Direct order page from the publisher in the U.S. for Culinaria Italy.
Candida Martinelli's Italophile Site
Main
Page This family-friendly site celebrates Italian culture for the enjoyment of children and
adults. Site-Overview
Candida Martinelli's Italophile Site News-Web-log,
my YouTube Channel, or Browse all Italy Posters at AllPosters, and my shops at Zazzle & PrintFection Legends of the Sibilline Mountains Non-fiction books about Italy are many and varied. I've stuck
to four categories here:
personal experiences, histories of Italy, true crime, and cookbooks. Books on other subjects such as
the following, you can find on the specific pages on these subjects here
on my site: Click on the book covers to link through to Amazon.com's
page for the book. There you can read: Most are out in paperback, so be sure to check, if you think
the price of the hardback is too high. For Kindle readers, here are
dome direct links to the Kindle pages for: In
A Thousand Days in Venice, Marlena de Blasi,
food writer and chef,
recounts her love affair with Italy and Fernando, the Italian who
becomes her husband late in life. They begin in Venice and end
in Tuscany. Food and recipes, of course, are mixed in with
life, love, philosophy and sumptuous descriptions of all.
From a reader review: "Few books make me both misty-eyed and laugh
out loud... This was one of them. Can't recommend it highly enough,
even if you don't care to move to Venice in the near future." Marlena
de Blasi has been a busy woman! Below are the direct links to her
other books, each highly ranked by readers on Amazon.com.
How could I not put her books? From Frances
Mayes: "I thought I was strange to feel this way. Since I've
met so many people who read Under the Tuscan Sun, I've found out that
lots of people feel this way. It's complicated but feels so very easy.
The warmth of the people, the human scale of the towns, the robust food,
yes, but I've begun to think, too, that it's the natural connection with
art, the natural exposure to beauty on a day-to-day basis."
See her follow-up books: Bella Tuscany The anti-Mayes...at first. Also called
Mayes-with-a-sense-of-humor. From Booklist: "In funny,
breezy, offhand prose, yet one more American discovers the pleasures and
pains of restoring a superannuated, bucolic Tuscan dwelling. A
writer-producer of television series, Doran moves from Los Angeles to
Tuscany at the behest of his interior-decorator wife and begins to live
out his own Italian-inflected version of Green Acres." Tuscany from the Tuscan perspective...travel book, memoir, and
more. From the Book Description: "...But the bulk of
the book is devoted, with humor and affection, to the Americans he has
met-the vain, the silly, the ignorant, the ambitious, the horny, the
condescending, the charming, and the outright pathological. Some of them
have made his life hell and live in his nightmares; others became
lifelong friends." The ultimate guide on how not to be the
Ugly-American (Australian/British/...) Two Australians go native, and take us with them. From a Reader
Review: "This book makes us aware not only of the wonders
available to us when we visit Italy but to how much we miss by not being
prepared for our visits. VB&B is a fascinating book about a
region and a primer on how to learn to adapt and enjoy another culture
than our own." From Library Journal: "Culturally
sensitive, Dusi avoids the trap of mocking the unfamiliar or seemingly
bizarre. She takes small steps to insinuate herself into social life,
always mindful of a history that is not her own." If you have ever dreamed of having
your own winery, this book will either inspire you or dissuade you from
following that dream. His wines, like all the wines in the region,
are aged 5 years, and grow on terraces and fields the Romans prized for
the wonderful grapes that could grow there. Here is a very nice interview with Ferenc Mate, in which he talks
about his winery and his fictional series about sailing. He is
also a well-known author of books about sailing and sailboats.
Check out Ferenc Mate's website,
and his winery website.
"The Sibilline Mountains, dividing Le Marche from Umbria, were
"celebrated in the 14th and 15th centuries throughout all Europe for
magical fairytales and necromantic intiations," according to the
author. "In the most famous of these tales a mysterious Sibyl inhabits a
grotto devoted to the
pleasures of the flesh, luring knights to
eternal damnation. The Lago di Pilato, a nearby mountaintop lake
where Pontius Pilate’s body was said to have been cast, became a
destination for demonic rituals.
