A History of Venice

Mr. Norwich has masterfully accomplished the rather difficult task of covering the history of the city-state, which exists in the crossroads between the eastern Mediterranean and Western Europe. The georaphic position is used by Mr. Norwich as a backdrop on which he richly paints the history of the city and its tremendous contributions to Western civilization -- economically (e.g. the invention of double-entry bookkeeping), artistically (painters like Titian, El Greco) and sociallly (the Venetian republic as a Renaissance forerunner in the development of modern democracies). The book is certanly the best single-volume discourse on Venetian history I have read, but what is more -- it's an excellent contribution to the study of the transition of Europe from ancient Rome to the Renaissance; a transition to which Venice has contributed more than we comonnly relize.

Norwich is one of the most eloquent writers still working today. This huge history of the Venetian state is one of his best. He takes us through a wild narrative beginning with the late Roman period and ending with the surrender to Napoleon. Norwich's portrait of medieval Venice is magnificent. It is easy to forget that the situation in France, Britain, and Germany at this time was not the same situation in Italy, and that Venice was in a better situation than the rest of the peninsula. With this work we really get a sense of how magnificent medieval Venice was. Rivalled in Europe only by Constantinople and Cordoba. Norwich has often been accused of focusing too much on individual rulers in his histories. That is true of A History of Venice, but in this case it is a major benefit. The narrative becomes so personal and so exciting because of this narrow focus. This really is a great book, and anyone interested in medieval or Meditteranean history should definitely read it.

As with every writer to visit the City of St. Mark, Norwich is totally and utterly seduced by Venice, and through the medium of his marvelous prose, the sensation is infectious. We learn about the formation of the lagoon city late in the first millenium, its link-up with (and later betrayal of) Byzantium, its many wars with Genoa and Turkey, its weird Renaissance diplomacy, its last centuries of sunlight and their brutal extinguishment by Napoleon. Not only a fine work of Venetian history; a comprehensive picture too of broader Mediterranean policics, especially that of Greece, Cyprus, Dalmatia and Crete.

Quick, name one famous leader or military hero associated with the thousand-year history of the Republic of Venice. (Sorry: writers and painters don't count.) Now imagine that you are writing a 600+ page history of Venice. How do you make it a page-turner without recourse to biography? Can it be done?It seems that John Julius Norwich has done it, and with flying colors. I had originally planned to read the history in small driblets, a chapter at a time to keep my interest from flagging. I was delighted to find that my interest was engaged from the very first and remained so until Napoleon Bonaparte demonstrated to the world during his Italian campaign that the Republic could be had. Before the young emperor-to-be doused the lights, Venice had had a glorious run. Here was a country that began as a naval and mercantile power. Turning its back on the Italian mainland, Venice looked to the east. Its merchants spread out through the Eastern Mediterranean and as far as the Black Sea -- and sometimes, as in the case of Marco Polo -- much farther. While mainland Italy was mired in an endless struggle between the Guelphs and the Ghibellines, Venice strived to live at peace with its neighbors. For several hundred years, it even lived at peace with the Turk -- to the extent of scuttling a Crusade or two when it felt its interests were better served elsewhere. Only when the resurgent Ottomans under Mehmet II and his descendants became an effective sea power in the 15th century did Venice have to look across its moat to the Italian mainland.When the Turk cut off its colonies in the East, Venice engaged in a brief career of conquest in Northern Italy with mixed results. Much more successful was its strength at diplomacy, for which it became famous. Curiously, reading this book puts the confusing history of Italy as a whole into sharper perspective if only because seen from a stable point of view. While the papacy and the city states were pulled apart or compacted like silly putty, based on the personalities and issues du jour, Venice stood serenely above the fray. What it lost on the battlefield, it won by sharp dealing. It seemed invincible ... until Napoleon entered the scene.Norwich shows us all the pomp and pageantry, the masks and mummery, the octogenarian Doges and the Councils of 10, the Zontas, and all the intricate paraphernalia of Venetian governance. Instead of palling, the book could have gone on for another 600 pages before I ceased to be mesmerized. This is a great book, and Norwich is a great historian.

I picked this book up in preparation for my first visit to Venice, and soon became enthralled with the unique and fascinating history of one of the most unusual cities to have ever flourished. I read this book with pleasure even while standing up on the train commuting. Lord Norwich writes with gusto about the enormous economic power of Venice, its entrepreneurial ventures, its home-grown political structure, the art and architecture, the special esprit that Venetians showed and the in-fighting among the various Italian city-states. Highly recommended for being both a very well written book and also covering some fascinating history. Will enhance a visit to Venice by a factor of 10