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  • Published: 16 September 2025
  • ISBN: 9781586424077
  • Imprint: Steerforth Press
  • Format: Paperback
  • Pages: 512
  • RRP: $44.99
Categories:

Sicily

Three Thousand Years of Human History





Take a tour through the Mediterranean’s largest island in this first and only history of Sicily for general readers—perfect for armchair travelers, history buffs, and anyone planning their next Italian vacation

Each chapter in this comprehensive, single-volume history offers a riveting stand-alone excursion

PLUS: Includes Sicily travel guide resources like 17 maps, pronunciation keys, and suggestions for further reading!

Take a tour through the Mediterranean’s largest island in this first and only history of Sicily for general readers—perfect for armchair travelers, history buffs, and anyone planning their next Italian vacation

Each chapter in this comprehensive, single-volume history offers a riveting stand-alone excursion

PLUS: Includes Sicily travel guide resources like 17 maps, pronunciation keys, and suggestions for further reading!


Discover the incredible island of Sicily, one of the world's most dynamic cultural crossroads, as you travel through time and explore the history of Italy. The history of human habitation of Sicily is so varied and fascinating that readers will be compelled to keep turning the pages of this accessible narrative to see what happens next.

Greeks, Romans, Jews, and Muslims have all left indelible legacies. Vandals, Goths, Byzantines, Normans, Hohenstaufens, Spaniards, Bourbons, and the Savoy Kingdom of Italy have all ruled the island.

The emigration of Sicilians to the US in the 19th and 20th centuries often overshadows the variety and importance of people who immigrated to the island through the centuries. The author called Sicily home for 7 years, and was inspired to research and write this book by the countless visitors who expressed a desire to be able to read a history of the island.

The book's narrative is supported with 17 maps, an appendix of historical statistics, a glossary with notes on Italian word endings, and a glossary of names.

  • Published: 16 September 2025
  • ISBN: 9781586424077
  • Imprint: Steerforth Press
  • Format: Paperback
  • Pages: 512
  • RRP: $44.99
Categories:

Praise for Sicily

Benjamin "delivers this fantastic island in all its kaleidoscopic variety. Although she takes us from pre-history to present day, the pace feels unhurried and the writing almost conversational." Providence Journal (A Best Book of the Year)

"Sicily has found itself involved in just about all the major events that have shaped Europe, Africa, and Asia over three millenia ... Benjammin recounts all this history in easy prose unencumbered by academic pretension, making this an ideal history for the nonsepcialist." Booklist

"In this engaging read, Benjamin ably explains the temperament and culture of modern-day Sicilians." Publishers Weekly

"A compact history of the Mediterranean's largest island, the most frequently conquered spot on earth. . . . A useful introduction to a portion of the world whose crowded history is not easily condensed." Kirkus Reviews

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