people. (ITL346, $17.00)
 
 
Travelers' Tales Italy  •  Ann Calcagno  •  Jan Morris   • ANTHOLOGY  •  A collection of 48 stories on traveling in Italy and Italian life, featuring the writing of Barbara Grizzuti Harrison, Frances Mayes, Jonathan Keates, Stanley Crouch and others. (ITL182, $18.95)
 
 
A Traveller's History of Italy  •  Valerio Lintner   • HISTORY  •  A brief history of Italy through the 1990s -- wide-ranging, accessible and necessarily condensed. With a useful chronology and historical gazetteer, this book marches confidently through the centuries. (ITL86, $14.95)
 
 
Treks in the Dolomites  •  Gillian Price  •  Martin Collins   • GUIDEBOOK  •  A detailed practical guide to the two best-known long-distance walks through the Dolomites: the Alta Via 1 -- Lago di Braies to Belluno (9-13 days) and Alta Via 2 -- Bressanone to Feltre (10-16 days). (ITL692, $19.95)
 
 
The Tuscan Year: Tuscan Life and Food in an Italian Valley  •  Elizabeth Romer   • FOOD • FAVORITE  •  An intimate portrait of life on a Tuscan farm, as seen primarily through the robust food, and a Longitude favorite. Romer captures the goings-on in the countryside, and especially in the Cerotti kitchen, where traditional Tuscan rural food is prepared with loving care. Every chapter includes concisely described recipes. (ITL131, $14.00)
 
 
Tuscany in Mind  •  Alice Powers   • ANTHOLOGY  •  A fine literary anthology covering the region's history, geography, culture and (of course) food, featuring contributions by luminaries including D.H. Lawrence and Robert Browning. (ITL607, $14.95)
 
 
Under the Tuscan Sun  •  Frances Mayes   • TRAVEL NARRATIVE  •  In this best-selling memoir of buying, renovating and living in an abandoned villa in Tuscany, Mayes reveals the sensual pleasures found in rural Italy. (ITL85, $15.00)
 
 
A Valley in Italy, The Many Seasons of a Villa in Umbria  •  Lisa St. Aubin de Teran   • BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR  •  This short memoir chronicles a year in the small Umbrian village of San Orsola--especially the delights and frustrations of renovating a decayed villa. Taking in food, wine, local customs and landscapes, the book is an excellent introduction to the region (ITL98, $13.00)
 
 
The Vinegar of Spilamberto, And Other Italian Adventures With Food, Places, And People  •  Doris Muscatine  •  Alice Waters   • FOOD  •  An account of the author's travels and love of Italy, its food and culture. (ITL662, $15.00)
 
 
Voice of the Violin  •  Andrea Camilleri  •  Stephen Sartarelli   • MYSTERY  •  The fourth installment in the popular Inspector Montalbano series, complete with a quirky cast of Sicilian characters. (ITL537, $13.00)
 
 
The Walker's Literary Companion  •  Robert Gilbert  •  Anne Wallace  •  Jeffrey Robinson   • ANTHOLOGY  •  A diverse sampling of literature on the pleasures of walking, representing philosophers, naturalists, outcasts, athletes and intellectuals from Plato to Frank O'Hara. (WLK08, $24.00)
 
 
Walking  •  Henry David Thoreau   • REFERENCE  •  You may want to carry this small volume in your daypack for inspiration. In it, Thoreau offers his meditations on the spiritual benefits of this most civilized form of travel. (WLK04, $9.95)
 
 
Wildflowers of Britain and Europe, Compact Guide  •  W. Lippert  •  D. Podlech   • FIELD GUIDE  •  A compact photographic guide to British and European wildflowers, covering 350 of the most commonly encountered species. Flowers are organized by color for easy identification. (EUR46, $19.99)
 
 
 




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