The Sicilian Vespers by Steven Runciman
On 30 March 1282, as the bells of Palermo were ringing for Vespers, the Sicilian townsfolk, crying 'Death to the French', slaughtered the garrison and administration of their Angevin King. Seen in historical perspective it was not an especially big massacre: the revolt of the long-subjugated Sicilians might seem just another resistance movement. But the events of 1282 came at a crucial moment. Steven Runciman takes the Vespers as the climax of a great narrative sweep covering the whole of the Mediterranean in the thirteenth century. His sustained narrative power is displayed here with concentrated brilliance in the rise and fall of this fascinating episode. This is also an excellent guide to the historical background to Dante's Divine Comedy, forming almost a Who's Who of the political figures in it, and providing insight into their placement in Hell, Paradise or Purgatory.
'History in the grand manner, though always with a light touch' The Observer
'Runciman wrote with wonderful eloquence, but he never overwrote. His narrative flows uncluttered by needless reference notes - there are some, but they nearly all refer to primary sources. His is the supreme example of a well-stocked mind not needing to show off all his wares, nor does he empede the central story by tedious allusion to secondary sources.' Daily Telegraph
'Runciman wrote with wonderful eloquence, but he never overwrote. His narrative flows uncluttered by needless reference notes - there are some, but they nearly all refer to primary sources. His is the supreme example of a well-stocked mind not needing to show off all his wares, nor does he empede the central story by tedious allusion to secondary sources.' Daily Telegraph
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9780521437745 |
| ISBN 10 | 0521437741 |
| Title | The Sicilian Vespers |
| Author | Steven Runciman |
| Series | Canto |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Binding Type | Paperback |
| Publisher | Cambridge University Press |
| Year published | 1992-07-31 |
| Number of pages | 368 |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |