The Siege Of Venice by Jonathan Keates
The siege of Venice in 1848 is one of history's most thrilling and tragic episodes. After half a century of Habsburg imperial rule, the Venetians drove out the occupying army and established their own republic. Led by the Jewish lawyer Daniele Manin, a man of immense courage and personal integrity, they embraced the lofty values of the Risorgimento, Italy's struggle for national unity, freedom and justice. When the Austrians returned with a massive army, intent on recapturing Venice, Manin rejected their surrender demands. The city braced itself for a siege lasting more than a year, ending only when bombardment, cholera and starvation made further resistance impossible. This epic story, in Jonathan Keates's gripping and meticulously-researched account, embraces the wider world of the revolutionary Italy of Garibaldi, Mazzini and Pope Pius IX, warrior priests, militant actresses, death-or-glory poets, a Mata Hari-type siren spy and a rebel princess. At the centre of the whole crowded canvas, however, stand the truest heroes of all - the people of Venice. Their grit, humour and endurance, under a hail of bombs and a tide of blood sweeping across their once peaceful lagoon, make The Siege of Venice a profoundly touching and unforgettable book.
Majestic.. Tremendous -- Jan Morris * New Statesman *
Enthralling... constantly gripping * Sunday Telegraph *
A beautifully paced and meticulously detailed narrative... unlikely to be bettered -- John Adamson * Literary Review *
Brilliant and profoundly researched -- Edward Pearce * Herald *
A wonderfully vivid evocation of genuine heroism and pathos * Times Literary Supplement *
Enthralling... constantly gripping * Sunday Telegraph *
A beautifully paced and meticulously detailed narrative... unlikely to be bettered -- John Adamson * Literary Review *
Brilliant and profoundly researched -- Edward Pearce * Herald *
A wonderfully vivid evocation of genuine heroism and pathos * Times Literary Supplement *
Jonathan Keates is a prizewinning biographer and novelist, well known as a reviewer and as a writer on Italian culture and history. He teaches at the City of London School and is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature.
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9780712673693 |
| ISBN 10 | 0712673695 |
| Title | The Siege Of Venice |
| Author | Jonathan Keates |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Binding Type | Paperback |
| Publisher | Vintage |
| Year published | 2006-05-04 |
| Number of pages | 528 |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |