ITALY out of hand A Capricious Tour Author:Barbara Hodgson Italy out of Hand is not a traditional guidebook, with hotel addresses and hours of operation. Rather, it is an idiosyncratic tour of a country that is too overwhelming and extravagant for many to comprehend without a little assistance. Seething below Italy's wonderfully civilized surface is a long and shadowy history of corruption, cruelty, and... more » the generally bizarre. For centuries it has been overrun by waves of invaders, all contributing their own questionable bits of culture, and all wantonly adding to the confusion. How is a poor visitor supposed to make sense of this anarchic place? Co-creator of the cult favorite Paris out of Hand, Barbara Hodgson has neatly brushed away the chaos and assembled an eclectic treasury of forgotten and overlooked oddities: long lost popes, blood thirsty mercenaries, tempestuous artists, and inexplicable follies. Illustrated with an equally eclectic selection of photographs, portraits and art, Italy out of hand is the perfect companion for those who like their truths to be stranger than fiction.« less
Very interesting. Great for any travel junkie (whether in reality or just in dreams). A multitude of quirky facts, quips, quotes and stories about Italy