Buon anno

Happy New Year to everyone! May 2013 bring us all many opportunities to visit Venice. I'm starting the new year off right--I booked tickets for a May/June trip to Venice. Much more to follow on that...... Thanks to an Amazon gift card from my sister, I am reading a great history of Venice called Venice: A New History> by Thomas F. Madden. I don't know how many histories of Venice I have read, but Madden's book is special. From the opening words of the first chapter, I was hooked:

"No one forgets a first glimpse of Venice. Whether arriving by plane, boat, train, or car, there is that startling moment when one looks across the waves and finds what should not be there—stone towers, rich churches, and packed buildings rising up out of the sea. The extraordinary beauty of Venice only adds to its improbability. How does such a city exist? Who were the people who built it and why did they think it worth such unyielding efforts?"

The writing is excellent and entertaining. Madden really makes the history come alive. The author's page on Amazon.com says, "Thomas F. Madden is Professor of History and Director of the Center for Medieval and Renaissance Studies at Saint Louis University. He has appeared in such venues as The New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, USA Today, and The History Channel." P.S. I don't know Madden and didn't receive any compensation for this post. I am simply enjoying this book and wanted to tell you about it.