Cosa Nostra

by John Dickie
Cosa Nostra cover
Good Books rating 3.83
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  • ID: 2889
  • Added: 2025-10-16
  • Updated: 2025-10-16
  • ISBN: 9781466893054
  • Publisher: St. Martin's Press
  • Published: 2015-03-31
  • Formats: 1
  • Reviews: 3

John Dickie delves into the enigmatic world of the Sicilian mafia, exposing its brutal rituals, laws, and methods through groundbreaking research. This book takes readers from the mafia's inception in the 1860s to its modern-day influence, offering a chilling and darkly comic perspective that surpasses Hollywood portrayals. Beyond the sensationalism, Cosa Nostra provides an in-depth look at how the mafia established its powerful grip in Italy and America, and its current dynamics with the Berlusconi government. It's a revealing journey into the inner workings of one of history's most notorious criminal organizations.

Reviews
The Times · 2025-10-16
comprehensive 4.00

The book is notable for its thorough research and ability to grasp the complex nature of the Sicilian Mafia. The reviewer praises the author's dogged trawling of archival and published sources.

The reviewer at The Times commends John Dickie's 'Cosa Nostra' for its meticulous research and comprehensive exploration of the Sicilian Mafia. They highlight the author's ability to navigate and present the complex history of the Mafia in a clear and engaging manner. The book is praised for its thoroughness and the depth of its archival research, which provides a nuanced understanding of the subject. The reviewer appreciates the author's effort to grasp the slippery nature of the Mafia, making the book a notable contribution to the literature on organized crime.

Quick quotes

    Through dogged trawling of archival and published sources, he has been able to grasp the slippery fish that is the Sicilian mafia

    His book is notable for its thorough research and comprehensive exploration

    The author presents a clear and engaging narrative that captures the complex history of the Mafia

Goodreads · 2004-08-02
fascinating 4.50

The book is hailed as the best ever written about the Mafia in any language. It is described as fascinating, violent, and darkly comic, with a narrative that reads like a gripping account.

Goodreads reviewers have hailed 'Cosa Nostra' as the best book ever written about the Mafia in any language. They describe it as a fascinating, violent, and darkly comic account that reads like a gripping narrative. The book's ability to blend historical facts with engaging storytelling is particularly praised, making it a compelling read for those interested in the history of organized crime. The reviewer appreciates the book's unique perspective and the way it brings the dark and complex world of the Sicilian Mafia to life.

Quick quotes

    Hailed in Italy as the best book ever written about the mafia in any language

    A fascinating, violent, and darkly comic account

    The book reads like a gripping narrative that captures the essence of the Sicilian Mafia

The Guardian · Ed Vulliamy · 2004-02-14
incomplete 3.00

The book provides a pacy history of the Mafia but fails to engage with the Berlusconi era. The reviewer found it engaging but felt it missed contemporary relevance.

Ed Vulliamy found John Dickie's 'Cosa Nostra' to be a well-paced and engaging history of the Mafia. However, he felt that the book did not adequately address the impact of the Berlusconi era on the organization. This omission left him feeling that the book, while informative, was somewhat incomplete in its coverage of the Mafia's more recent history. Vulliamy appreciated the depth of research and the engaging narrative style but wished for a more comprehensive look at the modern context of the Sicilian Mafia.

Quick quotes

    John Dickie's pacy history of the Mafia, Cosa Nostra, fails to engage with the Berlusconi era

    The book is a well-researched and engaging account of the Mafia's history

    It provides a fascinating insight into the origins and development of the Sicilian Mafia

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