Thorough history of the Venetian Republic: massive but readable.

---

Product Description

John Julius Norwich's dazzling history of Venice from its origins to its eighteenth century fall. 'Lord Norwich has loved and understood Venice as well as any other Englishman has ever done. He has put readers of his generation more in his debt than any other English writer' Peter Levi, The Sunday Times.

---

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #29279 in Books
• Published on: 2003-07-03
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 736 pages

Review
'Lord Norwich has loved and understood Venice as well as any other Englishman has ever done. He has put readers of his generation more in his debt than any other English writer' Peter Levi, The Sunday Times.

About the Author
John Julius Norwich was born in 1929. He has written many books, including a three-volume history of the Byzantium Empire. John Julius Norwich lives in London, W9.

---

Customer Reviews

Standard work in English on the history of Venice
A comprehensive, elaborate and engaging account of the rise and final, swift fall of the Venetian republic. Norwich manages to bind even complex and intricate side-plots and parallel historical events into an involved and vivid narrative. Occasionally oddly judgmental, and in the typical style of English historians, i.e. sceptical and a little afraid of personalities and events which are difficult to classify. Sometimes events and ages suffer a little from being embedded in this sweeping narrative. Yet it stands as a remarkable work of involved historianship, which continues to put many of the more fragmented and specialized academic works that followed in the shade. Erudite, fluent and stimulating.

Truth is better than fiction
A superbly written gallop across more than 1,000 years of history, charting the rise and fall of one of Europe's greatest city-states. This is an epic narrative which sweeps along through major historical events, but never fails to remember the human beings on the way: sad or humourous, poignant or whimsical, always entertaining glimpses of the real people who made history happen. From dashing military leaders to subtle politicians to everyday citizens who turned the course of empires with grand stratagems, bold manouevres or well-aimed pots, Norwich's book makes their stories live and breathe. If you plan to visit Venice, this is a must-read book. If you don't plan to visit Venice, what's wrong with you?

Authoritative and readable
It's a real testament to the skill of the author that this emerges as a fascinating and exciting read as well as a comprehensive and authoritative account of such a wide swathe of history. It chronicles the Republic's changing fortunes from beginning to end through eleven centuries, conveying a real sense of its spirit and character, with major players and battles leaping from the pages. The inevitable fall, when it comes, is all the more poignant for all that has come before, and casts the modern depopulation and disintegration of Venice in a new light. It's a great story whatever your interest in the subject, and this version must be pretty close to definitive.