John Dickie

For 150 years, the world's most notorious criminal fraternity controlled Sicily through ruthless and systematic extortion and murder. The Sicilian mafia, Cosa Nostra, once seemed invincible. Now, thanks to the heroic sacrifice of police and public prosecutors, it is trapped in a death spiral. In Twilight of the Godfathers, acclaimed historian John Dickie deploys shrewd historical detective work and vivid testimonies from both sides in the war to tell the thrilling inside story of how the Sicilian mafia was humbled. How the mightiest bosses have been hunted down. How hundreds of mafiosi have turned state's witness. How the transatlantic bridge to Cosa Nostra's American sister organization has been disrupted. How the mafia's territorial structure has been ravaged, and its access to international narcotics markets drastically reduced. But Twilight of the Godfathers is also a tale with a far darker side. As the mafia has retreated, the void has been filled by suspicion, factionalism and shameless corruption. Has Sicily won its war with Cosa Nostra, only to find that, all along, a far deadlier threat was lurking at the very heart of the state? Beating the mafia was never supposed to be this way.

"Vozniknovenie mafii tesno svjazano s vozniknoveniem gosudarstva Italija", - ubezhden istorik Dzhon Dikki. Istorija "Koza nostry" eto podtverzhdaet: imja organizatsii stalo naritsatelnym, ona perezhila dve mirovykh vojny, ustojala pod natiskom diktatury Mussolini, rasprostranilas za okean i prodolzhaet suschestvovat segodnja. Sila i moguschestvo mafii podderzhivajutsja osobym kodeksom chesti, tschatelnym otborom i, konechno, svjazjami s politikami samogo vysokogo urovnja. Blagodarja etomu "Koza nostra", nachavshaja s pokrovitelstva sitsilijskim torgovtsam fruktami, okazalas tesno vpletena v politicheskuju zhizn Italii i dazhe priobrela vlijanie v mezhdunarodnykh delakh. Segodnja ona po-prezhnemu ostaetsja groznoj siloj i mozhet posopernichat za zvanie odnogo iz samykh opasnykh kriminalnykh sindikatov v mire. Osnovannaja na mnozhestve svidetelstv kak bortsov s mafiej, tak i samikh "raskajavshikhsja" mafiozi, kniga Dikki stala nastojaschim rassledovaniem o tom, kak ustroena iznutri odna iz samykh opasnykh i zhestokikh prestupnykh organizatsij mira.

Chto obschego u Motsarta, Uinstona Cherchillja, Artura Konan Dojlja i Uolta Disneja? Vse oni byli masonami. Voznikshee v XVIII veke, bratstvo na protjazhenii istorii obedinjalo politikov, voennykh, sportsmenov, akterov i pisatelej s neskolkikh kontinentov. Segodnja v Velikobritanii naschityvaetsja 400 000 masonov, v SSHA ikh bolee milliona, a po vsemu miru - okolo shesti millionov. Masonov schitali oppozitsionerami, diversantami i shpionami, po sej den vokrug dvizhenija suschestvuet mnozhestvo teorij zagovorov. Kak prokhodili zagadochnye sobranija lozh? Chto oznachaet simvolika masonov? Kakoe polozhenie v uchenii masonov zanimajut zhenschiny? V XXI veke masonstvo naschityvaet neskolko millionov chelovek po vsemu miru i ne terjaet svoego vlijanija. Britanskij istorik Dzhon Dikki priotkryvaet zavesu tajny, kotoraja okutyvaet masonskoe bratstvo." Nekotorye iz mifov o masonakh vpolne bezvredny: oni pokhozhi na te strashilki, kotorye s prijatnym trepetom rasskazyvajut drug drugu podrostki i v kotorye na samom dele nikto ne verit. Nekotorye zhe iz nikh vesma opasny. Strakh masonskogo zagovora stal prichinoj nasilstvennoj smerti tysjachi chlenov lozh v XX veke. Masonstvo do sikh por zaprescheno v Kitajskoj Narodnoj Respublike, a v islamskom mire k masonstvu uzhe davno otnosjatsja s paranoidalnoj mnitelnostju. ... Mify i zabluzhdenija vplelis v samu tkan istorii masonstva i uzhe ot nee neotdelimy" (Dzhon Dikki). Perevodchik: Frolov Valentin I.

