<< 1 >>
Rating: 
Summary: A long-lost masterpiece.
Review: Eighteenth-century Naples, like fifteenth-century Burgundy, was a small but culturally important state. Under Charles III and his son Ferdinand the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies was a center of art and a tourist attraction that drew many Englishmen on the "Grand Tour". Harold Acton (a relation of Sir John Acton?) made good use of the rich archives of Naples and Sicily as well as the memoirs of Sir William Hamilton, Giacomo Casanova and other contemporaries to evoke the spirit of the age. I only hope the Prion will see fit to reissue Acton's "The Last Bourbons", which covers Neapolitan history from 1825 to the unification of Italy in 1861.
Rating:
Summary: A long-lost masterpiece.
Review: Eighteenth-century Naples, like fifteenth-century Burgundy, was a small but culturally important state. Under Charles III and his son Ferdinand the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies was a center of art and a tourist attraction that drew many Englishmen on the "Grand Tour". Harold Acton (a relation of Sir John Acton?) made good use of the rich archives of Naples and Sicily as well as the memoirs of Sir William Hamilton, Giacomo Casanova and other contemporaries to evoke the spirit of the age. I only hope the Prion will see fit to reissue Acton's "The Last Bourbons", which covers Neapolitan history from 1825 to the unification of Italy in 1861.
Rating:
Summary: A Grand Tour With a Master Historian
Review: Every once in a blue moon, one comes across an unexpectedly great work of history that takes your breath away. In addition, THE BOURBONS OF NAPLES was written by a descendent of one of the major players, Sir John Acton, and of that Lord Acton who said "Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely." This work was therefore also an exercise in family history for Harold Acton.When you conjure up a picture of Naples in the 18th century, what comes to mind is the Grand Tour -- that endless stream of well-to-do English and other Europeans (including Goethe) who considered their upbringing incomplete until they had seen the classical art treasures of Italy, wondered at the magnificence of Vesuvius, and tasted of the fleshpots of Naples. There, they partied with complaisant British consul Sir William Hamilton and his delectable wife Emma (later associated with Horatio Nelson). The time period covered by the book encompasses the reigns of Charles III and Ferdinand I (or III or IV, depending on whether you are referring to him as King of the Two Sicilies, Sicily, or Naples). Ferdinand was married to Maria Carolina, daughter of the Austrian empress Maria Theresa, sister of Marie Antoinette and grandmother of Napoleon's second wife Marie-Louise. While something of a grand scale manipulator, Maria Carolina pretty much ran the kingdom (into the ground) while Ferdinand spent his time hunting wild boar with cronies. Yet, thanks to the British fleet and Austrian army, she managed to hold on to her throne and write agonized letters to every crowned head in Europe until she proved too much for one British emissary, who packed her away to Vienna with her husband's permission. The vicissitudes of the Bourbon monarchy in Italy make for fascinating reading. It had twice as many lives as a cat and even managed to survive the threats posed by the French Revolution and Napoleon -- but just barely.
Rating:
Summary: Great book !
Review: Mr. Acton relates almost a century of Neapolitan history (1730 to 1825). A large part of the text is made of original letters written by contemporaries, which makes it very vivid. The book covers life at the court of the Two-Sicilies, from the most trivial incidents of everyday life through to major political events, the discovery of Pompei and Herculanum, artistic life, war against the French... Characters include Minister Acton, Nelson, British Ambassador Hamilton, Metternich, King Joachim Murat, Queen Maria Carolina, Lazzarone King Ferdinand, Abbé Galiani, Napoleon Bonaparte and many more. Very good book, despite the Anti-French feelings of most of the protagonists :-) (not surprising, given that Neapolitan Minister Acton was an Englishman and hated the French).
Rating: 
Summary: Back in Print at last
Review: This book is a lost gem and now is thankfully back in print. The author, Harold Acton appears as Anthony Blanche in Waugh's BRIDESHEAD REVISTED (where he is portayed somewhat unfairly as a fop). The Bourbons of Naples, unlike the Bourbons of Spain or France, did not have the same magnificent reputation as their more famous cousins. The best of the lot, Charles, later Charles III, the king of Spain, left an significant mark on Naples, building the city's famous opera house (he frequently dozed off during performances when he could be bothered to attend. The rest of members of the family are fine targets for Acton's wit. And what a cancas he has to paint his scenes of regal decay. King Fedinand was described as "Although an ugly prince, he is not repulsive...at least he does not stink." The 18th century was, as it was for all the Bourbons, a good one for the Naples branch. However, the 19th ultimately proved to be the dynasty's ruin. The Bourbons could not cope with the rising tide of Italian nationalism. This books shows how they ulitmately failed.
<< 1 >>
|
