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Podcast: New Books in Italian Studies
Episode: Jeremy Black, "A Brief History of Italy" (Robinson, 2019)
Description: Despite the Roman Empire's 500-year reign over Europe, parts of Africa and the Middle East, Italy does not have the same long national history as states such as France or England. Divided for much of its history, Italy's regions have been, at various times, parts of bigger, often antagonistic empires, notably those of Spain and Austria. In addition, its challenging and varied terrain made consolidation of political control all the more difficult. This concise history covers, in very readable fashion, the formative events in Italy's past from the Etruscans all through a unified country in thrall to fascism in...