Romanzo Criminale / Giancarlo De Cataldo.

Made into a hugely successful European television series, Romanzo Criminale tells the story of a man they call The Lebanese, a dangerous criminal with a single dream - to conquer the underworld of Rome. "It is 1977. A new force is terrorising Rome - a mob of reckless, ultraviolent youths known as La Banda della Magliana. As the gang ruthlessly take control of Rome's heroin trade, they begin an inexorable rise to power. Banda della Magliana intend to own the streets of Rome - unless their internal struggles tear them apart. Based on Rome's modern gangland history, Romanzo Criminale fearlessly confronts Italy's Age of Lead: war on the streets and terrorism, kidnappings and corruption at the highest levels of government.".

Only when the story is over, when the book is closed, only then do you realize what a great story teller De Cataldo is: with the reader unaware, suspecting nothing, he paints little by little, page after page, the huge canvas representing a global failure. A failure concerning not only his characters but our whole society. --Andrea Camilleri, author of the Montalbano series, la Stampa What captivates here is the feeling of witnessing an epic tale, a piece of Italian history viewed from the streets --La Repubblica.