Sicily, at the epicentre of the Mediterranean, has endured more than its fair share of invaders and Imperial viceroys. It is a crucible of European culture, a place where the Phoenicians, Athenians, Romans, Arabs, Normans, Hapsburgs, Bourbons and Byzantines all flourished, stimulating them to produce some of their finest and most distinctive work. Yet this always co-existed with a resilient indigenous culture, expressed in its own mythology, cuisine, wine and monumental architecture as well as in its attachment to secret societies, from the Sicilian Vespers to the modern-day Mafia. These influences, along with some ineffable island magic, have inspired many writers. The novelist and travel-writer Horatio Clare has produced a travel book that includes a collection of writing from a variety of authors including DH Lawrence, Danilo Dolci, Norman Lewis, Steven Runciman, Peter Robb, WH Auden, Melissa P., Leonardo Sciascia, Luigi Pirandello, Giuseppe di Lampedusa, Homer, Cicero, Goethe, et al. that describe Sicily through diverse perspectives.