References

Procacci, Giuliano History of the Italian People BookID 40299483 ISBN 0140135901 (see LibraryThing.com card)

Description (from Amazon)

From the early years, when its cities and towns were self-governing, to the national rise to power of fascism this century, Italy has undergone many upheavals: political, social, economic and cultural. Pinpointing the year A.D. 1000 as a time when European supremacy began to take root, the author traces Italy's progression within its European context. Communes of the 11th century to the birth of the European Renaissance and on to the role of Italy in two world wars, this study of a people's evolution won the author the Viareggio Prize

My review: 4/5

"Since buying it (more than once), I quoted and suggested often this book to foreign friends.

Also if there are other more recent books, this delivers a decent overview of what means being Italian- and why our national identity is still a work-in-progress.

You can find in my library online over 100 books more on Italy, but this still is worthwhile as an introduction- if you want a kind of ""Italian people for dummies""."

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