City of the Soul, William Murray
City of the Soul, William Murray
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City of the Soul
A Walk In Rome

Author: William Murray

Narrator: William Murray

Abridged: 2 hr

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 03/16/2004

Synopsis

“One lifetime is not enough for Rome,” the famous saying goes, and anyone who’s ever been there knows these words to be true. In City of the Soul, William Murray begins to show us why.

Growing up in Rome and spending much of his life in the city, William Murray is an expert guide as he takes us on an intimate walking tour of some of Rome’s most glorious achievements, illuminating the history and the mythology that define the city. Murray leads us through the centro, the city’s historic downtown center. He writes about the Villa Borghese, the Piazza di Spagna, and the Trevi Fountain and describes such singular attractions as the Capuchin Church of Santa Maria della Concezione, whose macabre crypt has impressed visitors from Mark Twain to the Marquis de Sade.

As he walks, he reveals stories that only a longtime resident would know, capturing the sights, sounds, and flavors that make Rome a combination of the deep past and the ever-sensual present.

About The Author

William Murray is the author of more than twenty books, including Italy: The Fatal Gift and The Last Italian. A staff writer for The New Yorker for more than thirty years, he wrote many of the “Letters from Italy” and has contributed to The New York Times Magazine, The Nation, Playboy, and Esquire. He lives in Del Mar, California.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Preeti on August 16, 2011

This is the book I expected my previous (unfinished) read - Florence: A Delicate Case - to be. It served as a nice introduction to Rome prior to my trip there. The author intersperses his experiences in Rome with the history of the city, serving as a tour guide through the streets, the monuments, an......more

Goodreads review by Cherrie on March 05, 2022

Rome prep read. Makes me wanna stay there longer already. Like how the book concludes with stories of Roman woman figures in Murray’s life, family love, not the often belittling lovers.......more

Goodreads review by Mary on April 10, 2019

This book was interesting in that I had just returned from Italy and recognized some of the places discussed in the book. Had I not been to Italy I probably would not have enjoyed the book so much. Learned about some places I would like to visit on my next trip to Italy.......more

Goodreads review by Linda on September 04, 2008

I certainly have to concur with author Murray that Rome is a unique and wonderful place. This little book is a gentle pleasure to read. Not much new here, but there are some interesting factoids and it's nice to read of this man's personal attachment to a place that I also love. He's a good writer w......more

Goodreads review by Kristina on August 15, 2024

A charming love letter to Rome, as well as a guidebook of the places worth seeing in that great city, by journalist and author William Murray, who lived there after WWII and studied voice, hoping for a career in opera. At the time this book was published in 2003, he was living in the States but visi......more

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