See Naples: A Memoir of Love, Peace, and War in Italy
Douglass Allanbrook, a composer and harpsichordist, experienced Naples as a “moveable feast” akin to Paris for artists and writers. He first encountered the city during WWII as a sergeant, where he witnessed danger and loss. He later returned to Naples in the early 1950s on a music fellowship, where he developed a deep connection with the city and its people. Allanbrook’s recollections of Naples are sharp, graceful, and filled with affection and vivid evocations, highlighting the sensuous beauty and glittering history of the old city, and his daily life amongst the Neapolitans, the places he lived, his landladies, the friends he made, and his love affairs with two Italian women, one of whom he married. His recollections offer an intimate view of life in Naples and its unique culture, beauty, and historical significance.
