Il titolo di questo intenso romanzo storico; ambientato nel XV secolo; racchiude un gioco di parole: da un lato si indica la corsa intesa come attivitagrave; corsara verso i navigli levantini esercitata dallrsquo;ordine dei cavalieri di S. Giovanni; dallrsquo;altro; si riferisce alla corsa disperata del protagonista; il masnadiere Filippo Corsi; volta allrsquo;inseguimento dei pirati moreschi rapitori di Elena; sua moglie.Corsa a Levante egrave; un mosaico variegato in cui srsquo;incontrano avventura; romanticismo; amicizia e storia.Uno dei perni egrave; la difficile convivenza tra popoli di diversa cultura e religione; un tema che; nonostante i secoli che ci separano dalle vicende narrate; appare ancor piugrave; attuale alla luce della contemporanea contrapposizione ideologica (e non solo) tra oriente ed occidente. Cosigrave; come allora; quando gli interessi politici; religiosi e economici andavano a braccetto a discapito di popoli liberi e desiderosi di una pace sacrosanta ed universale.laquo; Non fui io a portarvi la libertagrave;; ma la trovai qui; in mezzo a voi! raquo;Frase attribuita allrsquo;eroe albanese Giorgio Castriota Scanderbeg
2014-01-13 2014-01-13File Name: B00HUFHC04
Review
8 of 10 people found the following review helpful. Rationalizing sprawl and rejecting progressive thoughtBy Junius GunaratneAnyone who embraces a progressive stance towards urban development is likely to strongly disagree with the fundamental premise of this book. Bruegmann claims that sprawl is inevitable and changing policy will do little to truly curb suburban development over time. As societies become more affluent; people demand more space and move away from a citys core. Whether a citys population density is high or low; it will ultimately reach an equilibrium point that humans tend to prefer. While Bruegmanns arguments are strong and well supported; fundamentally the problem with his interpretation of sprawl is its too broad. He considers any development outside of a city to be sprawl -- loosely based on population density. Development outside of Houston is considered the same as that outside of Paris or Portland.Bruegmann discusses at length several cities natural inclinations towards sprawl. London serves as the historical archetype that failed to stop sprawl despite various development restrictions through the centuries. Portland; Oregon is the modern day archetype; which Bruegmann also claims has failed in its efforts to curb sprawl. Portlands urban growth ring has driven sprawl to smaller surrounding communities and across state lines into Washington state.This book is well written and the author is relatively straightforward in his dialog. The author claims he takes a neutral stance on debated issues in urban development; but to anyone who is familiar with Jane Jacobs or new urbanism; Bruegmann could easily be construed as being pro-sprawl. Bruegmann spends little time questioning the sustainability of sprawl -- and his book predates the recent spikes in oil prices; which alone would bring into question his reasoning. That said; I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in urban studies. Its great to see someone articulate points that counter conventionally accepted progressive thinking in the field.0 of 2 people found the following review helpful. This is not another book of "urban intellectuals bashing the burbs" p. 7By M. HeissNice production values for this book. The cover materials and paper feel good while you read it.The concept of "sprawl" is class-based and rests on narrow minded assumptions about the "correct" way to live. What drives the anti-sprawl activists is aesthetics.Sprawl is not recent (high density sprawl is the great urban evil since ancient Babylon and China.) This section includes a nice density gradient chart of London over time (p. 19); a good map of 1700s Paris (Versailles and surroundings were "sprawl"); and includes early industrial Americans (H D Thoreau and John Muir were ex-urban sprawlers.) The author successfully shows that gentrification always follows sprawl in a predictable; cyclical way.Sprawl is not particularly American. Most large cities in the world follow similar patterns of development and growth.Sprawl is not caused by greed; but by a normal human longing for privacy; mobility; and choice.For anti-sprawl activists; the problem is their ethnocentrism. For them; the real problem is change itself. Their aesthetic concerns are supposed to trump the natural human tendency to get away from the crowds; crime; and communists that infest the cities. Breugmann also demonstrates the anti-suburban orientation of most social science. Anti-sprawl is anti-change; and it is pro-privilege.Government agencies dont plan well. (p. 158) And the environmental movement is a scam to corral the population and control them. The book points out the self-interest of the "anti-sprawlers"; who consider sprawl to be what "other people" do. They seek the beauty of being surrounded by lots of open; green space without having to purchase it. They seek to limit evelopment that might increase the use of the roads and infrastructure leading to their neighborhoods. The seek to limit the housing supply in their area; which has the natural efect of raising their own home values.Sprawl benefits many; if not most; people (p. 164). Read this book to find out how.5 of 12 people found the following review helpful. Excellent Urban History and SociologyBy George H. ConklinEven Queen Elizabeth I (in the 1600s) was against sprawl; but the authorshows that without a doubt all cities have been growing (sprawling) eversince as populations concentrate in fewer and fewer areas. The history ofanti-sprawl movements is detailed and the author shows that currentanti-sprawl movements use the same vocabulary and even words that wereused 100 + years ago to describe what is now fashionable areas of Londonheld up a models of good growth today (but not then). Both Europe and theUnited States have remarkably similar urban growth patterns. This isexcellent history; sociology and urban studies material.
