Sublime yet exasperating, Italy is a country of riddles. How can a culture that gave us the Renaissance have produced the Mafia? Why does a nation of strong family affiliations have one of the world's lowest birth rates? And what made a people so concerned with bella figura- with what others think of them - choose Silvio Berlusconi as their leader, not just once but three times? John Hooper has spent many years living in Italy, reporting for The Economist and theGuardian. His new book is a delightfully entertaining and perceptive analysis of an exceptional nation. It is the ideal companion for anyone seeking to understand the Italians. Digging deep into their culture, religion and a history even more violent than is generally realized, Hooper offers keys to understanding everything from the Italians' love of life and beauty to their reluctance to use dishwashers. Looking at the facts that lie behind - and often belie - the stereotypes, he sheds new light on many aspects of Italian life- football and Freemasonry, sex, symbolism and why Italian has twelve words for a coat hanger, yet none for a hangover. Italy has been a unified state for barely 150 years and its unity is often depicted as fragile, not least by Italians, who are usually keener to stress their diversity than the elements they have in common. Yet, as Hooper notes, separatism is almost non-existent, regional linguistic differences are fading and the disparity between north and south is not as great or exceptional as claimed. He argues that in these and other unremarked ways Italy is a more cohesive and robust nation than the Italians themselves believe. Praise for John Hooper's The New Spaniards'Everyone with an interest in Spain, and its future in our shrinking world, should read this book.' The Times'Hooper . . . not only knows where Spain has been in recent decades and centuries, but he also has an impressively authoritative view of where exactly it is today and where it is headed.' Washington Post'Hooper's judgements are sound and informed; his comments on national idiosyncrasies sharp.' Sir Raymond Carr

Alan Rhode