Rating: 
Summary: An anecdotal view of Italy
Review: A book about Italians or about one's prejudices about Italians? In the tradition of Victorian visitors to Italy, whose books say more about the authors' prejudices than about the topics at hand, Barzini's account tells us about his own, middle class Italian, prejudices toward the rest of the country. He has more information available, of course, than a foreigner can ever have, but his account is basically anecdotal at best, and often forces the facts he does report to fit his preconceived points of view. When he writes about the southern problem, for instance, he has to disregard many of the facts he himself includes (and the many more he doesn't include, of course) to conclude, appallingly, that it is all a 'mentality' problem. In conclusion, it can be an interesting reading for people already very familiar with Italy and Italians, as they will be able to spot the many inconsistencies, while at the same time enjoying the anecdotes, some of them pretty entertaining. If you know nothing about Italy, this is a very misleading, personal, and somewhat prejudiced view of Italy on the whole, which will not help you to know better nor Italy nor her people.
Rating: 
Summary: A dated work...needs updating.
Review: As other reviewers have said, the work is a bit dated, and I wish there was something comparable that I know of, and could read. I also wish I read this book after my trip to Italy, rather than as a means of preparation for it. One needs to experience Italy first, and experience it deeply before one can really get all that Barzini has to offer. The book could have been more tightly written, each chapter takes off in a different direction, and I would opt for a definite objective for the book with more streamlining. I would have hoped that, by 1964, Calabria would have been more spoken about. My mother's parents came from there, as did many "mezzogiorno" who did not benefit from the "risorgimento". I don't think this was dealt with sufficiently in the chapter on the "Mezzogiorno Problem". Who was Barzini's audience?
On the other hand much of the information is enlightening. And some of it is entertaining. His conclusions are worth reading. But go experience the country for the summer first, and then come back and read this work.
Rating: 
Summary: Scholarship and humor enhance our understanding of Italians
Review: Barzini combines scholarship and humor to enhance our understanding of the ethnic/cultural group that has produced some of the world's great writers, thinkers, industrialists, scientists and artists, aka the saints and sinners. His subject matter is matched only by his writing in terms of complexity and style. Barzini is both mirror and artist, he provides images that are both as accurate as one can hope to experience and distorted by his love of his subject. In the end, I was greatly entertained and educated. An immensely enjoyable read.
Rating: 
Summary: An entertaining, informative, and opinionated portrait
Review: Barzini states in the first sentence of his preface that this book is not a scientific study of Italy and the Italians.Rather, it is one man's entertaining look at a nation, the historical events that have shaped it, and its people, who have contributed so much to the world, despite their shortcomings. The only reason that I can't give The Italians five stars is that Barzini's writing is at times as baroque as the country he describes. Still, if you're interested in learning more about Italy, you should read this book.
Rating:
Summary: An entertaining, informative, and opinionated portrait
Review: Barzini states in the first sentence of his preface that this book is not a scientific study of Italy and the Italians. Rather, it is one man's entertaining look at a nation, the historical events that have shaped it, and its people, who have contributed so much to the world, despite their shortcomings. The only reason that I can't give The Italians five stars is that Barzini's writing is at times as baroque as the country he describes. Still, if you're interested in learning more about Italy, you should read this book.
Rating:
Summary: Elegantly written yet dated
Review: First, I would compliment Jim Paris' intelligent review. Mr. Paris leaves me little to add. What Mr. Barzini did not foresee was the radical changes the last forty years would have on Italian culture. Divorce would never be acceptable to the Italian people, writes Barzini confidentally. Yet only a few years after this book came out, divorce was legalized in Italy. Mr. Barzini must have really be perplexed when the next level of cultural degeneration was achieved- abortion rights. Writing in the Italy of circa-1960, Mr. Barzini must not have thought the concept of abortion would ever be a part of Italian life. Yet abortion became commonplace in Italy within Mr. Barzini's lifetime. He must of felt a foreigner in his own land that he so much loved.
