Genoa, 'La Superba'

'At last! An approachable and informative book about Genoa, one of the world's great cities, but sadly underrated and still one of Italy's best kept secrets. Read, explore, enjoy!' -- Andrew Graham-Dixon, art critic and broadcaster; 'Part lively history, part personal travelogue, Nicholas Walton writes with gusto of this quirkiest, least known and most authentic of Italian cities. He vividly conjures an extraordinary past populated by pirates, adventurers and eccentrics, its landscapes, its buildings, inhabitants, food and culture. This book's an invitation to go there straight away.' -- Roger Crowley, author of City of Fortune: How Venice Won and Lost a Naval Empire; 'A spirited evocation of Genoa medieval and modern, a city of agile businessmen, talented navigators and citizens with their eyes open to the world, but also a port with its fair share of pirates, pimps and profiteers. Genoa, 'La Superba' is not just a very pleasurable read - it also uncovers a city of beguiling beauty and genuine importance in the history of Europe, the Mediterranean and the world whose role has far too long been overshadowed by that of its great rival, Venice.' - David Abulafia, Professor of Mediterranean History, University of Cambridge