Midnight in Sicily

A fascinating insight into Sicilian life . Very well written. Reading it is like having a conversation with a very erudite and knowledgeable friend. The superb mix of facts, anecdotes, myths and social and political history paints a picture of a troubled Island which for centuries has suffered at the hands of oppressors from the ancient Greeks to the modern Cosa Nostra. Some of the tales about the Cosa Nostra and it’s influence on Sicilian and Italian politics seemed so far fetched that I googled the facts to check their authenticity. Tragically for the country, it was all depressingly true. Highly recommend this book.

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.

For anyone who has ever set foot in Sicily, puzzled over Italy, travelled, enjoyed food, thought about life, or wondered how it all came to pass. A patchwork blanket of histories.

Peter Robb really knows whereof he speaks, which is no small feat; in fact, it was a giant feat to take so many strands (none of which ever lead singly to a tangible result in Italy ) and weave them together to create a whole that stands up to scrutiny... and organizes what is otherwise an incomprehensible jumble into what is sadly a portrait of an eternally-lame nation. Perhaps only a foreigner could do it this competently and empathetically.

Don't read this just before an election, or you'll be eyeing every candidate with even greater suspicion than usual. A long, complicated, horrifying look at how easy it is to completely corrupt a country, a religion, a government. All it takes is a lot of money and a lot of violence. It's a wonder the author can sleep soundly at night, because I'm sure there are plenty of people even here in Oz who would like to teach him a lesson.