Venice Book Review

Venice, by Jan Morris
Recommend: 2/5
336 pages

The book is very well written, and the language is very evocative. Despite this, the book falls short of my expectations.

​I was expecting a history book I could read to learn about the history of Venice. Instead, the book reads like a travel guide.

Jan Morris doesn't write in clear historical terms: it isn't clear who is who, or how or why Venice was built. He barely mentions the Venetio-Byzantine conflicts or the war with the Turks.

Instead, he focuses on the beauty of the city and repetitively rehashes how fantastic Venice is. I've been to Venice twice and have seen pictures. I already know how magical the place is. What I still don't know is how the city was built, how it rose to power, and why it declined.

​I don't recommend this book to fellow history fans.