Two Gents in Italy: A journey through Italian history and culture

‘Not a superficial skim, but something altogether more satisfying.’ – Susan Kurosawa, The Australian . Part memoir, part meditation on Italian history and culture, this account of the odyssey of two retired Aussies in the land of la dolce vita is sure to delight anyone with even the remotest interest in Italy and the Italians. Structured as a series of essays, chapters cover such diverse subjects as the Italian obsession with food, Napoleon’s encounter with the islanders of Elba, opera and Shakespeare, the art of the Renaissance, why Italian piazzas work so well, and lots more. In 2017, the author and his partner of thirty-five years embarked on what they had planned as a ‘gap year’ between the end of their working lives and the start of retirement proper. One thing led to another, and one year became three, during which they stayed for months at a time in some of Italy’s most famous cities and towns. Combining that rich experience with research into the byways of Italian history, Anthony Wildman has produced a book that is sure to surprise and entertain with its approachable and informative insights into Italy and the Italians.