Cosa Nostra: A History of the Sicilian Mafia |
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John Dickie
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Pages: 528 (Paperback)
ISBN: 034093526X
Pub: Hodder Paperback
Pub date: 2007-03-08
Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 29316
Reader Reviews:
this book is great, capisci. (0/0 people found this helpful)
by far the most interesting book I have read in ages, everything you wanted to know about the Mafia. And as everyone says, 'LEMONS!'?!?
A fascinating history (1/1 people found this helpful)
The development of the mafia in Sicily over the last 150 years is described in detail in this absorbing book.
The challenge of writing about a secret, criminal fraternity is obvious. How can you be sure of the accuaracy of your sources and to what extent have popular perceptions of the Mafia been distorted by the media industry that has fuelled its reputation and its mystique? Dickie never fails to acknowledge the difficulty of such a task and never falls into the trap of allowing his writing to become melodramatic or unrealistic. This means that his tale has the air of authority of journalistic prose and brings to life the conditions in which the Mafia arose by focusing on the social and economic events that encouraged its development.
This means that the book is of interest not just to historians but to anyone who has an interest in Italian culture and society. Dickie makes clear his admiration for those who have fought against violence and corruption and whose integrity has prompted the recent courtcases against mafia leaders.The book is well written and provides both an interesting introduction to a controversial subject and a brave rebuttal of Hollywood's tendency to glamourise crime.
It all started with Lemons !!! (6/6 people found this helpful)
Well I never.........but it really did, way back in the 1800's in Sicily.
I had no idea what to expect, and took to the task of reading what was described by a fellow Anglo-Italian as "the finest read concerning the Cosa Nostra" with great gusto.
Being written by an academic, (and not being one myself) it meant that there was always going to be some heavy going content, and the middle phase is indeed that. Great, but you do have to have your wits about you to take it in and it is all relative to the latter events and the developing threads. Dickie clearly knows his stuff and his supporting research is meticulous.
Covers everything, and everyone, from the startings back in the 1800's right up to modern day, including excellent quality detail on the Maxi trials and the assasinations of those brave Mafia-busting Judges, Falcone and Borsellino.
It even covers the export of Cosa Nostra to the USA and exposes the quite different methods and "management styles", albeit their "business interests" are very much aligned.
I read this alongside Donnie Brasco and it was quite amazing how much more I was able to relate to what he actually went through for those years and the magnitude of his achievements.
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Categories
Amazon.co.uk places this book into the following categories:
Books -> Subjects -> Biography -> True Crime -> Mafia & Organised Crime
Books -> Subjects -> Biography -> True Crime -> General AAS
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