Thanks

This book, like the previous one, lived three lives before reaching, in this form, your hands. For each of those lives, I am indebted to many people, including relatives, friends and colleagues. I will thank them first randomly and then in alphabetical order.

First of all, once again, thanks to Raffaello Avanzini and Newton Compton for believing in me and in my project. I would like especially to thank my editor, Alessandra Penna, and her magic touch.

Thank to Nicola di Martino for his invaluable suggestions and because his tellings-off are good for me, and Yuliya Sanchenko who read the first draft and put up with those periods of isolation when Lorenzo Aragona demanded more attention than anybody else.

Thanks for his technical advice to G.L. Barone and to Fabio Sorrentino, both talented writers.

Finally, thanks to those who helped and encouraged me. In particular: my big fan Cristina Andretta, Alessandro Arpaia, the Aruta clan, Attilio Cantore, my close friend Diego Capezzuto, Nicola Fasciglione for the images, Stefano Lanciotti, Mitch Laurenzana, the Nikas clan (especially Constantino, Krini and Anthi), William Prada, Maria Grazia Ritrovato, Stefan Salvatore, Domenico Valente and the bookworm par excellence, aunty Pia.