Enlightenment, or lack of it

It never ceases to amaze me to realise how some people can use so many words to say so little. As you know I've finished reading the main part of my Italian guidebook. There is an appendix at the end, a potted history, some 5 pages of it. So, last night I thought I'd read this. My knowledge of Italian history is sketchy & I thought a bit of enlightenment would help my appreciation of what we are about to see.

Enlightenment was not forthcoming. Instead it seems to be list of the various dominant people in the area - Greeks, Etruscans, Sannites, Romans, Angevins etc etc - from 4000BC. It didn't bother to tell you anything much about what the people did apart from conquer one another, what they brought to the civilisation of the area, their contribution to the arts & architecture. No nothing as useful as that. I'm left feeling no wiser. Instead I'll just have to rake up from the depths of my mind my memories of the Greek & Roman Empires & their culture (Ancient Greek O Level & Latin O & A level). My more recent Italian history comes to Renaissance Italy (History A level) & the events of the Second World War (History O level). Since it is now some 35-40 years since I did these courses, my memory is a little rusty to say the least. And certainly it leaves vast gaps in time unexplained.

I suspect if I wrote all I could remember I doubt it would cover 5 pages but at least there would be some information to grasp hold of, unlike in this book. And I'd sought enlightenment! What a waste of time that was.