Phoenix: Princes Under the Volcano: Two Hundred Years of a British Dynasty in Sicily

Epic and engrossing, this extravagant true story covers 200 years in the life of an English family dynasty in Sicily. The first half, as the author wryly notes, is mostly about the people who made the money; the second half follows those who spent it. The saga begins with Benjamin Ingham, England’s greatest tycoon ever, and a confidante of the high and mighty. He died childless, his money going to his four nephews–and their tale encompasses everything from the Italian aristocracy to Mussolini to the mafia. Simply fascinating.