Rating:
Summary: Elegantly written yet dated
Review: First, I would compliment Jim Paris' intelligent review. Mr. Paris leaves me little to add. What Mr. Barzini did not foresee was the radical changes the last forty years would have on Italian culture. Divorce would never be acceptable to the Italian people, writes Barzini confidentally. Yet only a few years after this book came out, divorce was legalized in Italy. Mr. Barzini must have really be perplexed when the next level of cultural degeneration was achieved- abortion rights. Writing in the Italy of circa-1960, Mr. Barzini must not have thought the concept of abortion would ever be a part of Italian life. Yet abortion became commonplace in Italy within Mr. Barzini's lifetime. He must of felt a foreigner in his own land that he so much loved.
Rating:
Summary: A Remarkable Failure
Review: I began reading this book expecting not much more than a decent, informative summer read. What I found was an always passionate, but not always on-target study of the Italian people by one of their own. While not all books on national character on worth reading, this one has merit. Instead of looking at THE ITALIANS as a cohesive book, which it is not, I suggest you take it as a series of chapters -- some brilliant and right on the mark, others overstating a simple truism. In the former category, we have the two brilliant chapters at the end on Italian history after the defeat at Fornovo in 1495, and how foreign intervention led to the development of the Baroque in art, music, and life. Less effective are the chapters on Italian family life and how to succeed in Italy without half trying. Barzini was dumbfounded at how the world was (and apparently still is) beating a path to Italy without understanding what every Italian knows. He asks, "Why did Italy, a land notoriously teeming with vigorous, wide-awake and intelligent people always behave so feebly? Why was she invaded, ravaged, sacked, humiliated in every century, and yet failed to do the simple things necessary to defend herself?" THE ITALIANS does not answer these questions; but the fact that it posits them and comes close to answering them makes it a remarkable failure. I believe this book has been more or less continuously in print for 36 years, and with good reason. Italy may seem at times like the animated, gaily-bedizened clown from the commedia dell'arte; but in reality, she is more like the tragic clown Pagliacci from Leoncavallo's opera, who, cruelly traduced, forces himself to laugh through his tears.
Rating:
Summary: A Remarkable Failure
Review: I began reading this book expecting not much more than a decent, informative summer read. What I found was an always passionate, but not always on-target study of the Italian people by one of their own. While not all books on national character on worth reading, this one has merit. Instead of looking at THE ITALIANS as a cohesive book, which it is not, I suggest you take it as a series of chapters -- some brilliant and right on the mark, others overstating a simple truism. In the former category, we have the two brilliant chapters at the end on Italian history after the defeat at Fornovo in 1495, and how foreign intervention led to the development of the Baroque in art, music, and life. Less effective are the chapters on Italian family life and how to succeed in Italy without half trying. Barzini was dumbfounded at how the world was (and apparently still is) beating a path to Italy without understanding what every Italian knows. He asks, "Why did Italy, a land notoriously teeming with vigorous, wide-awake and intelligent people always behave so feebly? Why was she invaded, ravaged, sacked, humiliated in every century, and yet failed to do the simple things necessary to defend herself?" THE ITALIANS does not answer these questions; but the fact that it posits them and comes close to answering them makes it a remarkable failure. I believe this book has been more or less continuously in print for 36 years, and with good reason. Italy may seem at times like the animated, gaily-bedizened clown from the commedia dell'arte; but in reality, she is more like the tragic clown Pagliacci from Leoncavallo's opera, who, cruelly traduced, forces himself to laugh through his tears.
Rating:
Summary: Well written book about the Italian people
Review: I enjoyed the book, The Italians. Eventhough Barzini was a newspaper journalist, it seems he was in the business of writing about the social sciences. While reading this book, it dawned on me that many of Barzini's theories and precepts are nothing more than ideas. Of course, Barzini was Italian and I am sure many of his conclusions are accurate. However, some of this book has to be taken with a "grain of salt". Barzini, educated at Columbia University, has a witty and thorough style of writing. He makes this book very easy to read and enjoyable. I recommend this book to anyone looking to understand the makeup of the Italian people. It's important to keep one thing in mind before reading this book, it was not written by a sociologist - but by a journalist.
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