THE ITALIANS

Book ID/图书代码： 00200014B69337

English Summary/英文概要： Sublime and maddening, fascinating yet baffling, Italy is a country of endless paradox and seemingly unanswerable riddles. How can a nation that gave us the Renaissance have produced the Mafia? How could a people so concerned with bella figura have chosen Silvio Berlusconi as their leader – and not just once, but three times?

John Hooper’s marvellously entertaining and perceptive new book is the ideal companion for anyone seeking to understand contemporary Italy and the unique character of the Italians. Digging deep into their history, culture and religion, Hooper offers keys to assessing everything from their bewildering politics to their love of life and beauty. Looking at the facts that lie behind – and often belie – the stereotypes, his revealing book sheds new light on many aspects of Italian life: football and Freemasonry, sex, symbolism and the reason why Italian has twelve words for a coat hanger, yet none for a hangover.

Even readers who think they know Italy well will be surprised, challenged and delighted by THE ITALIANS.

Chinese Summary/中文概要： 崇高而又令人发狂，迷人却令人困惑，意大利是一个充满了无穷的悖论和解不开的谜团的国家。一个给了我们文艺复兴的国家是怎么产生黑手党的？一个十分注重美好形象的民族怎么会不止一次而是三次地选举西尔维奥•贝卢斯科尼作为他们的领导人呢？

对于试图了解当代意大利和意大利人独特品质的人来说，约翰•胡珀这本及其有趣和富有洞察力的新书无疑是理想的指南。通过对意大利的历史、文化和宗教寻根究底，胡珀提供了评论意大利人的关键——从复杂的政治到他们对生活和美的热爱。他这本揭露性的书，通过审判隐藏甚至掩饰在意大利人刻板印象背后的事实，揭开了意大利人的生活的方方面面：足球，共济会主义，性，象征主义，以及为何有12个关于衣架的单词却没有一个关于宿醉的单词。

甚至连某些认为自己很了解意大利的读者都会对书中的意大利人感到吃惊，质疑或者喜欢。（LNL）

Awards/获奖情况：the Italians by John Hooper as we now have the final files and some excellent reviews coming in:

http://www.scotsman.com/lifestyle/books/book-review-the-italians-by-john-hooper-1-3670185

‘Italy remains the most fascinating of countries, often perplexing and yet always engaging. Hooper does it justice. People who don’t know Italy will find this book a splendid introduction. Those who know and love the country will find much that is new as well as familiar, much that will have them nodding in agreement, some observations that will meet with the response, “not to my mind”. It deserves to sit happily on the bookshelf beside Barzini; and that is high praise.’ - Allan Massie, The Scotsman

http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/books/reviews/the-italians-by-john-hooper--book-review-an-italy-of-pasta-and-pizza-but-none-of-mammas-rabbit-9999249.html

‘The author, with the fluency of the well-informed journalist, writes as he might speak in conversation over dinner, never delving too deeply into any topic but ready with relevant comment on almost everything. … [he] has written an amusing and engrossing account of a thoroughly irresponsible nation.’ - Brian Sewell, The Independent

http://www.theguardian.com/books/2015/jan/26/the-italians-review-foreign-correspondents-illuminating-study-john-hooper

‘John Hooper refuses to succumb to easy cliché while explaining the best and worst of Italy. Mising the amusing titbit (in Rome, gnocchi is to be found in restaurants only on Thursday) with the big picture, he provides context for the question that perplexes the occasional visitor: how come a country that has produced Berlusconi, “bunga bunga” parties, the mafia and an extraordinary bureaucracy is still so attractive?’ - John Kampfner, The Observer

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/books/bookreviews/11347853/The-Italians-by-John-Hooper-review.html

‘Hooper has written a fascinating, affectionate and well-researched study that delivers the tantalising flavour of a country as hot, cold, bitter and sweet as an affogato. Of the many anecdotes and incidents peppering its pages, few are more illuminating than the encounter between a German and Mussolini in Il Duce’s office overlooking Piazza Venezia in Rome. Wasn’t it difficult to govern the Italians, asked the perplexed German. “Not at all,” replied Mussolini, “it is simply pointless.”’ - Christian House, The Telegraph

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/d91b4f34-9679-11e4-922f-00144feabdc0.html

‘[Hooper’s] book is both valuable and readable, a lucid and elegantly flowing description of a people.’ - John Lloyd, The FT

http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/arts/books/non-fiction/article4328864.ece (behind paywall)

‘Hooper deftly derives a lacerating generalisation from a pungent anecdote .. [in] this entertaining book ..’ - Richard Morrison, The Times

About the Author/作者介绍： 约翰•胡珀是意大利《经济学人周刊》的记者，同时是南欧《卫报》和《观察者》的编辑。他作为一名外国记者，用三十多年的时间，主要报道地中海、北爱尔兰、科索沃以及阿富汗的冲突和矛盾。他的书《西班牙人》（修订版题目改为新西班牙人）成为了名著。这本《意大利人》是他在意大利15多年的成果。

John Hooper is Italy correspondent of the Economist and southern Europe editor of the Guardian and Observer. He has spent more than thirty years as a foreign correspondent, reporting principally from the Mediterranean, but also on the conflicts in Northern Ireland, Kosovo and Afghanistan. His book The Spaniards (later revised under the title The New Spaniards) has established itself as a classic. THE ITALIANS is the fruit of more than 15 years based in Italy.

Format:

Rights Status/版权销售情况：Simplified Chinese/简体中文：AVAILABLE

Complex/Traditional Chinese/繁体中文：AVAILABLE

Sales in other countries/其他国家销售情况：UK: Penguin Press (Simon Winder) US: Viking Penguin (Melanie Torterelli) Russia: Alpina

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