Via Garibaldi: On the Trail of Italy's Hero

A journey to cities and towns that were central to Garibaldi’s life – Genoa, Rome, Ravenna, Como, Marsala, Palermo, Naples, Turin, Venice, Florence and London. ''Jim Holden’s account of the life of the soldier-revolutionary vibrates with the author’s love of his adopted home, its art and architecture, its past and present, and its enduring reverence for the Hero of Two Worlds. Forza Garibaldi!'' ''The book is a hymn to Italy as an Englishman follows in the footsteps of the epic adventures of Giuseppe Garibaldi. Jim Holden has found a fresh and captivating way to look at Italy’s most charismatic hero – and explain to the English that Garibaldi is so much more than a biscuit.'' ''A touching portrait of the man and of the country which remains a confederacy of provinces rather than a nation. There is added value in the author’s view as a privileged outsider, peeping into a land that continues to dazzle all who visit, and reminding us that all nations have mythologies which do not always accord with facts.'' ''Here in Italy we were always told the scare story that communists ate babies. But nobody told me the British ate Garibaldi. Now, thanks to Jim Holden’s highly entertaining book, I discovered this and many other surprising untold tales about our national hero.'' Giuseppe Garibaldi is Italy’s greatest national hero, the man most responsible for creating the modern, unified country we know today. The unique idea of this book is to tell his incredible story by means of a journey to cities and towns that were central to Garibaldi’s life. The path across Italy follows in chronological order his actions, recounting his immense courage amid bloody battles, his often-turbulent private affairs, his clashes with authority that put him in jail several times. The book, however, begins in London, to which he travelled 160 years ago and was feted by an incredible half a million people on the streets around Trafalgar Square.''Via Garibaldi'' is for history lovers, travellers, Italophiles, and anyone who relishes an adventure story. It is an excellent companion for people going to Italy, providing insights and ideas far beyond the information in travel guides.

• | Author: Jim Holden
• | Publisher: Amberley Publishing
• | Publication Date: Jan 15, 2026
• | Number of Pages:
• | Language:
• | Binding: Hardback
• | ISBN-13: 9781398127180
• | ISBN-10: 1398127183