Survival Kit for Overseas Living
by L. Robert Kohls
With chapters on cultural baggage, stereotypes and common complaints of American expats, this intercultural classic is perfect for study abroad.
Tea With Mussolini
by Franco Zeffirelli (Director)
Zeffirelli's enchanting autobiographical film about a boy in Florence in the years before World War II, with a cast of great English and American actresses.
The Great Beauty
by Toni Servillo
After his 65th birthday, witty and arrogant novelist Jep Gambardella is blindsided by an ex-lover’s secret. He begins re-examining his lavish lifestyle (nightclubs, parties and cafes) and looking for a different side of Rome. Originally released in 2013.
Eva Sleeps
by Francesca Melandri
This historical, romantic novel set against the backdrop of the South Tyrol, takes us on a journey through the region's troubled past & political turmoil, as seen through the eyes of Eva.
Trieste
by Dasa Drndic
This novel blends fiction, history, and documentary material to tell the story of the Holocaust. The book follows Haya Tedeschi, an elderly woman in the Italian city of Gorizia (near Trieste), who is searching for her lost son.
The Italians
by John Hooper
Italy correspondent for The Economist Hooper explores Italy -- its baffling contradictions, unique character and contemporary culture -- in this illuminating portrait.
La Bella Lingua
by Dianne Hales
Inebriated with the sounds of Italian, lovesick for its phrases and enamored of its earthy idioms, Hales, "a sensible woman of sturdy Polish stock," dives into the Italian of the piazza, literature, movies and streets in this charming memoir.
Zeno's Conscience
by Italo Svevo
This novel was originally published in 1923. The story is told in the form of a psychological confession by the protagonist, Zeno Cosini, who is a middle-aged man reflecting on his life.
D.H. Lawrence and Italy
by D.H. Lawrence
This omnibus Penguin Classics edition includes Lawrence's three travel tales, each very different in tone and all wonderful: Sea and Sardinia is a nostalgic look at traditional ways of life; Twilight in Italy, an evocation of Lawrence's memorable stay on Lake Garda; and Etruscan Places, his musings on ancient sites, including the painted tombs of Tarquinia.
The Art of Travel
by Alain de Botton
A digressive riff on desire, happiness and how best to experience travel by the Proust scholar and philosopher Alain de Botton who asks: "What is the point of traveling?"
Italy in Mind
by Alice Powers
A terrific collection of some of the best literary writing on Italy, including pieces by Melville, Lawrence, Henry James, Mary McCarthy and many others.
Compact Oxford Italian Dictionary
by Loredana Riu (Editor), Francesca Logi (Editor), Pat Bulhosen (Editor)
This hefty companion covers more than 90,000 words and phrases with helpful sections on grammar and culture to better prepare the traveler for a visit to Italy.
Saving Italy, The Race to Rescue a Nation's Treasures from the Nazis
by Robert M. Edsel
In this intense history, Edsel brings readers into WWII-era Milan, the Vatican and beyond, discussing the near destruction of The Last Supper and other timeless works at the hands of the fascists.
La Dolce Vita
by Marcello Mastroianni
As his distraught girlfriend commits suicide and he becomes enamored with a film star (played by the beautiful Anita Ekberg), columnist-playboy Marcello searches for meaning. An enduring classic, set in Rome. Originally released in 1960.
Bicycle Thieves
by Vittorio De Sica
When Antonio Ricci is unable to find work and his bicycle is stolen, the man becomes desperate to support himself and his son. Set in Rome. Winner of the Oscar for Best Foreign Film.
As Man Grows Older
by Italo Svevo
First published in 1898, the story centers around the internal struggles of the protagonist, Emilio Brentani, an introspective and somewhat neurotic middle-aged man living in Trieste.
Ernesto
by Umberto Saba
First published in 1975, the novel follows the story of a young boy named Ernesto, set in the backdrop of early 20th-century Italy.
The White War: Life and Death on the Italian Front 1915-1919
by Mark Thompson
A detailed examination of the little-known conflict between Italy and Austria-Hungary. Thompson explores the complex nature of a war in which nearly 750,000 Italian troops were killed in savage, hopeless fighting on the stony hills north of Trieste and in the snows of the Dolomites.
The Birth of Venus, A Novel
by Sarah Dunant
A rich novel of art, passion and patronage, memorably set in late 15th-century Florence and prominently featuring the famously pious reformer Savonarola.
Italy, A Short History
by Harry Hearder
Elegantly written, generous and informative, this compact book takes in the sweep of Italian history from the Roman Republic through the Renaissance, World War II and up to the present.
La Bella Figura, A Field Guide to the Italian Mind
by Beppe Severgnini
Italians themselves love this guide to the Italian character, which addresses their never-ending passion for beauty, disorder and high emotion. The book opens with a snapshot of Malpensa Airport, then moves on to Tuscany, Rome, Naples and Sardinia.
Follow your heart
by Susanna Tamaro
The novel explores themes of love, personal growth, and the search for meaning in life. It is presented as a letter from an elderly woman aiming to offer wisdom to her granddaughter.
In Other Words
by Jhumpa Lahiri
In this complex memoir, award-winning author Jhumpa Lahiri moves to Rome and immerses herself in Italian. Her dual-language book chronicles her courtship with the language, the Italian culture and the difficulties of linguistic exile.