A History of Venice

Rating:
Summary: Don't leave home without it!
Review: I picked this book up in preparation for my first visit to Venice, and soon became enthralled with the unique and fascinating history of one of the most unusual cities to have ever flourished. I read this book with pleasure even while standing up on the train commuting. Lord Norwich writes with gusto about the enormous economic power of Venice, its entrepreneurial ventures, its home-grown political structure, the art and architecture, the special esprit that Venetians showed and the in-fighting among the various Italian city-states. Highly recommended for being both a very well written book and also covering some fascinating history. Will enhance a visit to Venice by a factor of 10

Rating:
Summary: very interesting book for beginners in venice history
Review: I think, that this book is very exact on Doge chronology, but there is no datas about expansion of Venetian empire. In book there is no history maps (except some land maps). But I think, that this book is very good for beginners in venetian history. For more informations, you must take another books. For example: In this book there is nothing exact about colonization of Corfu, but this information is availible in other book. But after all, this book is complete (but not very complete) collection of informations about life in medieval Venice.

Rating:
Summary: Great history, not a guide book....
Review: If I considered J.J. Norwich's A HISTORY OF VENICE a guidebook I would give it one star for effort. This is a history, and history buffs will love it. Someone enroute to Venice for a vacation might do better to pick up Steve Ricks latest book. (Besides, the book is heavy--even in paperback--and not designed to carry along in your suitcase). I bought the paperback, and I liked the book so much I went searching for a hard cover for my permanent library.

I have studied the thousand or so years of European history from 800 to 1800 via one reading experience or another (including Norwich's books on Byzantium) and the "value-added" of this book is that Norwich organizes the history of this period from a new perspective--that of the secular outsider Venice. Norwich either omits or downplays events I usually consider important milestones in European history. Againcourt is not mentioned, the sacking of Rome in 1525 receives two lines, and Henry the VIII is the son-in-law of the Spanish king.

On the other hand, Norwich describes the various military and/or trading alliances that included or excluded Venice (such as the disasterous League of Cambrai), and offers a new viewpoint on the Crusades. Venice had a ring-side seat since she served as a jumping off point to the Levant and her old Doge actually led the fourth crusade which mortally wounded Byzantium.

Venice mostly attempted to remain neutral when the European powers were engaged in internal fighting over religious or boundary issues. Even though a part of Europe, she was much more oriented toward the Mediterranean, Byzantium, and the Levant.

When the infidel Ottoman Turks invaded and captured various Christian areas, Venice carried the brunt of fighting alone. Using the Venitian perspective Norwich illuminates the cost of continued and endless European internal conflict. Europe ignored the infidel until it was almost too late. There were critical junctures over time when the steady advances of Islam might have been stopped before it overran Eastern Europe and created trouble spots that still exist today.

Norwich loves Venice, and is biased towards his love. As a good Englishman, he barely contains his dislike of Napoleon, the Ottoman Turks, and the various popes who "led" the church over the millenium--many of whom attacked Venice. I agree with Norwich, the Turks were absolute barbarians in spite of their perfumed bodies, but the sacking of Rome by Charles was not an act of kindness either.

Certainly Napoleon was not always on his best behavior, but I'm American and we sided with Napoleon and had our White House burned for the effort. Never mind, that's the fun of history, always trying to see the other fellow's point of view and I agree with Norwich, I wish Napoleon had left Venice alone and not exported his revolution to the old city.

Rating:
Summary: Great history, not a guide book....
Review: If I considered J.J. Norwich's A HISTORY OF VENICE a guidebook I would give it one star for effort. This is a history, and history buffs will love it. Someone enroute to Venice for a vacation might do better to pick up Steve Ricks latest book. (Besides, the book is heavy--even in paperback--and not designed to carry along in your suitcase). I bought the paperback, and I liked the book so much I went searching for a hard cover for my permanent library.

I have studied the thousand or so years of European history from 800 to 1800 via one reading experience or another (including Norwich's books on Byzantium) and the "value-added" of this book is that Norwich organizes the history of this period from a new perspective--that of the secular outsider Venice. Norwich either omits or downplays events I usually consider important milestones in European history. Againcourt is not mentioned, the sacking of Rome in 1525 receives two lines, and Henry the VIII is the son-in-law of the Spanish king.

On the other hand, Norwich describes the various military and/or trading alliances that included or excluded Venice (such as the disasterous League of Cambrai), and offers a new viewpoint on the Crusades. Venice had a ring-side seat since she served as a jumping off point to the Levant and her old Doge actually led the fourth crusade which mortally wounded Byzantium.

Venice mostly attempted to remain neutral when the European powers were engaged in internal fighting over religious or boundary issues. Even though a part of Europe, she was much more oriented toward the Mediterranean, Byzantium, and the Levant.

