Italy

Have you ever wondered how to spot the best olive oil, or a dodgy Chianti Classico? or why the tower at Pisa leans? or what Da Vinci's 5 prophecies were for the human race? or why Michangelo hid a secret message into the fresco of the Sistine Chapel...then this is the book for you.

On a gondola in Venice? Why not see how Casanova won revenge over a love-rival, or why Mark Twain thought he'd found the world's greatest painting there. Dickens gives a lively description of Rome, DH Lawrence evokes the beauty of Sardinia and we've selected the choicest of Leonardo Da Vinci's thoughts on Life, Art and the Universe. Letters from Michaelangelo describe life at the Sistine Chapel, Dante's Divine Comedy is finally explained and from the Decameron, we've picked the best of his 100 short stories.

So wherever you find yourself, from the Boutiques of Milan to the traffic of Naples to a dilapidated Palazzo in Umbria, this book will have the perfect letter, essay or article from one of the World’s greatest writers.