Sicilian Odyssey – Volume II is the second part of a two book series, which presents a continuous history of Sicily through the millennia of colonization, conflicts, and cultural achievements. Along this epic two-part journey, more nearly 500 color photos, illustrations, maps, charts, and timelines help to illuminate this rich story and bring it to life. The story in Sicilian Odyssey – Volume II begins in the late 13th century with the end of the “golden age” of Sicily and details the next seven centuries of foreign rule by Spanish and Bourbon monarchs from Madrid and Naples, a long period of continuous economic decline and worsening abuse of the common people by the local nobility and the Church. The story continues into the turbulent 19th and 20th centuries, bringing great political upheaval, the creation of the unified Kingdom of Italy, two World Wars, the complete destruction and post-war reconstruction of Sicily, bloody Mafia Wars on the streets of Palermo, ending with the triumphs and continuing challenges of present day Sicilians. The two book series presents a comprehensive study of Sicilian history, including the stories of Sicily’s various ruling dynasties, the island’s significant impact on the greater history of Europe, the principal cultural treasures surviving to present day, as well an intimate look at the daunting challenges faced by the Sicilian people to survive. The historical events are organized into digestible chapters, delivered in a simple, clear prose, and presented with sufficient historical background to make the complex story of Sicily comprehensible, even for readers with a limited knowledge of European history. In addition to detailing the grand stories of kings, emperors, and popes, Sicilian Odyssey takes special care to present the everyday struggles for survival faced by ordinary Sicilians, through their many tragic centuries of exploitation, abuse and neglect.