A Brief History of Italy

Author: (British) Dagon
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-09-01
Features: "Cambridge Concise Histories" is a series of illustrated concise histories of nations launched by Cambridge University Press since the 1990s. The authors of the series are professors of history or renowned experts from the United Kingdom, the United States, Australia, and other countries. They introduce the political, economic, cultural, and social historical changes of the described countries to readers in an easy-to-understand language. The books are authoritative, accessible, and highly readable. The series has been a huge success since its publication, with some titles reprinted more than 10 times. Our company has selected 10 of them to present to readers. Italy: A Concise History is one of the books in the series. Since its independence in 1861, Italy has been committed to building an efficient political system and striving for a stable national identity. This book briefly describes Italy's history from the collapse of the Roman Empire to the present, with a focus on the difficulties and setbacks experienced in the formation of the sovereign state over the past two centuries. The early chapters not only explain the geographical and cultural obstacles the country faced in its unification but also review the centuries-long political division of the Italian Peninsula since the 6th century. When Italy finally achieved unification between 1859 and 1860, the consequences of this long division became the challenges that its new rulers had to face and painstakingly overcome. The author attempts to paint a comprehensive picture of Italian history, integrating the threads of politics, economy, society, and culture for the readers.