Pursuit of Italy, The Paperback – November 13, 2012

Gilmour's Pursuit of Italy is a fine summary of the historical regionalism and effects of that regionalism on Modern Italy. I could not put it down, finding it engaging and amusing, while still bringing up many one-off (maybe two-off) bits of analysis and perceptions of Italy that make this such a valuable piece.Gilmour tends to criticize and minimize the evaluation of the Catholic Church in Italy, which is a bit troubling. For example, on the subject of Vivaldi"Its most talented musician was the violinist and composer Antonio Vivaldi whose job at a local orphanage for girls, the Conservatorio della pieta, obliged him to provide his employers with two concertos a month"Good to know...but what exactly was Antonio Vivaldi's job? Well..he was a Roman Catholic Priest, known as the "Red Priest" (due to his red hair)..that's Father Vivaldi at the orphanage. We would never know this from Gilmour, as he seems to want to write out the charitable and glorious effects of Catholicism on Italian culture, but come on...how do you rewrite the Catholic out of Vivaldi?I still give this book 5 stars, as it is terrific history and cultural commentary, but found myself questioning where opinion starts and history starts. Doesn't spoil the book, in fact, makes it more interesting, as the author's observations are definitely slanted from an interesting viewpoint.

Many of us have been to Italy or know Italians or have married an Italian or have driven an Italian car or eaten wonderful Italian food or have marveled at Italian art or have listened with wonder to Italian music or have admired Italian architecture or have read the great Italian poets or have experienced its sense of "la dolce vita". In fact, few, if any, people have had such an indelible impression on our daily lives as the Italians. Yet Italy itself, the land of the Italian people, has had a difficult history. Difficult, in fact, is not a remotely appropriate adjective to describe a history full of feckless leaders, unremitting intrigues and conspiracies, massive corruption and military ineptitude.David Gilmour, in this authoritative overview of Italian history, describes the central problem with Italy. "Geography and the vicissitudes of history made certain countries, including France and Britain, more important than the sum of their parts...In Italy the opposite was true. The parts are so stupendous that a single region...would rival every other country in the world in the quality of its art and the civilization of its past." Italy, Gilmour concludes, has produced an unending kaleidoscope of great human achievement but continues to be unable to create a strong, effective national government that can produce a great society. In fact, in the two great periods of Italian history - the Renaissance and the Middle Ages - Italy was in fact not a nation but a collection of vastly different regional kingdoms, in many cases kingdoms in which Italian was not a well-understood language.Italy has had occasional national leaders, some of whom were not in fact Italian, but it has also had its full share of destructive, power-mad leaders, including Mussolini and, more recently Berlusconi. Only with Julius Caesar, now two thousand years in the past, has Italy produced a leader on the scale of Bismark, Peter the Great, deGaulle, or Churchill. Gilmour searches for reasons to explain why it is that Italy has failed to become the great nation-state that its enormous talents deserve. He does this with skill, copious knowledge, terrific insight and a continual sense of ironic humor. He knows Italy well. He explains Italy's plight with great clarity and a firm grasp on the consequences of its citizens to place their region first and the nation second.This is, at times, a sad story. Just as the Civil War in the United States ultimately made a strong nation out of two strong regions, Italy was in the midst of a failed effort to make a nation out of regions, some not larger than cities, such as Venice, Naples and Florence. These divisions and regional jealousies exist today. Sicily is still only remotely governed by national authorities. The difference between the North of Italy, industrious, developed and European, and the South of Italy, economically weak and close to ungovernable, remains stark.You will find in this book a wonderful series of historical sketches, outlining the high and low points of Italian history. One reads the book, however, with a mounting sense of disappointment that Italy could not have become more than it is. It is a complex story and Gilmour tells this tangled tale very well. You will not, however, find the key to the way out. Italy is the land of Italians and it seems that these enormously talented people have a way of living that is totally unique and admirable in so many ways. Their life has worked for them for two thousand years and will probably carry on roughly the same, with all the achievements and all the disappointments, for quite a bit longer.

As an Italian American who is still looking forward to my first visit to the country, I was anxious to read about the history of this important nation. However what I learned is that the country is divided by regions, which are more like the other countries of Europe than sections of one nation. It is a nation that has seen rule by emperors, kings, socialists, fascists, liberals and conservatives. Controlled by oppression, papal influence, violence and greed. It is also a land that has contributed art, books, food and vehicles such as the Fiat, Ferrari and Maserati. I believe that with the right leadership that has the ability to unite the country, the innate talents of the people and the strategic advantage of its location, Italy has an opportunity to take its rightful place among the leading nations of the world but there is a lot of work to be done.

Gilmour knows and loves his subject well. His graceful writing style, eye for the telling detail/anecdote, and fair but personal point-of-view makes this magisterial history a pleasure to read.