(^) AT WAR
ON THE
GOTHIC LINE^
Christian Jennings, Osprey
Publishing, £20 (hardback)
As the Allies stormed
through Normandy
in the late summer
of 1944, another
strategically vital but
little-known campaign
was being fought
across the mountains of
northern Italy. A huge
international army from a
dozen different countries
had to break through the
Gothic Line, a barrier
of German defensive
positions stretching
from the Adriatic to the
Mediterranean. It was
a pivotal campaign with many outcomes, including the downfall and
death of Mussolini and the liberation of southeastern Europe.
As a foreign correspondent for more than 20 years, Christian
Jennings is well-placed to bring this forgotten chapter of history to life.
His easy-to-read style never falters as he draws together the events of
the campaign in a fast-paced narrative, recounting the action through
recollections of the Allied, German and partisan forces.
(^) RENAISSANCE
ART IN VENICE
Tom Nichols, Laurence
King Publishing,
£19.95 (hardback)
Perhaps the most
important movement
in the entire history of
western civilisation,
the Renaissance
spanned the two
centuries from the
1400s to the 1600s
and ushered in a
new age of art and
architecture. Tom
Nichols looks at how
this intellectual and
creative revolution
infl uenced the artistic
culture in Venice, a
city more inclined
than most to hold onto the traditions of its medieval past. Looking at
Venetian art and architecture during that period, the author reveals,
in painstaking detail, the ways in which the values of the new wave
infl uenced the work of leading Venetian artists like Palladio, Titian
and Tintoretto, giving them license for astonishing artistic invention
in contrast with their city’s traditions. Richly illustrated with works of
the period, this book is a must for fans of Renaissance history.
This month’s book review round-up spans the
centuries, with an in-depth look at Renaissance art
in Venice, a key WWII military campaign and the
quest to bring real bread back to our tables
IN PRINT
SLOW DOUGH: REAL BREAD
Chris Young, Nourish Books, £20 (hardback)
You can’t have failed to notice that bread is all about the sourdough these
days, with the welcome return of artisan bakers to our high streets and
even online. There’s no doubt the fl avours and textures are superior to any
mass-produced fl uffy ‘sliced white’ and, with this in mind, author Chris
Young is a man on a mission to spread the word. And as coordinator of the
Real Bread Campaign, you know he means business.
In Slow Dough: Real Bread, Chris has gathered together an eclectic
and mouth-watering collection of bread recipes, as well as sweet and
savoury treats from artisan bakers around the country – not forgetting a
wealth of practical advice for getting started at home. From making your
fi rst sourdough starter and nailing fundamental breadmaking processes,
real bakers share their tried-and-tested secrets with you. A top read
with enticing photography, this book offers a fascinating insight on our
daily bread. Before you know it, you’ll be rustling up baguettes, brioche
doughnuts and sourdough pizzas in your own oven. If we’ve whetted your
appetite for more, you can look forward to four recipes from Slow Dough:
Real Bread in next month’s Italia! on sale from the 10th of November.
November 2016 ITALIA! 95
BOOK REVIEWS
IT144.BookReviews.sg5.indd 95 29/09/2016 15:30pm
nextflipdebug2
(nextflipdebug2)
#1