Are there any books worth picking up, which deal with this time period? Written in English.
I’m looking for a readable overview of the period covering 19th and 20th century on the Italian peninsula. Roughly, something that will take me from Risorgimento (and ideally the years/events leading up to it) all the way to the end of the 20th century.
An ideal source, would be something along the lines of a well written introductory overview text for undergraduates. I want a comprehensive look at the politics, culture, and economy of Italy (but without a 50 page chapter on grain cultivation).
Thank you in advance for the recommendations.
I personally really enjoyed sir David Gilmour's "The Pursuit of Italy: A History of a Land, Its Regions, and Their Peoples" even though it is not strictly academic and primarily a cultural history. Gilmour does a decent job in the book of outlining the major arcs of unification, their roots in the Renaissance and early modernity, and provides a good overview of the specific period you are interested in.
If you're able and willing to go with book chapters there are few in an array of books by Tony Judt, Ian Kershaw, dutch journalist/historian Geert Mak, Stanley Payne, and Mary Nolan. I'm at work now but if you're interested I can look them up for you!