IF YOUR idea of "history" is a wheezing old professor spouting odd facts about obscure battles then John Julius Norwich could be a revelation.
His flair for digging beneath the facts to find the humanity, in all its glory or grimness, brings old facts to life and ensures the prose of his histories and travel books are as readable, if not better, than many a good novel.
The Middle Sea: A History of the Mediterranean, is his latest book and charts the ebb and flow of the Mediterranean's influence over the rise of fall of civilisations and the growth of three great religions.
In this OutLoud interview Norwich discusses the influence of his parents, the renowned Duff Cooper and Lady Diana Cooper, how he fell in love with Venice in just one day and why the city may not survive the demands of modern life.
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John Julius Norwich, Lord Norwich, is the son of Duff Cooper and Lady Diana Cooper. His writing career began in the 1960s when he turned his back on his job in the Foreign Office, a decision he has never regretted.
Among his best known works are
The Normans in the South and
The Kingdom in the Sun (later republished in one volume as The Normans in Sicily);
A History of Venice;
The Architecture of Southern England;
Fifty Years of Glyndebourne; and
A Taste for Travel.
He has also had a successful career in broadcasting, having written and presented some 30 television documentaries. He was also a presenter on BBC Radio's My Word! panel show and was previously the voice behind Classic FM's evening concert.
Norwich also supports many charitable projects, most notably the Venice in Peril Fund, of which he is chairman, and is co-chairman of the World Monuments Fund.
The Middle Sea: A History of the Mediterranean, is now available in paperback from Vintage for £9.99, ISBN: 978-1844133086 .Please use the commenting facility to let us know what you think of this book, using the following ratings:
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