this book for me, as a native of sicily, was an important one. it was well written and well researched. puzo brought to the forefront a real life hero and put it into words that every man can understand. i personally feel that it is better than the godfather book. the movie was the worst portrayal of sicilians since "the leopard" starring burt lancaster. sicilians do not speak in english accents!!! puzo sold the rights to this book for cash and can no longer make a film bearing the same content. it is a shame because i think that it is a natural companion to the godfather as it tells a little of michaels story while in sicily. it is also a real story, not fiction. there have been many movies made about turi but they are all in italian and cannot be found in america. great book.