Norman Lewis – Napels ’44 (05-017)
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gerbieNorman Lewis – Napels ’44 (05-017)
Only 16 hours were enough to convince me that Naples is one of the greatest cities in the world. It made a huge impression on me, back in 1996 when I went there for a day. Hours and hours I walked the streets, alleys and stairs that make Naples this unique city.
A book about that city therefore automatically draws my attention, so I couldn’t just leave it lying around in the bookshop. On my visit to Sicily last month I took the book, I like appropriate literature when travelling.
Norman Lewis arrived in Napoli on September 8th, 1943 as a British soldier in a surrounding dominated by American forces. His task was translating and intelligence jobs, though soon he found out that in Naples nothing is as straight forward as it seems.
A bit over a year later, October 24th he leaves again. In the 13 months he has spent in Naples he gets to understand the culture, history, the camorra and much more. He has a huge pound of sources, though some of them are not exactly the way they seem at first. It is impossible to understand all information just by talking to these people. Former royalty, pretend money on one hand, prostitution and crime on the other hand, the ever present, yet impossible to decipher Camorra, Naples is a fascinating city.
Even though the book is written by a soldier in wartime, the further one reads in it, the more the book becomes an ode to a city that is fascinating for outsider, almost a travelogue, even though he doesn’t get to look like a tourist.
Very nice book, but I have to admit: I am prejudiced. Anyone with the same weak spot as me has an advantage. Lewis used it.
Number: 05-017
Title: Napels ‘44
Author: Norman Lewis
Language: Dutch (Orig.: English)
Year: 1978
# Pages: 224 (2908)
Category: Journal
ISBN: 90-450-0774-6
Only 16 hours were enough to convince me that Naples is one of the greatest cities in the world. It made a huge impression on me, back in 1996 when I went there for a day. Hours and hours I walked the streets, alleys and stairs that make Naples this unique city.
A book about that city therefore automatically draws my attention, so I couldn’t just leave it lying around in the bookshop. On my visit to Sicily last month I took the book, I like appropriate literature when travelling.
Norman Lewis arrived in Napoli on September 8th, 1943 as a British soldier in a surrounding dominated by American forces. His task was translating and intelligence jobs, though soon he found out that in Naples nothing is as straight forward as it seems.
A bit over a year later, October 24th he leaves again. In the 13 months he has spent in Naples he gets to understand the culture, history, the camorra and much more. He has a huge pound of sources, though some of them are not exactly the way they seem at first. It is impossible to understand all information just by talking to these people. Former royalty, pretend money on one hand, prostitution and crime on the other hand, the ever present, yet impossible to decipher Camorra, Naples is a fascinating city.
Even though the book is written by a soldier in wartime, the further one reads in it, the more the book becomes an ode to a city that is fascinating for outsider, almost a travelogue, even though he doesn’t get to look like a tourist.
Very nice book, but I have to admit: I am prejudiced. Anyone with the same weak spot as me has an advantage. Lewis used it.
Number: 05-017
Title: Napels ‘44
Author: Norman Lewis
Language: Dutch (Orig.: English)
Year: 1978
# Pages: 224 (2908)
Category: Journal
ISBN: 90-450-0774-6
