Espresso: The Art and Soul of Italy. (Signed by the Author).
New York: Bordighera Press, 2021. First Edition. Softcover. Item #32640
125pp. Signed by Wendy Pojmann on the title page. A fine copy. It is not an exaggeration that espresso is at the core of Italian culture and history. Millions of espresso drinkers around the world attempt to capture a special “made in Italy” feeling in their coffee cups each day. But few people are aware of how Italy became the world’s leading espresso country or understand why the Italian espresso bar is so difficult to replicate elsewhere. This book explores the history of coffee and espresso in Italy. It looks at the transformation of Enlightenment-era coffee houses into twentieth century espresso bars. It investigates the meaning of changes to Italy’s coffee culture and seeks to explain how espresso reflects Italian modernity and the global influence of “made in Italy” culture. It also analyzes the history of several famous and lesser-known coffee bars in Rome, Turin, and Naples to explore the construction of regional, Italian, and special political and cultural identities. This book encourages readers to close their eyes and imagine the sights, sounds and above all, the aroma of an Italian espresso bar. "The relationship between Italians and their espresso goes beyond a momentary replenishment of the senses. It is a ritual that becomes history, thought and experience. It is the innate tension in a search for beauty and goodness even during the most mundane parts of the day, the art of living and surviving, individual pleasure that is sublimated through sharing and sociability. Wendy Pojmann has grasped this intensity, this way of life for Italians that is both simple and complex at the same time. Simple and complex, just like an espresso." Alessio Pezzoni, CEO, Elektra S.r.l. – Espresso Coffee Machines. "A book no lover of Italian espresso should be without. Pojmann offers such an enticing history of the iconic drink--which only came into full development in the twentieth century--that readers will find it hard to get through a page without having their nostrils fill with its seductive smell and their mouth water with its unmistakable taste." David I. Kertzer, Professor, Brown University, 2015 Pulitzer Prize Winner. ; Octavo; Signed by Author.
Price: $18.00