About
Author: J Theodore Bent (UK)
Genre: History
Setting
Place: San Marino, Italy
Time: 300s – 1800s
My Rating (see what this means)
My Subjective Rating: 2
My ‘Objective’ Rating: 1.5
Short Blog Notice:
I avoid writing full length blogs for all books. I still create a page for my completionist proclivities.
These can be books when I feel I don't have something new I can add over existing online content
OR when I don't like the book.
Introduction and Review
A Freak of Freedom – by J Theodore Bent – a 19th century explorer – is an detailed account of a fascinating political curiosity – the country of San Marino. San Marino has existed as an independent microstate for over 1700 years now – and has survived and thrived throughout the endless turmoil in Italian and European politics.
This book dives a detailed account of how it came about to be and lasted. Relying on several accounts in the libraries and museums of San Marino – it is a dense work. That makes it a difficult read for anyone not entirely familiar with Italian history and politics of over 2 millennia. The books is also often bogged down in details making it is difficult to churn insights out of it. Arguably hence, it is not necessarily meant for a dilettante.