Sicily: A Short History, from the Greeks to Cosa Nostra

by John Julius Norwich

http://amazon.com/dp/1848548958

The author of the classic book on Venice turns his sights to Sicily in this beautiful book full of maps and color photographs. “I discovered Sicily almost by mistake . . . We drove as far as Naples, then put the car on the night ferry to Palermo. There was a degree of excitement in the early hours when we passed Stromboli, emitting a rich glow every half-minute or so like an ogre puffing on an immense cigar; and a few hours later, in the early morning sunshine, we sailed into the Conca d’Oro, the Golden Shell, in which the city lies. Apart from the beauty of the setting, I remember being instantly struck by a change in atmosphere. The Strait of Messina is only a couple of miles across and the island is politically part of Italy; yet somehow one feels that one has entered a different world. This book is, among other things, an attempt to analyze why this should be.”