Darkest Italy: The Nation and Stereotypes of the Mezzogiorno, 1860-1900 Softcover reprint of the original 1st ed. 1999 edition

Stereotypical representations of the Mezzogiorno are a persistent feature of Italian culture at all levels. Dickie argues that these stereotypes, rather than being a symptom of the failings of national identity in Italy, were actually integral to the way Italy s bourgeoisie imagined themselves as Italian.