The island of Sicily has for centuries been a meeting point where civilizations transformed one another and gave life to the cultural developments at the foundation of European modernity. The essays collected here explore Sicily as a place where these cultural interactions have produced conflict but also new material and intellectual exchange.

Italian Women at War: Sisters in Arms from Unification to the Twentieth Century offers diverse perspectives on Italian women's participation in war and conflict throughout Italy's modern history, contributing to the ongoing scholarly conversation on this topic. Part one of the book focuses on heroines who fought for Italy's Unification and on the anti-heroines, or brigantesse, who opposed such a momentous change. Part two considers exceptional individuals, such as Eva Kuhn Amendola, who combatted both with her body and her pen, as well as collective female efforts during the world wars, whether military or civilian. In part three, where the context is twentieth-century society, the focus shifts to those women engaged in less conventional conflicts who resorted to different forms of revolt, including active non-violence. All of the women presented across these chapters engage in combat to protest a particular state of affairs and effect change, yet their weapons range from the literal, like Peppa La Cannoniera's cannon, to the metaphorical, like Letizia Battaglia's camera. Several of the essays in this volume discuss fictional heroines who appear in works of literature and film, though all are based on actual women and reference real historical contexts. Italian Women at War furthers the efforts begun decades ago to recognize Italian women combatants, especially in light of the recent anniversary of the Unification in 2011 and global discussions regarding the role of women in the military. Its aim is not to glorify violence and war, but to celebrate the active role of Italian women in the evolution of their nation and to demystify the idea of the woman warrior, who has always been viewed either as an extraordinary, almost mythical creature or as an affront to the traditional feminine identity.

Italian Women at War: Sisters in Arms from Unification to the Twentieth Century offers diverse perspectives on Italian women's participation in war and conflict throughout Italy's modern history, contributing to the ongoing scholarly conversation on this topic. Part one of the book focuses on heroines who fought for Italy's Unification and on the anti-heroines, or brigantesse, who opposed such a momentous change. Part two considers exceptional individuals, such as Eva Kuhn Amendola, who combatted both with her body and her pen, as well as collective female efforts during the world wars, whether military or civilian. In part three, where the context is twentieth-century society, the focus shifts to those women engaged in less conventional conflicts who resorted to different forms of revolt, including active non-violence. All of the women presented across these chapters engage in combat to protest a particular state of affairs and effect change, yet their weapons range from the literal, like Peppa La Cannoniera's cannon, to the metaphorical, like Letizia Battaglia's camera. Several of the essays in this volume discuss fictional heroines who appear in works of literature and film, though all are based on actual women and reference real historical contexts. Italian Women at War furthers the efforts begun decades ago to recognize Italian women combatants, especially in light of the recent anniversary of the Unification in 2011 and global discussions regarding the role of women in the military. Its aim is not to glorify violence and war, but to celebrate the active role of Italian women in the evolution of their nation and to demystify the idea of the woman warrior, who has always been viewed either as an extraordinary, almost mythical creature or as an affront to the traditional feminine identity.

Point de lendemain (No Tomorrow) is the English translation of a French 18th century masterpiece, Point de Lendemain by Dominique Vivant Denon. Written in 1777 and re-edited in 1812, Point de Lendemain is a record of the initiation of a young man and a member of a secret society. Giovanna Summerfield's preface and notes will offer a new way of reading Point de Lendemain, marginalizing the triviality of sex and the love triangle, which has been thus far seen as a physical need rather than as an expression of supremacy and challenge of God. Both the theme of love and the search for ethical answers are current and pertinent even in our days, thus they continue to make this work of art appealing and fresh.

New Perspectives on the European Bildungsro man reflects the change in direction of research on the Bildungsroman, focusing on more psychological, authorial and feminist contents. Departing from the father of the archetype of the genre, Goethe, the authors trace imperative pathways to its French, British, and Italian counterparts, examining spiritual and female Bildungsromane. A wide-ranging analysis provides fresh insights into the genre through comparative analyses of Bildungsromane both diatopically and diachronically, while critical analysis of novels such as Voltaire's Candide, Charlotte Bront's Jane Eyre, Bernardin de Saint Pierre's Paul et Virginie, Collodi's Pinocchio, Aleramo's Una donna present new readings of the characters, plots and purposes of the most famous European novels.

With all its diverse physical beauty and intriguing "kaleidoscopic" cultural background, Sicily has been a source of inspiration for innumerable filmmakers spanning all genres, nationalities, and epochs. In this volume, twelve essays by international scholars--and additional writing from directors Roberta Torre, Giovanna Taviani, and Costanza Quatriglio--seek to offset the near-absence of scholarship focusing on the relationship between the Mediterranean gem and cinema. Touching on class relations, immigration, gender, and poverty, these essays examine how Sicily is depicted in fiction, satire, and documentaries, discussing how the island and its inhabitants are othered by both national and international directors. Uniquely situated on the borders between North and South, East and West, innovation and tradition, authenticity and displacement, Sicily acts as a microcosm of the world, a place to explore unique local and national narratives, and a narrative tool for intercultural dialogue. It is also the center of impactful cinematographic discussions and events such as the Taormina Film Festival and the SalinaDocFest. Finally, this volume presents Sicily as a character and creator in its own right, both the true protagonist of many films and a strong creative force behind them.

New Perspectives on the European Bildungsroman reflects the change in direction of research on the Bildungsroman, focusing on more psychological, authorial and feminist contents.
Departing from the father of the prototype of the genre, Goethe, the authors trace imperative pathways to its French, British, and Italian counterparts, examining spiritual and female Bildungsromane. A wide-ranging analysis provides fresh insights into the genre through comparative analyses of Bildungsromane both diatopically and diachronically, while critical analysis of novels such as Voltaire's Candide, Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre, Charles Dickens's David Copperfield, Collodi's Pinocchio, Aleramo's Una donna present new readings of the characters, plots and purposes of the most famous European novels.