The book is available from Amazon and other Internet sellers, and
here is an e-mail for the authors:
staf.edizioni@gmail.com. I enjoyed this book (137 pages long) and the interesting links made
between fantasy, history, religion and literature.
I thank the translators for their generosity in letting me read it.
It's a wonderful pre-read for anyone traveling to that area of Italy. This little book can inspire
a reader to turn to the many literary and musical transformations of the
legends of the Sibilline Mountains, which can never be a bad thing!
Aretino, Wagner, Ariosto, Andrea da Barberino, even Leopardi was
inspired by these mountains as he wrote his beautiful poetry. The book will be especially interesting to those who have roots in that
region, and for anyone interested in evolution of thinking from the
superstitious Middle Ages to the humanist Renaissance.
Students of European literature will find it especially interesting.
Main Square of Ascoli Piceno circa 1900
For a free, concise history of Italy, visit my
History of Italy pages If you enjoy folktales, and want to read more Italian ones, I can
also recommend Italo Calvino's classic Italian Folktales.
Concise History of Italy And Christopher Duggan has another wonderful history of Italy book:
The Force of Destiny: The History of Italy Since 1796. A very thorough and concise history of Italy. Rough Guides are
a series of books that specialize in being practical, concise, accurate,
and reasonably priced. From Amazon.com: David Gilmour’s wonderfully readable exploration of Italian life over
the centuries is filled with provocative anecdotes as well as personal
observations, and is peopled by the great figures of the Italian
past—from Cicero and Virgil to Dante and the Medicis, from Garibaldi and
Cavour to the controversial politicians of the twentieth century. His
wise account of the Risorgimento, the pivotal epoch in modern Italian
history, debunks the nationalistic myths that surround it, though he
paints a sympathetic portrait of Giuseppe Verdi, a beloved hero of the
era. For the professional historian's point of view... Although
illustrated, don't make the mistake of thinking this is a simple
read. These are articles by historians analyzing in great depth
Italy's history in relation to Europe and the world's history. For
the erudite traveler, or the armchair historian...
Browse the on-line bookstore that specializes in remainder books.
These are books that publishers printed, but did not sell through the
regular outlets. Beautiful books for GREAT prices. Italy-related titles are in most of their categories, like Cooking,
History, Art. Try the
Renaissance Studies category, for example. From Publisher's Weekly:
"This is not a travel book, but rather a
sophisticated attempt to make sense of the on-going prosecution of the
78-year-old seven-time prime minister, Giulio Andreotti, and of the
intimate ties between the mafia and postwar Italian politics.
'An Australian by birth, Robb is not just
parachuting in to gawk at the corruption that traded in votes, money,
government contracts and even assassinations. A longtime resident of
Naples, Robb adeptly puts the elusive world of organized crime (both
Neapolitan and Sicilian) in a historical context that stretches back to
the 19th century." From the Book's Description: "A groundbreaking, unprecedented bestseller in Italy, Roberto
Saviano's insider account traces the decline of the city of Naples under
the rule of the Camorra, an organized crime network more powerful and
violent than the Mafia. The Camorra is an elaborate, international
system dealing in drugs, high fashion, construction, and toxic waste,
and its influence has entirely transformed life in Campania, the
province surrounding Naples. From the Book Description:
"Blood on the Altar
combines a gripping true crime case with Jones' deep understanding of
Italian culture - the impunity it offers to the powerful - he so
expertly demonstrated in his bestseller: The Dark Heart of
Italy." Blood on the Altar:
"One Sunday morning in
1993, a 16-year-old girl named Eliza Claps goes missing from a church in
the centre of Potenza, Italy. Shortly before her disappearance,
Elisa had met Danilo Restivo, a strange local boy with a fetish for
cutting women's hair on the back of buses. Elisa's family is
convinced that Resitvo is responsible for their daughter's
disappearance, but he is protected by local big-wigs: by his Sicilian
father, by a doctor with links to organised crime, by a priest who had
vices of his own."
