Nel pieno della tragedia che investe lrsquo;Italia nel 1943; Francesco Flora ndash; noto critico letterario; autore di una fortunata Storia della Letteratura Italiana ndash; fugge da Roma per cercare salvezza a Napoli. Quattro giorni di viaggio ndash; tra lrsquo;11 e il 15 settembre ndash; che la paura del nemico sempre incombente; la ricerca affannosa di rifugi occasionali; la mancanza di cibo; le strade insicure; i mezzi di trasporto precari o inesistenti; trasformano in un evento straordinario e memorabile; a condividere con lui questrsquo;avventura; persone drsquo;ogni etagrave; e condizione; addolorate e impaurite; aggrappate alla propria sopravvivenza; che; in questo fortuito incontro; allacceranno i propri destini con quelli del narratore. Romanzo breve ma intenso; che commuove e avvince; nel quale il racconto degli eventi si intreccia con i ricordi del vissuto personale; e dove i singoli episodi che disegnano la trama del viaggio sembrano caricarsi di una energia sconosciuta; capace di trasmettere come il senso dellrsquo;esistenza tutta intera.
2013-04-02 2013-04-02File Name: B00C7CT65Y
Review
12 of 12 people found the following review helpful. Super Tuscan-oramaBy Bob NewmanWhat can one say about a book that displays such erudition; such scholarship ? I am no student of Italy or Florence; but I can recognize a masterpiece when I see one. This volume represents a lifetime of study; a prodigious memory; and an organizing genius. On top of that it is well-written in a light; humanistic style ! I doubt that anyone will be able to write the history of Florence or Tuscany in the period 1527-1800 without reference to FLORENCE IN THE FORGOTTEN CENTURIES. WOuld-be scholars must carve out niches in this massive rock or search for topics beyond Tuscan boundaries. When I think about this work---that I have just completed (it took three weeks to wade through 508 pages densely packed with a huge amount of information)---I can compare it only to such books as Womacks "Zapata and the Mexican Revolution" or Vansinas "Paths in the Rainforests"; works that took years of painstaking research; endless amounts of revision; and continuous thought to the exclusion of everything else. These are works that no doubt took years off the life of the authors. [Cochrane died at age 57 in 1985 though I dont know of what.] In short; this is a unbelievable in-depth look at Florence at six points in the 272 years spanned. The narrative is fastened on six individuals; each in a different generation. Galileo is well-known; but the others----it seemed to me----are likely to be unheard of outside the scholarly community abroad. I have no idea of their stature in Italy. However; they are only the `hooks for discussing Florentine civilization in immense detail---the political; military; economic; cultural; scientific; religious and philosophical aspects. If you want to know about Florentine historiography; its here. If you want to know about relationships between the rulers of Tuscany and their Papal neighbors; its here. The diet of the poor; music; theories of literature; the state of the press; the intellectual curiosity of the more educated citizens; art and architecture; the efforts of the grand dukes to modernize or preserve tranquility in their states; assassinations or Spanish garrisons--its all here in such amazing richness that you will not be able to digest even a small percent. Scholars may delight; but the average reader will find this a kind of "Death by Chocolate" among books !And yet; if you dont know much about Florence; this is probably not the place to begin. Cochrane gives no quarter; assuming the readers basic knowledge. You must know the general patterns of European; Italian; and Tuscan history in those centuries. Hundreds of names are mentioned; maybe thousands; sometimes twenty on a page. Often the author supposes that you know who they are. There is not a single map of the city; yet he constantly refers to rivers; hills; buildings; and avenues. I; for one; have never been to Florence. Hmm. Difficult. This is faint criticism. Overall; the book knocked me out. It is one of the most impressive historical works I have ever seen. I cant believe that I am the first to review it for .