John Dickie lectures in Italian Studies at University College London. Cosa Nostra, his award-winning history of the Sicilian mafia, has been translated into twenty languages and has sold nearly half a million copies throughout the world; it was hailed in Italy as the best book ever written about the Mafia. In 2005 the president of the Italian Republic appointed him a Commendatore dell'Ordine della Stella della Solidariet� Italiana. He lives in London with his family.
"A book that is as much a feast of horrors as delights...[Dickie's]
book is hard to fault: densely researched, enlightening, and
consistently moreish." -- "The Sunday Times" (London)
"A clever and provoking account of Italy's history...informs as
well as enlightens." -- "The Guardian"
"A literally mouth-watering read, which counters the misconception
of "Italian" cuisine, as well as the myth that it originated among
peasants." -- "The Herald"
"Lots of books are written with passion about Italian food,
precious few backed up with the deep historical background here
presented in allegro con brio style by a clear-headed historian who
rubbishes some too-persistent myths and replaces them with factual
narratives no less fascinating. Dickie shows how Italian regional
cuisines developed and some dishes became global icons. If we are
what we eat, who wouldn't want to be Italian?" -- "The Times"
(London)
"Revelatory history of gourmet Italy from antiquity to
today...Boisterous, gluttonous stories -- some verging on salacious
-- are balanced by accounts of paucity in this look into Italian
history and its edibles." -- "Publishers Weekly"
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