The author speaks with the family and those
involved, and follows the story to the sad, sad resolution. The
Dark Heart of Italy:
"The Italy that emerges from Jones's
travels is a country scarred by civil wars and "illustrious corpses"; a
country that is proudly visual rather than verbal, based on aesthetics
rather than ethics; a country where crime is hardly ever followed by
punishment; a place of incredible illusionism, where it is impossible to
distinguish fantasy from reality and fact from fiction." From the Book's Description: "In an extraordinary tale of detective versus spy, Italian
investigators under the leadership of prosecutor Armando Spataro
unraveled in embarrassing detail the “covert” action in which Abu Omar
had been kidnapped and sent to be tortured in Egypt. Spataro—seasoned in
prosecutions of the Mafia and the Red Brigades and a passionate believer
in the rule of law—sought to try the kidnappers in absentia: the
first-ever trial of CIA officers by a U.S. ally. An exemplary achievement in narrative nonfiction writing, A
Kidnapping in Milan is at once a detective story, a history of the
terrorist menace, and an indictment of the belief that man’s savagery
against man can be stilled with more savagery yet." From the Book's Description: "Against the sweeping backdrop of western Sicily, in a riveting
seven-year quest, Frank Viviano pieces together his own harrowing
ancestral history of betrayal and redemption. His take is haunted, from
its violent opening to its stunning climax, by an ancient Sicilian
proverb, Lu sangu lava lu sangu, "Blood washes blood": the
torrent of unforgiving vengeance that flows from an unforgivable
offense. 'Viviano's great-great grandfather was a legendary bandit who
traveled the countryside of Sicily by night in the robes of a friar and
was known as "the Monk." His brutal murder has remained shrouded in
mystery for four generations. Until now. 'Populated by an extraordinary cast of nineteenth-century Robin Hood
brigands and twentieth-century underworld bosses, here is a true-life
Godfather, in which past and present finally merge into a single
story with a shattering climax that ultimately changes the way the
author views his immigrant family's complex legacy -- and himself."
From Amazon.com: "Perhaps more than any other
person, Marcella Hazan is responsible for bringing Italian cuisine into
the homes of American cooks. We're not talking spaghetti and meatballs
here--Hazan's cuisine consists of polenta, risotto, squid braised with
tomatoes and white wine, sautéed Swiss chard with olive oil and
garlic... Now a new generation is ready to be introduced to Marcella
Hazan's way with food, and in Essentials of Italian Cooking Hazan
combines her two earlier works into one updated and expanded
volume." From the publisher's site: "Food
and culture are inexorably tied together. The Culinaria series
reports on every aspect of a country’s cuisine within the context of
the people who created it. One of the most successful series in cook
book history, these new editions are updated with the guidance of
first-class chefs, and come in a durable flexi-cover format to
withstand abuse while spending time in the kitchen. The teams behind each Culinaria volume spend months in the region
they are working on, allowing them time to fully absorb all of the
food and drink a country can offer. Profusely illustrated with
spectacular photography and abundantly peppered with authentic
recipes, these volumes are a treat for both the mind and the palate.
Features:
Direct order page from the publisher in the U.S. for Culinaria Italy.
Check out my Culinaria Italy page
that has other Italian cooking and art books from the same publisher.
They offer wonderful books at great prices. Try to find them in a
store to look through to really see what you can get for your money! This is a link for the new edition of the book that is due out soon.
You can pre-order it via Amazon.com.
You can purchase the story, together with the
fish recipes, courtesy of Robert's wife, Shannon (15 recipes, not
all fish recipes), a Foreword by Steve Geppi, and a section by Robert
Tinnell discussing his inspirations (92 pages in all). Besides getting recipes for your own Italian Christmas Eve, you have a
fun book
for the family to read while digesting. And you'll have a head
start on everyone when the movie finally comes out (perhaps for next
Christmas). And be sure to watch the lovely
promotional
video at the book's website. The author has a strong presence on YouTube.com, so be sure to search for
him there, to see his real family members cooking fish. And he
hosts a blog, too,
celebrating things Italian, especially Italian cooking (not just fish).
