Böcker av Graham Hofmann

After having a house as a holiday escape for many years, Graham eventually moved from his native Yorkshire, England, to Umbria, the Green Heart of Italy, in 2015. He knew, with absolute certainty, that he had fallen in love with this boot shaped country.Alongside the personal tale of his life in Umbria, told with light-hearted humour, Graham also digs into what makes Italy, Italia. He questions the truth of some stereotypes, whilst finding ample evidence to support many. Cultural attitudes and behaviours are unpicked, the politics of Italy explained. An attempt is even made to wade through a bewildering bureaucracy that often leaves him completely baffled. And a taste is given of what it's like to live in a country where the ground literally moves beneath your feet.Graham asks questions that many tourists never think to ask, opening doors that they never think to look behind. He also uncovers Italy's darker side, delving into its bloated criminal underbelly - the mafia. Italy Unpacked and Unwrapped takes you way beyond the experiences of a tourist and part time visitor.Inevitably the book has its serious moments. Graham moved to live in Italy before Brexit, Trump and the general rise of nationalism. What appeared to be rational politics completely sent tumbling out of balance. And then, the totally unexpected and unpredictable happened, a worldwide pandemic in the form of Covid-19.Graham continues to be intoxicated by this Mediterranean country. As for La Dolce Vita, is it a reality or a dream? The telling of his life in Italy is told with amusing detail, with just the occasional moment of genuine sadness. At times his analysis of the country and its people, verging on the forensic. Follow his journey, you could be surprised by what you discover.

On his very first holiday to Italy, other than a day trip to Venice from the former Yugoslavia, Graham comes back to the UK with more than just any ordinary souvenir; he returns having bought a house. With nothing more than phrase book Italian, excited and uncertain of what he's done, it's the biggest gamble of his life.Lorenzo's Vest offers an entertaining understanding of Italy and Italians as observed through the eyes of a straniero. It gives the reader, in just a few pages, a real insight into the Italy of the past, its history, its politics and its struggle to become a modern nation; questioning those who still suggest that true Italian nationhood has yet to be achieved. This insight extends to painting a vivid picture of life in Italy today, the exquisite joys to be absorbed, alongside the frustrations of experiencing life in the Green Heart of Italy, a truly wonderful part of the country.Graham (Greame) takes you by the hand as you join him on his journey as a Brit into the everyday world of Umbria.The journey vividly showing his day-to-day life as a part-time visitor, immersion into the local community, his experiences and the colourful characters that become friends on the way.Share the journey. Enjoy the read. Blow away the milky froth resting on your cappuccino and, in so doing, gain a deeper understanding of Italy and its people. Come away with a list of places that are an absolute must to visit, a list of things that are an absolute must to do, foods to eat and wines to drink.A gamble of phrase book Italian, that from the very beginning brings the most exquisite rewards.