Princes Under the Volcano

Epic and engrossing, this extravagant true story covers 200 years in the life of an English family dynasty in Sicily. Benjamin Ingham, possibly the greatest tycoon England has ever known, was attracted to Sicily from his humble beginnings in Yorkshire by the burgeoning trade in marsala wine. This is the story of the English Croesus, who made the money, and his beneficiaries, the Whitaker family, who spent it - intertwined with two hundred years of enthralling Sicilian history. 'Most entertaining and readable.' Anthony Powell, Telegraph 'Deeply researched and wholly fascinating.' Washington Post 'An original and entertaining contribution to Anglo-Italian history.' Times

Raleigh Trevelyan is a writer and editor. Born in the Andaman Islands in 1923, he moved to Britain when he was eight. His classic The Fortress was published in 1956; among his other books are Rome '44, The Golden Oriole and a study of his ancestor, Sir Walter Raleigh. He lives in London and Cornwall.