Here are two excerpts from the book. And visit my page about
La Vigilia for more about
Robert's book.
I've read Jacqueline's book, and found myself thinking of those
wonderful old Women's Guild books from days gone by, that collected
together contributed recipes and stories from their members. The
printed collection, while at times in need of a strong-armed editor, was
full of warmth and heart, just like Jacqueline Miconi's book. The
book is especially entertaining if you grew up near the author's
hometown of East Haven, Connecticut. The recipes are directed to a
U.S. audience. Here's a description from her
website, where you
can find recipes, excerpts and ordering information. From her
website: "This cookbook includes
over 100 traditional recipes using readily available ingredients for
dishes that are not only easy to create, but even more enjoyable to
indulge in. It is divided into 10 different chapters, covering the many
celebrations that make up our lives. Through chapters like Sunday
Dinner, La Pasqua (Easter Sunday), A Feast with your Paisani and An
Italian Christmas, this cookbook reads like a continuous feast of
memories and wonderful Italian dishes, all while showing readers how to
prepare authentic Italian meals, even for the most amateur of cooks." While the previous book celebrates
Italian-American festivals and life, this book celebrates Italian
festivals and holidays, in Italy. Here's a rave review from an
Amazon visitor: "I highly recommend all Carol Field books, even if you don't cook.
She TAKES you to Italy and FEEDS you. She writes engrossing and vividly
descriptive literature which also happens to contain really great,
authentic Italian recipes. Celebrating Italy will make you want to move
to Italy and eat all day and night." This book was also recommended by a site visitor. He and his
family use it to keep their Italian culture alive after several
generations removed from Italy. Italian food is the most enduring
aspect of Italian culture, and the most popular! "You know it's a different kind of grilling book when it includes a
recipe for homemade ricotta. The grill recipes are unusual, relatively
easy, and the ones I have tried so far have been delicious--from the
ribs to the chicken legs with fennel and blue cheese sauce to zucchini
with the aforementioned ricotta. And yes, that is Mario's kickass
barbecue sauce dripped on one of the pages of my copy!"
"Containing more than three hundred recipes, Claudia Roden’s timeless
and enchanting book (CR's The Food of Italy) is set against a
backdrop of the story of Italy and its people and is the most
authoritative and approachable guide to one of the world’s best-loved
cuisines by one of the great food writers of our time." You can't
get any better than that! They go on to explain: "For an entire year Roden traveled up
and down Italy, through every region, taking in city and countryside, to
discover the local specialties on their home ground." One Reader's
Review says she and her daughter used the book as a culinary guide to
order at restaurants while travelling Italy.
From a Reader Review: "Mrs. Rigante and my husband's
grandmother were acquaintances in her Brooklyn neighborhood; they lived
just a few blocks from one another. Grandma didn't write down a lot of
her recipes, so Mrs. Rigante's cookbook is a lifesaver. Their recipes
are so similar it's like having a bit of home every time you open up the
book. We can't look through it without getting hungry! Every recipe
we've tried is excellent, and I love the family anecdotes and pictures.
This is a staple for every cookbook collection." Rave Reader
Reviews.
Also see my pages:
Historical
Novels set in Italy Browse the on-line bookstore that specializes in remainder books.
These are books that publishers printed, but did not sell through the
regular outlets. Beautiful books for GREAT prices. Italy-related titles are in most of their categories, like Cooking,
History, Art.

Some
Non-Fiction Books About Italy
Personal Experiences
Under the Tuscan Sun
by Frances Mayes
, In Tuscany
, Swan
, Bringing Tuscany Home
,
there are also many poetry books by the author.
