The Land of Italy

London: B.T. Batsford, 1953. Third Edition, Revised. hardcover. Book VG-: mild shelf wear to boards and spine, spine sunned and scuffed, name on title page, neat underlining at beginning of text, binding intact.. 8vo 264pp. from Introduction: "There are only two good reasons for going abroad. The first is for the satisfaction, during the journey, of pointing out the deficiencies of foreign countries as compared with one's own. The second is for the satisfaction, after returning home, of describing to less travelled acquaintances the unique attractions of the places one has seen. For such purposes few countries are better qualified than Italy. The almost total absence of warm beer, bar-parlours and drug-stores, the often dubious quality of the local spirits, and the universal ignorance of the laws of baseball and cricket would suffice, apart from any other shortcomings, to put the country outside the pale of Anglo-Saxon civilization. On the other hand, its orange trees, its volcanoes and its Greek temples are alone sufficient to deprive the long-suffering listener of any hope of emulating from a purely British or American background the experiences of an Italian tour. On these two themes, the limitations and the attractions of Italian travel, may be prefaced the introduction to the Land of Italy." #02452.