Louis Mendola

This major work includes much info for hardcore academics but it’s also an enjoyable excursion for general (normal) readers. It’s certainly the most detailed book currently available on its subject in English. This is a truly informative history.

But it's much more than that. It has chapters on cuisine, poetry and language, and all kinds of topics and themes that won't be found in other general histories of southern Italy during this period. There are sections on religion, the economy, government and many other details. This is a great reference. I found it to be a very COMPLETE book with a very human angle that considers the lives of most people, not just clergy and the nobility. Its attention to women makes it highly exceptional in its field.

If I could recommend just one book on the Kingdom of Sicily from its earliest years until 1266, this would be it!… (mais)