The Reluctant Tuscan
by Phil Doran
Too Much Tuscan Sun
by Dario Castagno and Robert Rodi
Vanilla Beans and Brodo
by Isabella Dusi
Ferenc Mate moved to Italy with his family and wrote about the
experience in The Hills of Tuscany. He later purchased a ruin and
restored it, along with the wine terraces, finally producing a beautiful
home, and an award-winning wine.
More Personal Experience Books
History of Italy
Legends
of the Sibilline Mountains was brought to my attention by the
translators of the Italian book. They wrote: "We have
translated Giuseppe Santarelli’s "Legends of the Sibilline Mountains"
from the Italian and published it with Staf edizioni of Amandola, Italy.
"In a witty and personal tone, Santarelli, director of the
Sanctuary
of Loreto, discusses the origins of the myths in folklore, their literary transformations through the centuries, and the
archeological traces left behind."


by Christopher DugganRave Reader Reviews. From one: "The book is, as the
title indicates, a "concise" history. Very concise, and
incredibly well written! The author covers a lot of ground, and so few
words are devoted to character development or the broader context of
historical events that one might expect the book to read like an
almanac."
Rough Guide History of Italy
by Rough Guides
The Pursuit of Italy by David Gilmour
Gilmour shows that the glory of Italy has always lain in its regions,
with their distinctive art, civic cultures, identities, and cuisines.
Italy’s inhabitants identified themselves not as Italians but as Tuscans
and Venetians, Sicilians and Lombards, Neapolitans and Genoese. Italy’s
strength and culture still come from its regions rather than from its
misconceived, mishandled notion of a unified nation.
Oxford Illustrated History of Italy
edited by George Holmes
Books and films about Italy's unification and the great Giuseppe Garibaldi
More History Books
Daedalus Books - Remainders On-Line Bookstore -
50%-90% off Titles
True Crime
Peter Robb's Midnight in Sicily:
On Art, Food, History, Travel and la
Cosa Nostra
Robert Saviano's Gomorrah
'Since seeing his first murder victim, at thirteen, Roberto Saviano has
watched the changes in his home city. For Gomorrah, he
disappeared into the Camorra and witnessed at close range its audacious,
sophisticated, and far-reaching corruption that has paralyzed his home
city and introduced the world to a new breed of organized crime."
Tobias Jones's Blood on the Altar and The Dark Heart of
Italy
Steve Hendricks: A Kidnapping in Milan: The CIA on Trial
Frank Viviano's Blood Washes Blood
Italian Cookbooks
Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking
by Marcella Hazen
Robert
Tinnell's Feast of the Seven Fishes has taken on a life of
its own. It began as his family's story of Christmas Eve,
preparing seven fish dishes. It became a 'graphic novel', or
strip, telling such an engaging story, appreciated by so many, that it
is slated to be filmed.

Celebrate...Italian Style by Jacqueline Miconi
Jacqueline
Miconi is an Italian-American cook and author. Her book shares not
just her family's and friends' time-honored recipes, but her lovingly remembered
stories from her rich life in an extended Italian-American family.
If you're not of Italian origin, after reading her engaging stories, you
may wish you were! But at least you can eat like an Italian-American using
the 100 recipes as guides.
Celebrating
Italy by Carol Field
Mario Batali is what is now known as a 'super-star chef'. Whatever
you want to call this restaurateur, cookbook writer and TV-personality,
people like his recipes. Here's a quote from an Amazon.com
customer.
Claudia Roden is more than a cookbook writer, she is a sociologist,
ethnologist, essayist, historian and chronicler of food's role in the
lives of people all over the world. This from Amazon.com:
Vegetarians do well with an Italian diet. The grains and beans and
vegetables are rich in nutrients and low in calories. Here a few
books just for vegetarian Italophiles.
Eating Italian food every day. That's the goal of these three
cookbooks.
Italian Immigrant Cooking
by Elodia Rigante
Some Italian Sweets Cookbooks
More Cookbooks
Daedalus Books - Remainders On-Line Bookstore -
50%-90% off Titles