Venice

A sparkling account of Venice's past and future. Clear, entertaining and academically rigorous. * , Books of the Year 2024, The Economist *
Romano's new history of Venice is a triumph of scholarship and satisfying storytelling. His book surpasses previous treatments by balancing sweeping narrative and the telling detail, and by covering a far greater chronological span: from the last Ice Age, some 12,000 years ago, to the present day. His skillful discussions of political, military, and economic history are enriched by examinations of artworks and topics such as spying, book publishing, the early development of opera, and climate change across millennia. Those who love Venice and want it to thrive for generations to come will be indebted to Romano's erudition and analysis. * Frederick Ilchman, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston and Chairman, Save Venice *
Romano's book is a marvel. It is a total history from the beginnings to Venice as it is today. Romano covers almost two millennia and offers not just an account of high politics and culture but of all those whose lives were in some fashion made by Venice. Keep a copy near your most comfortable armchair. Browse the book again and again when thoughts of your visits to this most beautiful of cities drift back into your mind (as surely they must). * R.J.B. Bosworth, author of Italian Venice: A History *
From the primordial waters of the lagoon to the touristed global Venice, Dennis Romano's book offers an eloquent and innovative account of the rise of one of the world's most beautiful cities. Romano assesses how the city on the water became so remarkable despite the many challenges its citizens faced for the past millennium and a half. By exploring many obscure byways other histories have ignored, he makes the rich history of the city and its culture come alive. * Edward Muir, Northwestern University *
This masterful summary offers a richly textured narrative of one of the longest-lived republics in history from its mythic origins to the present day and beyond. Read a chapter a day of this lengthy saga and in just three weeks you'll be rewarded with a multi-faceted view-war and peace, politics and trade, society and religion, civic ritual and the visual arts-of the full sweep of Venetian history. * Patricia Fortini Brown, author of The Venetian Bride: Bloodlines and Blood Feuds in Venice and Its Empire *
The best single-volume guide to the city's past... Readers will delight in Romano's vivid accounts of Venice's constantly evolving cityscape, its architecture and its art... Few writers dare to cover the history of a single place over such an extended period. That Romano has done so is a gift. * John Jeffries Martin, Washington Post *
An impressive synthesis of Venice's political, economic, cultural and environmental history. * Revd Alexander Faludy, Catholic Herald *
Romano succeeds in offering fresh points of view-and telling us stories that often get overlooked, particularly about the less privileged members of Venetian society...The most important new element in this history is its attention to the poorer classes of Venice. Mr. Romano gives us surprisingly well-documented accounts of the lives of ordinary people, like oarsmen, prostitutes and bead-stringers...The book succeeds brilliantly in providing an exhaustive account not only of the commercial, political, military and environmental history of the city but also of the magnificent art, architecture, music and literature that it produced and inspired. * Gregory Dowling, Wall Street Journal *
The book is a long-awaited masterpiece...Romano...begins his book, an indispensable addition to the busy shelves of popular histories of the Serene Republic, in the fifth century and brings it all the way down to the present day, when the old city is being threatened by rampant gentrification and rampant climate change...This is the story of a city where men and women have worked and laughed and dreamed and coveted, and Romano's curiosity is so omnivorous that he delves into all of it. Most readers have absolutely no idea how fascinating Venice's history is in its blizzard of details; Romano's Venice narrates more of those details than any other one-volume book on the subject, everything from warships to glasswork, opera to Ottomans, and all of it built on a compendious bibliography. * Steve Donoghue, Open Letters Review *
A triumph ... This is contemporary historical writing of the highest quality: clear, entertaining and yet academically rigorous....This monumental chronicle should gradually replace its distinguished forerunner as the history of choice for readers in English who want to better understand Venice's rich past * The Economist *
[A] Masterpiece ... Romano's great achievement in this work is to draw out and splice the intricacies of these matters in an exceptionally readable work that is very difficult to put down. * Nicholas Morton, Englesberg Ideas *
Denis Romano's new work seeks to make the miracle comprehensible. It spans a vast temporal sweep: from descriptions of the Roman shore-side settlements which eventually coalesced into Venice to considering the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. The book's best chapters concern Venice's surging life as a sovereign republic and maritime empire in the High Middle Ages and Renaissance. * Alexander Faludy, Catholic Herald *
A worthy monument to the city, an exemplary work of scholarship and a precious resource for anyone who, like Wordsworth, has ever been enthralled by the charisma of Venice ... magnificent. * Larry Wolff, Times Literary Supplement *
While no history of Venice will ever be definitive, this book deserves a place as a trustworthy and comprehensive guide. * A.V. Coonin, Choice *
The book is more informative than poetic, written with a respectful earnestness and reliability. While no history of Venice will ever be definitive, this book deserves a place as a trustworthy and comprehensive guide. * Choice *