Discover the "convincingly researched and thoroughly entertaining" (The Wall Street Journal) history of the world's oldest and most influential fraternity Founded in London in 1717 as a way of binding men in fellowship, Freemasonry proved so addictive that within two decades it had spread across the globe. Under George Washington, the Craft became a creed for the new American nation. Under Napoleon, it became a tool of authoritarianism and a cover for revolutionary conspiracy. Later, both the Mormon Church and the Sicilian Mafia would owe their origins to Freemasonry. Yet the Masons were as feared as they were influential, seen by the Catholic Church as a den of devil worship. For Hitler, Mussolini, and Franco, the Lodges spread the diseases of pacifism, socialism, and Jewish influence, so had to be crushed. Freemasonry's story yokes together Winston Churchill and Walt Disney, Wolfgang Mozart and Shaquille O'Neal, Benjamin Franklin and Buzz Aldrin. John Dickie's The Craft is an enthralling exploration of the world's most famous and misunderstood secret brotherhood, a movement that not only helped to forge modern society but remains prominent today.

'No one is more authoritative on the history of Italian food and its culture and the influence it has had on the world, . . . an addictive read for anyone interested in the dolce vita.' - Angela Hartnett'Food and culture of Italy come together in this fantastic and must-have book from John Dickie.' - Giorgio Locatelli'If only we could all write as brilliantly on Italy and its food as John Dickie does. He may well know Italy and Italians better than they know themselves.' - Stanley TucciThe new edition of the much-loved classic, with a fresh chapter that brings the surprising and moreish tale of the Italian way of eating right up to the present. Delizia! takes the reader on a revelatory historical journey through the flavours of the cities that shaped the Italian love for good eating. From the bustle of Medieval Milan, to the bombast of Fascist Rome; from the pleasure gardens of Renaissance Ferrara, to the putrid alleyways of nineteenth-century Naples. In rich slices of Italian life, Delizia! shows how violence and intrigue, as well as taste and creativity, went to make the world's favourite cuisine. With its mix of vivid story-telling, ground-breaking research and shrewd analysis, John Dickie's Delizia! is as appetising as the dishes it describes.

Insiders call it 'the Craft'. To the rest of us, Freemasonry is mysterious and suspect. Yet its story is peopled by some of the most distinguished men of the last three centuries: Winston Churchill and Walt Disney; Wolfgang Mozart and Shaquille O'Neal; Benjamin Franklin and Buzz Aldrin; Rudyard Kipling and 'Buffalo Bill' Cody; Duke Ellington and the Duke of Wellington. Founded in London in 1717 as a set of character-forming ideals and a way of binding men in fellowship, Freemasonry proved so addictive that within two decades it had spread across the globe. Masonic influence became pervasive. Under George Washington, the Craft became a creed for the new American nation. Masonic networks held the British empire together. Under Napoleon, the Craft became a tool of authoritarianism and then a cover for revolutionary conspiracy. Both the Mormon Church and the Sicilian mafia owe their origins to Freemasonry. The Masons were as feared as they were influential. In the eyes of the Catholic Church, Freemasonry has always been a den of devil-worshippers. For Hitler, Mussolini and Franco the Lodges spread the diseases of pacifism, socialism and Jewish influence, so had to be crushed. Professor Dickie's The Craft is a surprising and enthralling exploration of a movement that not only helped to forge modern society, but still has substantial contemporary influence. With 400,000 members in Britain, over a million in the USA, and around six million across the world, understanding the role of Freemasonry is as important now as it has ever been.

'Convincingly researched and thoroughly entertaining' - Wall Street JournalTHE TIMES BEST BOOKS OF 2020'This book shows that, despite rumours of demon dwarfs, piano-playing crocodiles and world domination, the real story of the Freemasons is one of male eccentricity.''The Craft is a superb book that often reads like an adventure novel. It's informative, fascinating and often very funny. The depth of research is awe-inspiring, but what really makes this book is the author's visceral understanding of what constitutes a good story.' - The Times Book of the Week'[John Dickie] takes on this sensational subject with a wry turn of phrase and the cool judgment of a fine historian... I enjoyed this book enormously. Dickie's gaze is both wide and penetrating. He makes a persuasive case for masonry's historic importance.' - Dominic Sandbrook, Sunday Times'The Craft is a shadow history of modernity. Though more sober than most lodge meetings, it is, like its subject, ingenious and frequently bizarre... The Craft is well-crafted and sensible, making good use of English archives which have only recently been opened.' - Spectator***Insiders call it 'the Craft'. To the rest of us, Freemasonry is mysterious and suspect. Yet its story is peopled by some of the most distinguished men of the last three centuries: Winston Churchill and Walt Disney; Wolfgang Mozart and Shaquille O'Neal; Benjamin Franklin and Buzz Aldrin; Rudyard Kipling and 'Buffalo Bill' Cody; Duke Ellington and the Duke of Wellington. Founded in London in 1717 as a set of character-forming ideals and a way of binding men in fellowship, Freemasonry proved so addictive that within two decades it had spread across the globe. Masonic influence became pervasive. Under George Washington, the Craft became a creed for the new American nation. Masonic networks held the British empire together. Under Napoleon, the Craft became a tool of authoritarianism and then a cover for revolutionary conspiracy. Both the Mormon Church and the Sicilian mafia owe their origins to Freemasonry. The Masons were as feared as they were influential. In the eyes of the Catholic Church, Freemasonry has always been a den of devil-worshippers. For Hitler, Mussolini and Franco the Lodges spread the diseases of pacifism, socialism and Jewish influence, so had to be crushed. Professor Dickie's The Craft is a surprising and enthralling exploration of a movement that not only helped to forge modern society, but still has substantial contemporary influence. With 400,000 members in Britain, over a million in the USA, and around six million across the world, understanding the role of Freemasonry is as important now as it has ever been.

'Convincingly researched and thoroughly entertaining' - Wall Street JournalTHE TIMES BEST BOOKS OF 2020'This book shows that, despite rumours of demon dwarfs, piano-playing crocodiles and world domination, the real story of the Freemasons is one of male eccentricity.''The Craft is a superb book that often reads like an adventure novel. It's informative, fascinating and often very funny. The depth of research is awe-inspiring, but what really makes this book is the author's visceral understanding of what constitutes a good story.' - The Times Book of the Week'[John Dickie] takes on this sensational subject with a wry turn of phrase and the cool judgment of a fine historian... I enjoyed this book enormously. Dickie's gaze is both wide and penetrating. He makes a persuasive case for masonry's historic importance.' - Dominic Sandbrook, Sunday Times'The Craft is a shadow history of modernity. Though more sober than most lodge meetings, it is, like its subject, ingenious and frequently bizarre... The Craft is well-crafted and sensible, making good use of English archives which have only recently been opened.' - Spectator***Insiders call it 'the Craft'. To the rest of us, Freemasonry is mysterious and suspect. Yet its story is peopled by some of the most distinguished men of the last three centuries: Winston Churchill and Walt Disney; Wolfgang Mozart and Shaquille O'Neal; Benjamin Franklin and Buzz Aldrin; Rudyard Kipling and 'Buffalo Bill' Cody; Duke Ellington and the Duke of Wellington. Founded in London in 1717 as a set of character-forming ideals and a way of binding men in fellowship, Freemasonry proved so addictive that within two decades it had spread across the globe. Masonic influence became pervasive. Under George Washington, the Craft became a creed for the new American nation. Masonic networks held the British empire together. Under Napoleon, the Craft became a tool of authoritarianism and then a cover for revolutionary conspiracy. Both the Mormon Church and the Sicilian mafia owe their origins to Freemasonry. The Masons were as feared as they were influential. In the eyes of the Catholic Church, Freemasonry has always been a den of devil-worshippers. For Hitler, Mussolini and Franco the Lodges spread the diseases of pacifism, socialism and Jewish influence, so had to be crushed. Professor Dickie's The Craft is a surprising and enthralling exploration of a movement that not only helped to forge modern society, but still has substantial contemporary influence. With 400,000 members in Britain, over a million in the USA, and around six million across the world, understanding the role of Freemasonry is as important now as it has ever been.

Discover the "convincingly researched and thoroughly entertaining" (The Wall Street Journal) history of the world's oldest and most influential fraternity Founded in London in 1717 as a way of binding men in fellowship, Freemasonry proved so addictive that within two decades it had spread across the globe. Masonic influence became pervasive. Under George Washington, the Craft became a creed for the new American nation. Masonic networks held the British empire together. Under Napoleon, the Craft became a tool of authoritarianism and then a cover for revolutionary conspiracy. Both the Mormon Church and the Sicilian mafia owe their origins to Freemasonry. Yet the Masons were as feared as they were influential. In the eyes of the Catholic Church, Freemasonry has always been a den of devil-worshippers. For Hitler, Mussolini and Franco, the Lodges spread the diseases of pacifism, socialism and Jewish influence, so had to be crushed. Freemasonry's story yokes together Winston Churchill and Walt Disney; Wolfgang Mozart and Shaquille O'Neal; Benjamin Franklin and Buzz Aldrin; Rudyard Kipling and 'Buffalo Bill' Cody; Duke Ellington and the Duke of Wellington. John Dickie's The Craft is an enthralling exploration of a the world's most famous and misunderstood secret brotherhood, a movement that not only helped to forge modern society, but has substantial contemporary influence, with 400,000 members in Britain, over a million in the USA, and around six million across the world.

