Just finished White Shotgun by Attilio Bolzoni about the Sicilian Mafia. Its an unusual book in that its made up entirely from actual words spoken by Mafia. Confessions, court documents bugs letters even a mafia rule book are used to tell the story of the Sicilian Mafia from the 60s to the present.
Its not a book I would normally go for because it appeared to be to disjointed. In fact at full price I've knocked it back many a time. But I got it from a discount store at a tenth of its cost. And I have to admit it works The story is told in a chronological order from the building rackets and cigarette smuggling of the 60s though the Heroin boom and the war of the 90s. Right up to the bleak outlook faced at present.
The Story is kept moving with expert narrative from the author and is a top class addition to the Sicilian story. In fact it raises some interesting questions I may put to the main Forum at some stage when I get round to it. Well worth a read
I'm reading a book called Midnight In Sicily by Peter Robb, got it for a dime in library discard pile. Interesting read about Sicilian culture, food and the heavy influenced of the mafia circa 1995 or thereabouts.
