MIDNIGHT IN SICILY Paperback – January 1, 2015

Midnight in Sicily is a beautifully written exploration of the horrifying history and politics of Southern Italy from the post War years through to the mid nineties. It ties in some of Sicily's more ancient history too, to provide the needed background for the development of the society as it is today. Peter Robb lived in Naples for 14 years and spent a lot of time in Sicily researching this book. His inclusion of the works of local authors Scascia and Lampedusa and the art of Guttuso to help make sense of this story is inspired, as nowhere else but in fiction could we possibly come close to understanding the reality. The black and white photographs of Letizia Battaglia are the evidence backing up his tales (if you have not seen them, look them up as they are not shown physically in the book). Sometimes I had to put the book down for a day to digest the truth and the unbelievability of the truth. His reliance on court records and the writings of the magistrates makes the whole thing undeniable. This is a seriously disturbing book and makes one wonder how far the disease of Mafia style corruption has spread across the world.

If you didn't think you could ever call a history of the Cosa Nostra's brutal terrorism a fun read, try this book. The bombs, assassinations, extortion: it's all there. But also included are mouth-watering descriptions of the house seafood specialities of the restaurants where the kisses of death were exchanged. The author jumps around a lot, pulling together the facts and fictions of Sicilian political history and mixing it up with descriptions of the art and cuisine on the island. Once in a while he gets carried away and I had trouble following along. He also throws a lot of Italian names at you. I am generally unfamiliar with Italian and the names started to blur together after awhile. It doesn't really matter much in the end though, who blew up a particular bridge or politician, the m.o. of the cosa nostra comes through loud and clear.

This book is quite good at cataloging the atrocities of the Mafia and the corruption of Italian politicians--and not only Sicilian. However, in 2014 it is quite dated, ending its review around 1996. Lots has happened since then, and for that you will need to be updated. Robb is very thorough in his description of the complex relationships in the politics of Italy and Sicily, but the cast of characters is broad and requires a lot of backtracking to remember who is who. You will come away with a dark view of this stunningly beautiful island which, when visited, gives you a totally opposite opinion of the charm of its people, its inspriring landscapes, rich resort towns, and its awesome al dente pasta!

This is a detailed story of the post war Mafia in Sicily by a foreigner who lives the place and manages to bring an informed outsider's perspective to a forbidden subject. A very worthwhile read.A word of warning: I grew up in Italy in the1970s so I understood a lot of the Italian political references from that era. If Italy's Cold War political scheming is a mystery you might be confounded by parts of the narrative.I enjoyed it and am glad to have it in my library for a second read in the future.

Dense with detail. Peter Robb somehow keeps himself out of the story for the most part whilst all the time you know he has been very close to the source. As gripping as fiction and a wonderful primer for the stories and characters of an Italy that is frustrating, mysterious, stylish, violent and profound.

The author has met so many of the major players in the drama... the book seems a revelation of a personal diary. The intimate style adds greatly to the intrigue and drama that unfolds.

VERY GOOD

Interesting book. The writer has a gift for describing the markets and foods of Palermo. I read it while traveling through Sicily and it made a nice companion and gave me ideas for foods to try. His storytelling, however, is less polished. The story was disjointed and at times difficult to follow. All in all, it was an interesting, although tortured, read.