Disclaimer: This book took a long time to read. It is very dense, and covers the entire life of Venice, which is hundreds of years.

That said, this is one of the best history books I've ever read. Norwich's writing style - sometimes lyrical, sometimes conversational - lends itself well to such a large topic. He manages to cover the major points of Venice's history without going off on many tangents, yet he manages to give us little tidbits of information that you may not get in other history books.

Moreover, "A History of Venice" isn't just a history of Venice - it's a portrait of the Italian states, of the Roman Empire, of the Crusades, and of the Dark Ages and the Renaissance. It looks at commerce and banking, at political dealings and treaties and the role the Catholic Church had in advancing - and holding back - progress in history.

"A History of Venice" is well worth your time, especially if you already have a rudimentary knowledge of European history and would like to supplement it.

quite old school and very great-man-theory but the depth and scope are still impressive and super interesting

Extensive overview of political history / conflicts of Venetian republic. Not very engaging. Reads like a long bulletpoint summary.

Well worth the read, even though it's not the easiest. It is however fascinating and well written, with lots to learn, even for our current times!