Vol.8, No.2 | [Book Review] Genoa 'La Superba.' The Rise and Fall of a Merchant Pirate Superpower Nicholas Walton. London: Hurst and Company, 2015; pp. xx+218. ISBN 978-1849045124

Given the preponderance of works on the history of the more famous Italian cities and states, the publication of any book on Genoa is an event to be celebrated. There are precious few scholarly works on the city and its rich history in the English language and hardly any at all aimed at the broader, general reading public. Nicholas Walton’s recent volume, therefore, is a very welcome attempt to generate interest in the Ligurian city. While the author provides an accurate historical narrative and the reader will walk away with a fair idea of Genoa’s importance in Mediterranean history, this is not really a history book. It is an immensely readable, loving portrait of the complex, wonderful and at times bizarre place that is Genoa.

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