Naples Declared: A Walk Around the Bay

A lively, elegantly concise historic tour of Italy's city by the bay

An invaluable addition to the art of literary travel writing, Naples Declared presents an informative and compulsively readable account of three thousand years of Naples history. From the catacombs of San Gennaro to the luminous paintings of Caravaggio to the ruins of Pompeii in nearby Campania, renowned author Benjamin Taylor takes readers on a stroll around the city Italians lovingly call Il Cratere. Gracefully written and full of good humor, wisdom, and amusing anecdotes, Naples Declared is a wholly original work that will be welcomed by anyone seeking to know more about the art, culture, and history of this fabled place.

Benjamin Taylor is the author of two acclaimed novels--The Book of Getting Even and Tales Out of School--and the editor of Saul Bellow: Letters. He lives in New York City.