{"title":"Jamie Mackay","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eJamie Mackay\u003c\/strong\u003e offers a captivating exploration of history through richly detailed narratives that bring past events to life. His works, such as \u003cem\u003eThe Invention of Sicily\u003c\/em\u003e, delve into the complex interplay of culture, politics, and identity, providing readers with a nuanced understanding of historical moments.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eReaders drawn to \u003cem\u003eHistory \u0026amp; Military\u003c\/em\u003e will appreciate Mackay’s ability to weave compelling stories grounded in thorough research. His writing invites reflection on the forces that shape societies and the enduring legacies of history’s pivotal episodes.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"the-invention-of-sicily-by-jamie-mackay-9781786637734","title":"The Invention of Sicily","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSicily has always acted as a gateway between Europe and the rest of the world. Fought over by the Phoenicians and Greeks, the Romans, Goths and Byzantines, Arabs and Normans, Germans, Spanish and the French for thousands of years, Sicily became a unique melting pot where diverse traditions merged, producing a unique heritage and singular culture.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIn this fascinating account of the island from the earliest times to the present day, author and journalist Jamie Mackay leads us through this most elusive of places. From its pivotal position in the development of Greek and Roman mythology, and the beautiful remnants of both the Arab and Norman invasions, through to the rise of the bandits and the Cosa Nostra, \u003ci\u003eThe Invention of Sicily\u003c\/i\u003e is the perfect companion to the culture and history of Sicily.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eMackay weaves the political and social development of the island in with its fascinating cultural heritage—in doing so discussing how great works including Lampedusa's masterpiece \u003ci\u003eThe Leopard\u003c\/i\u003e and its film adaptation by Visconti, and the novels of Leonardo Sciascia, among many others, have both been shaped by Sicily's past, and continue to shape it into the present.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Allen \u0026 Unwin","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46850200502508,"sku":"9781786637734","price":45.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/2906383482824.jpg?v=1759080469"},{"product_id":"the-invention-of-sicily-by-jamie-mackay-9781786637741","title":"The Invention of Sicily","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSicily is at the crossroads of the Mediterranean, and for over 2000 years has been the gateway between Europe, Africa and the East. It has long been seen as the frontier between Western Civilization and the rest, but never definitively part of either. Despite being conquered by empires—Romans, Byzantines, Arabs, Normans, Hapsburg Spain—it remains uniquely apart. The island’s story maps a mosaic that mixes the story of myth and wars, maritime empires and reckless crusades, and a people who refuse to be ruled.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIn this riveting, rich history, Jamie Mackay peels away the layers of this most mysterious of islands. This story finds its origins in ancient myth but has been reinventing itself across centuries: in conquest and resistance. Inseparable from these political and social developments are the artefacts of the nation’s cultural patrimony—ancient amphitheatres, Arab gardens, Baroque Cathedrals, as well as great literature such as Giuseppe di Lampedusa’s masterpiece \u003ci\u003eThe Leopard\u003c\/i\u003e, and the novels and plays of Luigi Pirandello.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIn its modern era, Sicily has been the site of revolution, Cosa Nostra and, in the twenty-first century, the epicentre of the refugee crisis. \u003ci\u003eThe Invention of Sicily\u003c\/i\u003e is a dazzling introduction to the island, its history and its people.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Allen \u0026 Unwin","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47773168894188,"sku":"9781786637741","price":39.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/9781786637741-the-invention-of-sicily.jpg?v=1782184116"}],"url":"https:\/\/bookhero.pro\/collections\/jamie-mackay.oembed","provider":"Book Hero","version":"1.0","type":"link"}