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Sicily

A Short History, from the Ancient Greeks to Cosa Nostra

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Sicily

By: John Julius Norwich, Paul Duncan
Narrated by: Michael Healy
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'Sicily is the key to everything' Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

A colourful and lavishly illustrated history (fifty years in the making) of the Mediterranean's largest and most turbulent island from much-loved historian John Julius Norwich

'I discovered Sicily almost by mistake . . .We drove as far as Naples, then put the car on the night ferry to Palermo. There was a degree of excitement in the early hours when we passed Stromboli, emitting a rich glow every half-minute or so like an ogre puffing on an immense cigar; and a few hours later, in the early morning sunshine, we sailed into the Conca d'Oro, the Golden Shell, in which the city lies. Apart from the beauty of the setting, I remember being instantly struck by a change in atmosphere. The Strait of Messina is only a couple of miles across and the island is politically part of Italy; yet somehow one feels that one has entered a different world . . . This book is, among other things, an attempt to analyse why this should be.'

The stepping stone between Europe and Africa, the gateway between the East and the West, at once a stronghold, clearing-house and observation post, Sicily has been invaded and fought over by Phoenicians and Greeks, Carthaginians and Romans, Goths and Byzantines, Arabs and Normans, Germans, Spaniards and the French for thousands of years. It has belonged to them all - and yet has properly been part of none.

John Julius Norwich was inspired to become a writer by his first visit in 1961 and this book is the result of a fascination that has lasted over half a century. In tracing its dark story, he attempts to explain the enigma that lies at the heart of the Mediterranean's largest island.

This vivid short history covers everything from erupting volcanoes to the assassination of Byzantine emperors, from Nelson's affair with Emma Hamilton to Garibaldi and the rise of the Mafia. Taking in the key buildings and towns, and packed with fascinating stories and unforgettable characters, Sicily is the book he was born to write.

(P)2015 Tantor©2015 John Julius Norwich Europe Italy
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Critic reviews

The most amiable and freewheeling of guides, Norwich will always find room for the amusing anecdote . . . Written Sicilian history dates back 2,500 years, so compressing it into one book means a swift and exhilarating gallop . . . Norwich renders it entertaining on every page
Norwich tells the long, sad but fascinating story with sympathy and brio
Norwich is an authoritative historian, but his writing is charmingly personal . . . Sicily's political history is full of some much turbulence it's sometimes hard to keep track of the battles, murders and successions, but Norwich sketches personalities vividly . . . Norwich calls this book his 'valediction' to Sicily: he does the island and the reader a generous service in providing such an amiable introduction
John Julius Norwich, as he explains, began his writing career with a focus on Sicily during its Norman era, and now he has returned to produce this riotous, thoughtful journey through the island's rich and varied history . . . Norwich has produced an entertaining narrative
Norwich is a perfectly informed guide
Norwich combines authority with charmingly personal flair
All stars
Most relevant
I had no idea Sicily had such a great story to tell! Visited in 2025 and just scratched the surface but this book filled in many details and e,oeriencesl!

Amazing detail of an unknown jewel!

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As an immigrant to Italy living in Umbria this book filled a gap in my knowledge of the country and ensured I will tour Sicily soon. I have read nearly all his books and even bought a home in Venice after reading his history of Venice.

Fills a void in my knowledge

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But spoilt a little by dispirited and at times lazy narration and absolutely bizarre pronunciation. I blame the editor if, indeed, there ever was one. It’s unforgivable that any editor should allow such mistaken pronunciation.

Really interesting history

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This is an excellent history of Sicily, as one might expect from the author. The narrator is not as bad as some of the previous reviews have suggested, but he could certainly have taken the trouble to check the pronunciation of the Italian place-names that recur frequently. Here are a few that he always gets wrong:
Catania, Viterbo, Lucera.
The strangest mispronunciation of a place-name is "Enna", which for some reason he pronounces "Enya" (and he does the same thing to the last two syllables of "Ravenna" and "Siena").
Here are some where he consistently stresses the wrong syllable:
Taranto, Trapani, Lipari, Brindisi (in all four the accent should fall on the first syllable).
He also mispronounces the word "Regno" (kingdom), another recurring word.
However, the oddest mispronunciation is the word "father", which he always says as "fawther".
It isn't enough to ruin the enjoyment of the book but it seems a pity. It wouldn't have taken long to check these points.

Great book. Narration odd

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This book is packed to the brim with information. It is interesting, particularly the earlier chapters, before it starts to focus almost exclusively on royal and military history. Those are not my favourite subjects, and I personally feel they only shed a very limited light on the history of Sicily. What about the food, the music, the dancing, the fishing boats, the star-studded nights, the mountain views? I’m getting carried away. I was slightly frustrated by the narrator’s ignorance as to the correct pronunciation of the many foreign names. But, I get it: foreign languages are hard, and asking someone to correctly pronounce Arabic, Dutch, Greek, Latin, Italian, Spanish, and French names is a bit much. So all in all the book is a cautious succes.

Uninformed narrator, old fashioned history

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