When the infidel Ottoman Turks invaded and captured various Christian areas, Venice carried the brunt of fighting alone. Using the Venitian perspective Norwich illuminates the cost of continued and endless European internal conflict. Europe ignored the infidel until it was almost too late. There were critical junctures over time when the steady advances of Islam might have been stopped before it overran Eastern Europe and created trouble spots that still exist today.

Norwich loves Venice, and is biased towards his love. As a good Englishman, he barely contains his dislike of Napoleon, the Ottoman Turks, and the various popes who "led" the church over the millenium--many of whom attacked Venice. I agree with Norwich, the Turks were absolute barbarians in spite of their perfumed bodies, but the sacking of Rome by Charles was not an act of kindness either.

Certainly Napoleon was not always on his best behavior, but I'm American and we sided with Napoleon and had our White House burned for the effort. Never mind, that's the fun of history, always trying to see the other fellow's point of view and I agree with Norwich, I wish Napoleon had left Venice alone and not exported his revolution to the old city.

Rating:
Summary: fascinating and fun
Review: Imagine sitting down one evening with an old friend who you know to be a great raconteur. "Listen," he says,"I want to tell you about Venice." And many hours later you leave, your head stuffed with images and stories, some apocryphal, but overall fascinating and informative. Thus Lord Norwich and his writings. Far from being a dull listing of events, he brings to life the delicate balancing between the Western and Eastern empires, the meteoric rise to power and its consequences, and the struggle to survive and govern fairly during the millenium or so that this republic survived. Worthwhile reading for the citizen of any republic, and great fun in the bargain. Addicts will turn to his chronicles of the Eastern (Byzantine) empire, as well as his histories of Norman Sicily. Fascinating reading about fascinating times.

Rating:
Summary: Scholarly history and a joy to read.
Review: Knowing little of Venetian history, I picked up this book with no particular expectations. I left it fascinated by Venice's unique place in Mediterranean and European history. Venice's history, like Venice itself, pulls together very different peoples and customs and makes of them something not quite describable in commonplace terms. I read this book anticipating a trip to Venice and am sure it will make all the difference in my appreciation of that city.

Rating:
Summary: An excellent and comprehensive study!
Review: Mr. Norwich has masterfully accomplished the rather difficult task of covering the history of the city-state, which exists in the crossroads between the eastern Mediterranean and Western Europe. The georaphic position is used by Mr. Norwich as a backdrop on which he richly paints the history of the city and its tremendous contributions to Western civilization -- economically (e.g. the invention of double-entry bookkeeping), artistically (painters like Titian, El Greco) and sociallly (the Venetian republic as a Renaissance forerunner in the development of modern democracies). The book is certanly the best single-volume discourse on Venetian history I have read, but what is more -- it's an excellent contribution to the study of the transition of Europe from ancient Rome to the Renaissance; a transition to which Venice has contributed more than we comonnly relize.

Rating:
Summary: Great
Review: Norwich is one of the most eloquent writers still working today. This huge history of the Venetian state is one of his best. He takes us through a wild narrative beginning with the late Roman period and ending with the surrender to Napoleon. Norwich's portrait of medieval Venice is magnificent. It is easy to forget that the situation in France, Britain, and Germany at this time was not the same situation in Italy, and that Venice was in a better situation than the rest of the peninsula. With this work we really get a sense of how magnificent medieval Venice was. Rivalled in Europe only by Constantinople and Cordoba. Norwich has often been accused of focusing too much on individual rulers in his histories. That is true of A History of Venice, but in this case it is a major benefit. The narrative becomes so personal and so exciting because of this narrow focus. This really is a great book, and anyone interested in medieval or Meditteranean history should definitely read it.

Rating:
Summary: Great
Review: Norwich is one of the most eloquent writers still working today. This huge history of the Venetian state is one of his best. He takes us through a wild narrative beginning with the late Roman period and ending with the surrender to Napoleon. Norwich's portrait of medieval Venice is magnificent. It is easy to forget that the situation in France, Britain, and Germany at this time was not the same situation in Italy, and that Venice was in a better situation than the rest of the peninsula. With this work we really get a sense of how magnificent medieval Venice was. Rivalled in Europe only by Constantinople and Cordoba. Norwich has often been accused of focusing too much on individual rulers in his histories. That is true of A History of Venice, but in this case it is a major benefit. The narrative becomes so personal and so exciting because of this narrow focus. This really is a great book, and anyone interested in medieval or Meditteranean history should definitely read it.

Rating:
Summary: A superb read
Review: Often, this book reads like a novel. There are the inevitable slow patches because the history of Venice, with periods of feverish action and decades of lassitude. Nevertheless, Mr. Norwich keeps the action moving along and presents the history of Venice in all its glory and vainglory. While Mr. Norwich clearly loves his subject, he does not permit his feelings to prejudice a fair and evenhanded treatment of the rise and fall of the Venetian Republic. I highly recommend this book to lovers of history and Italy.