This is a unique portrait of the nature of the Italian people, written by a powerful writer. He is both amusing and deep, opening every fibre of muscle and blood vessel to reveal all that is necessary to understand Italy. It is a masterful thesis, still in print after 46 years. It was written in 1964 and is interesting seeing Italy through the eyes of that year compared with 2010.
The development of every emotion and motivation of business, family, crime, corruption is described in stark detail with numerous detailed examples from current times and history.
I learned much not only about the Italian people (males mostly) but also the history of Italy. For example, the popes would always enrich their relatives, in particular nephews, to carry on the family estates intact. The reasons for this helped me later understand some of the great paintings and frescos in the Vatican Museums, as well as the little farm I stayed in in Locorotondo which had been first established by a priest as a church in 1728, and then built up to leave to a nephew.
In his chapter on understanding Mussolini and his hold on Italy, I found out that he was originally a Communist, and then started the Fasci II which folded together the extreme left and extreme right. This is never mentioned in other books.
Barzini's use of the English language is jolting and I had to stop to admire and analyze it in almost every sentence.
A must read for anyone intensely interested in Italy and history.
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