Privitera's succint history covers the rich and diverse cultures of Sicily in crisp prose and lively illustration. He covers Sicily's rise to become the first independent, civilized nation of greater Italy, as well as home to many of the world's most distinguished philosophers, mathematicians, scientists, and artists. The narrative subsequently recounts the region's millennium-long decline at the hands of foreign invaders, its hard-won battle for freedom in 1860 under the leadership of Giuseppe Garibaldi, and its current status as a center for art and tourism.  (ITA158, $12.95)