THE ITALIANS

A compact but comprehensive study of the people of Italy.

Economist Italy correspondent and Guardian southern Europe editor Hooper (The New Spaniards, 2006, etc.) begins with the geographic divisions of mountains, lakes, plains and seas. Ten percent of Italians live on islands—Sardinia, Sicily, Capri, Palmaria and dozens more—“physically detached from the rest of the nation.” Since the Roman Empire, Italy has been made up of independent duchies and principalities, which have been occupied by Ostrogoths, Lombards, Franks, Byzantines, Normans, Muslims, Spaniards and Germans. Historically, Italy is divided into the north, the Papal States, and the Mezzogiorno, or south. The author puts his finger on the vast diversity of the country through his descriptions of their linguistics, cultures, foods, economies and even journalism. The greatest cultural and economic differences are evident between the north and south. The Piedmontese of the north led the country to the Risorgimento, or unification, and the much poorer south joined grudgingly, mostly for economic reasons. (Hooper’s suggestion that the growth of the Mafia was a reaction to the unification is feasible.) Italians admire furbo, the cunning of those who can “find a way” around a problem; for Italy, it’s often the tangled bureaucracy. Italians are suspicious of change, their foods rarely go through significant changes, and they don’t eat much foreign food. They rarely obey laws but rigidly observe their traditions. This country, which prides itself on the Roman Empire, the Renaissance and Risorgimento, is incredibly diverse but still unified—except, of course, when it comes to soccer matches. Italians are devoted to family, and they communicate with a host of symbols, gestures and untranslatable phrases. “Few countries,” writes the author, “are as comprehensively associated with happiness as Italy. Just the mention of its name brings to mind sunny days, blue skies, glittering seas; delicious, comforting food; good-looking, well-dressed people; undulating hills topped with cypress trees; museums crammed with much of the best of Western art.” What’s not to love?

A thoroughly researched, well-written, ageless narrative of a fascinating people.