Peter Robb Bücher

The controversial, ground-breaking biography of Caravaggio

Combining travel, history, culture, and personal memories from two decades in Brazil, the author explores a country that captivates the imagination. From his near-murder in Rio twenty years ago to the recent assassination of a former president's associate who embezzled over a billion dollars, violent death is a persistent threat in this vivid travelogue. Yet, it is the vibrant life force of Brazil and its people that leaves a lasting impression. The author seeks to understand how extreme danger and passion coexist in a nation with a complex history, traveling from the cobalt blue shores of southern Brazil to the arid northeast. He recounts four centuries of Brazilian history, from slavery to the election of the first working-class president. More than just a historical journey, the narrative vividly captures the intoxicating pleasures of Brazil's food, music, and climate, while referencing the works of its greatest writers to illustrate a unique culture. With stunning prose and an inquisitive intellect, the author weaves together layers of history, culture, and personal reflection, creating a deeply personal and impressionistic portrait of the nation. Readers come away not only with knowledge but with a profound sense of Brazil's turbulent soul.

A journey into the heart of Sicily, using art, food, history and literature to shed light on southern Italy's legacy of political corruption and violent crime. The book takes as its starting point the ongoing trial of seven-times Prime Minister Giulio Andreotti.

Focusing on the period between 1870 and 1920, the book examines the intricate relationship between agriculture, development, and poverty under British rule in India's Patna Division, Bihar. It analyzes how British policies shaped the economy and explores the effects of legal, administrative, and scientific interventions on rural life and societal norms, providing a comprehensive understanding of colonial influence on local conditions.

A New York Times Book Review Notable Book of the Year A New York Public Library Best Book of the Year From the author of M and A Death in Brazil comes Midnight in Sicily . South of mainland Italy lies the island of Sicily, home to an ancient culture that--with its stark landscapes, glorious coastlines, and extraordinary treasure troves of art and archeology--has seduced travelers for centuries. But at the heart of the island's rare beauty is a network of violence and corruption that reaches into every corner of Sicilian life: Cosa Nostra, the Mafia. Peter Robb lived in southern Italy for over fourteen years and recounts its sensuous pleasures, its literature, politics, art, and crimes.

L'intera esistenza di Michelangelo Merisi, noto come 'il Caravaggio', resta ancora oggi un enigma ricco di fascino. Grazie alla sua sensibilità e alle sue lunghe ricerche su documenti di prima mano, Peter Robb fa rivivere in queste pagine l'uomo e l'artista in tutta la sua potente drammaticità. Dall'infanzia in Lombardia al lungo periodo trascorso a Roma, fino ai trionfi professionali e alla catastrofe esistenziale degli ultimi anni; la condanna per omicidio, la fuga a Napoli e a Malta, il carcere, l'evasione e la misteriosa scomparsa. Rifiutando infatti le classiche versioni sulla morte di Caravaggio, Robb la inserisce in un inquietante contesto di vendetta sessuale, tradimenti, collusioni di stato, rivelando il nome di chi fu, con ogni probabilità, il mandante dell'assassinio del pittore. M non è una biografia tradizionale - è la storia vera dell'uomo che ha cambiato per sempre l'arte, liberandola dalle catene dell'ideologia e riuscendo a dipingere la realtà in modo brutale e sconvolgente.