February 21, 2008 – 8:17 am
In case you missed it yesterday, WAMU-NPR’s Diane Rehm hosted a one-hour book talk on The Prince by Niccolo Machiavelli. If you need a refresher on this classic, want to hear new perspectives, or simply are interested in learning more about this “classic treatise on leadership and power,” you can download a free podcast of [...]
February 10, 2008 – 9:33 am
While my publishers would probably prefer that I not advertise for the competition, there’s no denying that Rick Steves is in a league of his own. Take for instance his superb audio guides to Italy, which are now available for free on iTunes. Since January, Steves has been posting audio tours of Rome’s landmarks, including [...]
December 5, 2007 – 8:45 am
Friends, Romans, countrymen…I’ve been wanting to study Latin for a very long time, but keep shifting it down on my list of priorities. This NY Times editorial from Harry Mount titled “A Vote for Latin” is a good argument for learning more about the classics and the language that spawned Italian.
Now, does anyone know of [...]
November 27, 2007 – 12:52 pm
Washington Post Book World reviewer Donna Rifkind today reviewed Jenny McPhee’s A Man of No Moon, a book “cloaked in the noir ambiance of postwar Italy.” Rifkind gives the plot and character development mediocre reviews. But, she also gives accolades to McPhee’s handling of Moon’s real protagonist: Italy.
“Foremost among those virtues is the novel’s rich [...]
August 15, 2007 – 3:31 am
A number of press releases come across our desk, most of them irrelevant to our interests or assignments. One that came over the wire today is about Anacapri: The Dream, a video game that takes place in Capri and Anacapri.
According to the release, the game requires that “you assume the role of an expert in [...]
Though this is a few weeks old, I thought I’d share this amusing take from the San Francisco Chronicle about drinking cappuccino in Italy after 11am. I admit, I am guilty on both counts: both urging readers not to order the frothy concoction “after hours” and ordering one for myself despite the common “wisdom.”
Many of [...]
Today’s tip from Fodor’s looks at the best driving tours in Italy. They include the Via Aurelia, the Grande Strade delle Dolomiti, and - my favorite - the S222 through Tuscany, also known as the Via Chiantigiana.
I’m certain there are more than just three drives in Italy that will make your jaws drop. Did you [...]
Thanks to historians, architects, archeologists and other scholars at the University of Virginia and UCLA, ancient history buffs can virtually explore the wonders of Rome, including the Colosseum and the Forum. Rome Reborn 1.0 is a digital model of Eternal City, and one of the most comprehensive representations of the ancient city ever assembled. The [...]
Here’s an easy way to use Google Maps to create your own interactive driving routes or walking tours. The website Wayfaring.com has done all the coding for you. All you have to do is locate your points on a map, give them descriptions, and you’re done. You can also connect waypoints to create routes.
In our [...]
It’s a fact that some of the greatest ever to play the game of baseball were of Italian origin: DiMaggio, Berra, Campanella, Rizzuto. But, Italian baseball? Who knew?
Apparently, the hotbed of Italian baseball is in Nettuno, not very far from Rome. According to ESPN, Nettuno and a few other Italian towns (e.g., Grosseto, Parma, Rimini) [...]
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