A History of Sardinia (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9798270784010)

Beyond the idyllic beaches and turquoise waters lies a miniature continent with a history as rugged and complex as its granite interior. This book embarks on a journey through five millennia of Sardinian history, beginning long before the written word with the enigmatic Nuragic civilization. Discover the story of the ancient people who built thousands of silent stone towers, or nuraghi, that still dominate the landscape, and explore their sophisticated culture that thrived for centuries before the great empires of the Mediterranean turned their eyes toward the island's rich resources.

Sardinia's strategic position at the heart of the Mediterranean made it an unavoidable prize for any power seeking to control the sea. This narrative charts the long succession of conquests that defined the island's destiny, from the Phoenician traders who established its first cities to the imperial ambitions of Carthage and Rome. After the fall of the empire, the island endured occupations by Vandals and Byzantines before experiencing a remarkable and unique chapter of self-governance in the four independent medieval kingdoms known as the Judicates. This flourishing of indigenous rule was a prelude to a new era of foreign domination, as the island became a battleground for Pisa and Genoa, and ultimately fell to a Catalan-Aragonese conquest that initiated four centuries of Spanish rule.

The story then traces Sardinia's transfer to the House of Savoy, a move that placed the island at the center of the unlikely kingdom that would forge the unification of Italy. Explore the profound social and economic transformations of the 19th and 20th centuries, from the violent struggles over land and the rise of banditry that created the "Sardinian Question," to the immense, bloody sacrifice of the Sassari Brigade in the First World War. Witness the island's dramatic reshaping under the Fascist regime, the devastation of the Second World War, the heroic post-war battle against malaria, and the ambitious but flawed "Rebirth" plans that sought to catapult a pre-modern society into the industrial age.

This comprehensive history brings the island's story into the 21st century, examining the explosive rise of tourism with the creation of the Costa Smeralda, the political turmoil and kidnappings of the "Years of Lead," and the modern autonomist movements fighting to preserve the island's unique identity. It delves into the contemporary challenges of globalization, depopulation, and environmental conservation, offering a complete and compelling portrait of a fiercely independent people. Discover the enduring power of Sardinian culture, from its ancient language-the closest living descendant of Latin-to its haunting polyphonic music and its stark, powerful festivals that seem to emerge from a forgotten prehistoric world. This is the definitive story of an island that, against all odds, has always remained stubbornly, and uniquely, itself.