MAFIA. CAMORRA. 'NDRANGHETA. The Sicilian mafia, known as Cosa Nostra, is far from being Italy's only dangerous criminal fraternity. The country hosts two other major mafias: the camorra from Naples and, from the poor and isolated region of Calabria, the mysterious 'ndrangheta, which has now risen to become the most powerful mob group active today. Since they emerged, the mafias have all corrupted Italy's institutions, drastically curtailed the life-chances of its citizens, evaded justice, and set up their own self-interested meddling as an alternative to the courts. Yet each of these brotherhoods has its own methods, its own dark rituals, its own style of ferocity. Each is uniquely adapted to corrupt and exploit its own specific environment, as it collabourates with, learns from, and goes to war with the other mafias. Today, the shadow of organized crime hangs over a country racked by debt, political paralysis, and widespread corruption. The 'ndrangheta controls much of Europe's wholesale cocaine trade and, by some estimates, 3 percent of Italy's total GDP. Blood Brotherhoods traces the origins of this national malaise back to Italy's roots as a united country in the nineteenth century, and shows how political violence incubated underworld sects among the lemon groves of Palermo, the fetid slums of Naples, and the harsh mountain villages of Calabria. Blood Brotherhoods is a book of breathtaking ambition, tracing for the first time the interlocking story of all three mafias from their origins to the present day. John Dickie is recognized in Italy as one of the foremost historians of organized crime. In these pages, he blends archival detective work, passionate narrative, and shrewd analysis to bring a unique criminal ecosystem,and the three terrifying criminal brotherhoods that have evolved within it,to life on the page.

In MAFIA REPUBLIC, John Dickie, Professor of Italian Studies at University College, London and author of the international bestsellers COSA NOSTRA and MAFIA BROTHERHOODS, shows how the Italian mafias have grown in power and become more and more interconnected, with terrifying consequences. In 1946, Italy became a democratic Republic, thereby entering the family of modern western nations. But deep within Italy there lurked a forgotten curse: three major criminal brotherhoods, whose methods had been honed over a century of experience. As Italy grew, so did the mafias. Sicily's Cosa Nostra, the camorra from Naples, and the mysterious 'ndrangheta from Calabria stood ready to enter the wealthiest and bloodiest period of their long history. Italy made itself rich by making scooters, cars and handbags. The mafias carved out their own route to wealth through tobacco smuggling, construction, kidnapping and narcotics. And as criminal business grew exponentially, the mafias grew not just more powerful, but became more interconnected. By the 1980s, Southern Italy was on the edge of becoming a narco-state. The scene was set for a titanic confrontation between heroic representatives of the law, and mafiosi who could no longer tolerate any obstacle to their ambitions. This was a war for Italy's future as a civilized country. At its peak in 1992-93, the 'ndrangheta was beheading people in the street, and the Sicilian mafia murdered its greatest enemies, investigating magistrates Giovanni Falcone and Paolo Borsellino, before embarking on a major terrorist bombing campaign on the Italian mainland. Today, the long shadow of mafia history still hangs over a nation wracked by debt, political paralysis, and widespread corruption. While police put their lives on the line every day, one of Silvio Berlusconi's ministers said that Italy had to 'learn to live with the mafia'; suspicions of mafia involvement still surround some of the country's most powerful media moguls and politicians. The latest investigations show that its reach is astonishing: it controls much of Europe's wholesale cocaine trade, and representatives from as far away as Germany, Canada and Australia come to Calabria to seek authorisation for their affairs. Just when it thought it had finally contained the mafia threat, Italy is now discovering that it harbours the most global criminal network of them all. The Financial Times described John Dickie's MAFIA BROTHERHOODS as 'Powered by the sort of muscular prose that one associates with great detective fiction' and in MAFIA REPUBLIC John Dickie again marries outstanding scholarship with compelling storytelling.

An enthralling history of Italian organised crime by the author of the international bestseller COSA NOSTRA. The Sicilian mafia, or Cosa Nostra, is far from being Italy's only dangerous criminal fraternity. The south of the country hosts two other major mafias: the camorra, from Naples and its hinterland; and the 'ndrangheta, the mafia from the poor and isolated region of Calabria that has now risen to become the most powerful mob of all. Each of these brotherhoods has its own methods, its own dark rituals, its own style of ferocity and corruption. Their early history is little known; indeed some of it has been entirely shrouded in myth and silence until now. MAFIA BROTHERHOODS is a book of breathtaking ambition, charting the birth and rise of all three of Italy's mafias. It blends ground-breaking archival research, passionate narrative, and shrewd historical analysis to bring Italy's unique 'criminal ecosystem', and the three terrifying criminal brotherhoods that evolved within it, to life on the page.