Documents the award-winning writer's experiences of living, working, and raising twin sons in Rome during the year following his receipt of a prestigious Rome Prize stipend, a period during which he attended the vigil of the dying John Paul II, brought his children on a snowy visit to the Pantheon, and befriended numerous locals. Reprint. 35,000 first printing.

Italy is a country synonymous with style and beauty in all aspects of life: the rich history of Rome, Renaissance art of Florence, graceful canals of Venice, high fashion of Milan, signature pasta alla bolognese of Bologna, colorful architecture of Portofino and winking blue waters of Capri and the Amalfi Coast, among many others. Italians themselves live effortlessly amid all this splendor, knowing instinctively just the type of outfit to throw on, design element to balance, or delectable ingredient to add.

Two leading authorities on Galileo offer a brilliant revisionist look at the career of the great Italian scientist.

On this Jubilee year, the authors take readers back to the first Holy Year, 1300, when Pope Boniface VII promised eternal peace for the souls of all Christians who trekked to the Eternal City. 225 illustrations, 60 in color.

A panoramic and colourful view of the many ethnic identities, languages and cultures composing the Roman Empire.

What went wrong in imperial Rome, and how we can avoid it: “If you want to understand where America stands in the world today, read this.” —Thomas E. Ricks The rise and fall of ancient Rome has been on American minds since the beginning of our republic. Depending on who’s doing the talking, the history of Rome serves as either a triumphal call to action—or a dire warning of imminent collapse. In this “provocative and lively” book, Cullen Murphy points out that today we focus less on the Roman Republic than on the empire that took its place, and reveals a wide array of similarities between the two societies (The New York Times). Looking at the blinkered, insular culture of our capitals; the debilitating effect of bribery in public life; the paradoxical issue of borders; and the weakening of the body politic through various forms of privatization, Murphy persuasively argues that we most resemble Rome in the burgeoning corruption of our government and in our arrogant ignorance of the world outside—two things that must be changed if we are to avoid Rome’s fate. “Are We Rome? is just about a perfect book. . . . I wish every politician would spend an evening with this book.” —James Fallows

All roads lead to Rome--and no one captures the journey in luminous watercolors quite as brillantly as Marlene McLoughlin. Leafing through Road to Rome is like relaxing on a slow train through Italy, with an artist at your side. By means of her watercolor sketchbooks, readers travel from Florence to Rome, and to the legendary hill towns of Arezzo, Siena, Montepulciano, Assisi, Todi, and Cortona, through breathtaking landscapes, unearthly light, and the rustic beauty of the Tuscan and Umbrian countryside. Exquisite watercolors, pen-and-ink sketches, and brief captions depict the land, the food, and the character of one of the most beautiful places on earth in all of its varied details--a shadowy, overgrown Renaissance villa, yellow fields of mustard, a dish of ripe lemons; the Tiber at dawn. Richly evocative, wonderfully inviting, and thoroughly charming. Road to Rome is both a traveler's and a dreamer's delight.