In this lively and engaging history; Stephen Puleo tells the story of the Boston Italians from their earliest years; when a largely illiterate and impoverished people in a strange land recreated the bonds of village and region in the cramped quarters of the North End: Sicilians lived next to Sicilians; Avellinesi among Avellinesi; and so on.Focusing on this first and crucial Italian enclave in Boston; Puleo describes the experience of Boston's Italian immigrants as they battled poverty; illiteracy; and prejudice (Italians were lynched more often than members of any other ethnic group except African Americans); explains their transformation into Italian Americans during the Depression and World War II; and chronicles their rich history in Boston up to the present day. He tells much of the story from the perspective of the Italian leaders who guided and fought for their people's progress; reacquainting readers with pivotal historical figures like James V. Donnaruma; founder of the key North End newspaper La Gazetta (now the English-language Post Gazette) ; and politician George A. Scigliano. The book's final section is devoted to interviews with today's influential Boston Italian Americans; including Thomas M. Menino; the city's first Italian American mayor.The story of the Boston Italians is among America's most important; vibrant; and colorful sagas; and necessary reading for anyone seeking to understand the heritage of this ethnic group.
#518103 in Books 2010-01-01 2010-01-01Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 8.52 x .76 x 5.54l; .85 #File Name: 0807003115328 pages
Review
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Cold War Causes of Modern ProblemsBy BoboWell-written history of the Middle East during the Cold War. Khalidi finds in the struggle between the U.S. and U.S S.R.; many of the causes of present troubles in the Middle East. Cold War; and post-World War II (he highlights that war as an important event itself); concerns over strategic territory; resources and ideological competition; drove the actions of the superpowers.The results of foreign interventions; Khalidi argues; supporting insurrections; fixing elections; supplying weapons and building military bases; to name a few examples; resulted in increased interstate warfare; as well as the "undermining of democracy;" and the growth of authoritarian regimes.14 of 15 people found the following review helpful. A Revealing HistoryBy Kenneth Le AbeywickramaThis scholarly work by Prof. Khalidi offers a highly readable history of the Middle East by delving into the numerous historical events that shaped the current situation; presenting these events from the perspectives of the different protagonists and analysing their motives. The imperial aspirations of the big powers from the 19th century; their Cold War and post-Cold War rivalry; provide the background to their continuing influence in this region through their support for venal elites who run some of their client states. The imperial embrace of weak nations under various pretexts such as stability and democracy is often a kiss of death in the longer term. While countries in many other regions have been able to partially extricate themselves from big power politics; the Middle East remains an area big powers still control through client states governed mostly by the undemocratic rulers who rely on external support for their continuation in power. Western readers whose knowledge of the region is based on sanitised versions of world events by "TV experts" and political spin doctors will find this book disturbing.4 of 6 people found the following review helpful. Too much outside self-interested 'help'By C P SlaytonKhalidi takes a historical perspective on the Middle East and its crisis yet uses the lens of foreign involvement as the independent variable throughout. As a result he will leave some details in; others out; add a few interweaving points in order to claim that the U.S.; Russia; France and Britain among others have 'sown' the seeds of crisis.The argument holds water; especially in regards to the Cold War. However; this is not to ignore the fact that internal Arab disputes and their own 'cold war' and realism's hold on dictatorships have given them a few problems all their own. While the U.S. in the last decade has meddled greatly in Iraq and Afghanistan it cannot be said that all of the middle east is still a product of foreign meddling. The middle east is in the international economy and so is its oil. It was rudely introduced to realpolitik in the post WWI era and is becoming quite proficient in the skill today.It is possible to 'help' too much. Khalidi's description of Lebanon's over-dependence on foreign sources is thought-provoking at best. I don't think world powers are the only pieces of leverage that could extract a tight fisted dictator... then again on this day in summer 2011 my words our hindsight; Khalidi didn't see this coming.
