For D. H. Lawrence, Italy was the place of spiritual rejuvenation to which he returned frequently to free himself from what he saw as the bourgeois conventions and the grim materialism of his native England. During his final stay in Italy, Lawrence became intrigued by the Etruscan civilization. To him, the Etruscan love of pleasure is in direct contrast to the Roman desire for power and he sees evidence of their quality of life and joy in their remaining works of art.

The eight short essays in this volume, two of which appear for the first time in paperback, include sketches of Tuscany, Florence, and the Etruscan lifestyle. It is both a personal journey and a superbly imaginative traveler's guide. This Penguin edition reproduces the authoritative Cambridge text, which is based on Lawrence's manuscripts, typescripts, and corrected proofs.

"One of the most widely read books on the Etruscans in English and probably Lawrence's most successful achievement in the genre of travel literature" --Simonetta de Filippis, from her Introduction