"The inspiration of far too much pulpy entertainment, the Italian mobsters under John Dickie's miscroscope in Cosa Nostra have long cultivated outsiders' tendencies to romanticize their supposed honor and loyalty. But Dickie demonstrates definitively that the centuries-old mafia has never been more than an illegal business and shadow state pursuing 'power and money by cultivating the art of killing people.'"--The Washington Post
"His is the first truly definitive English-language study of this myth-laden subject, and it is a pleasure to read...his book is notable for shrewd judgments couched in language that is vibrantly memorable. His acquaintance with the island and his immersion in the wider modern Italian culture also allow him to convey the noxious atmo-sphere of corruption with flair."--Christopher Sylvester, The Sunday Times (London)
"A serious contribution to modern Italian history . . . it can be safely predicted that Dickie's book will be a sensation, not least because it has a dozen potential movies in it."--Clive James, Times Literary Supplement
"I couldn't put it down. His archival sleuthing is yoked to his powerful, often coruscating storytelling to create a chilling account of the mafia's sinister, horrific reality."--John Guy, The Sunday Times
"Absorbing . . . He succeeds in being both opinionated and precise and has performed a necessary work of rebranding."--Financial Times
"Vibrant, muscular and highly readable."--Clare Longrigg, Guardian
"Lucid . . . grimly readable."--Daily Telegraph
"A brave work."--Mail on Sunday
"Highly readable . . . compelling. The narrative is entertaining and, at times, as chilling as the darkest crime fiction. It combines compelling horror with clear, rational analysis."--Glasgow Herald
"Cosa Nostra overflows with wonderful vignettes about mafia codes of conduct . . . engrossing."--John Naughton, 0 Word
"A fascinating book. Cosa Nostra combines scholarship with a rip-roaring read."--Sunday Herald
"Monumental and gripping."--Andrew Marr, BBC Radio 4's Start the Week
The Italian-American mafia has its roots in a mysterious and powerful criminal network in Sicily. While the mythology of the mafia has been widely celebrated in American culture, the true origins of its rituals, laws, and methods have never actually been revealed. John Dickie uses startling new research to expose the secrets of the Sicilian mafia, providing a fascinating account that is more violent, frightening, and darkly comic than anything conceived in popular movies and novels. How did the Sicilian mafia begin? How did it achieve its powerful grip in Italy and America? How does it operate today? From the mafia's origins in the 1860s to its current tense relationship with the Berlusconi government, Cosa Nostra takes us to the inner sanctum where few have dared to go before. This is an important work of history and a revelation for anyone who ever wondered what it means to be "made" in the mob.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.