A Freak of Freedom;: Or, The Republic of San Marino

by James Theodore Bent

This is an EXACT reproduction of a book published before 1923. This IS NOT an OCR'd book with strange characters, introduced typographical errors, and jumbled words. This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book.

Genres: Travel, Nonfiction

271 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1879

About the author

James Theodore Bent was an English explorer, archaeologist and author. He was educated at Repton School and Wadham College, Oxford, where he graduated in 1875. He went abroad every year and became thoroughly acquainted with Italy and Greece. In 1879 he published a book on the republic of San Marino, entitled A Freak of Freedom, and was made a citizen of San Marino. Bent then visited at considerable risk the almost unknown Hadramut country (1893-1894), and during this and later journeys in southern Arabia he studied the ancient history of the country, its physical features and actual condition.
Mrs. Bent, who had contributed by her skill as a photographer and in other ways to the success of her husband's journeys, published in 1900 Southern Arabia, Soudan and Sakotra, which she recorded the results of their last expedition into those regions.

Reviews

[Samantha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mildly interesting write-up of San Marino’s history and some key political aspects. It requires a pretty solid pre-existing knowledge of European history and Italian politics. Some of the finer details were certainly lost on me (though I’m no history buff). But I’m pretty sure I would’ve not understood the main parts without the knowledge I acquired while living in Italy…
But the book contains some fun anecdotes. My personal favourite was Sigismondo Maladesta, an Italian 15th century nobleman who killed his first two wives and then commissioned the construction of a mausoleum for the third (Rimini’s Tempio Malatestiano).
The comparison of the elective system to Switzerland (and Andorra) were also interesting. The main thing that surprised me though was how long San Marino has existed in European history. Napoleon respecting its status as a republic was also surprising, lol.

[Nipun · Rating 2 out of 5]

A Freak of Freedom – by J Theodore Bent – a 19th century explorer – is an detailed account of a fascinating political curiosity – the country of San Marino. San Marino has existed as an independent microstate for over 1700 years now – and has survived and thrived throughout the endless turmoil in Italian and European politics.

This book dives a detailed account of how it came about to be and lasted. Relying on several accounts in the libraries and museums of San Marino – it is a dense work. That makes it a difficult read for anyone not entirely familiar with Italian history and politics of over 2 millennia. The books is also often bogged down in details making it is difficult to churn insights out of it. Arguably hence, it is not necessarily meant for a dilettante.

https://theworldincultures.com/385-a-...

[Bridget · Rating 1 out of 5]

Incredibly boring & not worth a read unless you're writing a history paper about San Marino. Maybe not even then.

"A Freak of Freedom" explores the unique history and survival of San Marino, the world's oldest republic. The book delves into how this tiny state maintained its independence and political freedom amidst the shifting political landscape of Europe, especially during the rise and fall of powerful empires. Bent highlights San Marino's historical quirks, resilient leadership, and the strong sense of national identity that helped it endure through centuries of upheaval.

[Val · Rating 2 out of 5]

San Marino is the world's oldest republic and so never became part of a united Italy.
I bought this scanned version of an old history book about San Marino and found it was unreadable on my kindle. It is possible to read it using a kindle PC app, as I discovered some months later, but I would not recommend buying it as the print is still quite a strain to read.
The history and descriptions of this tiny country are interesting and the writing is old-fashioned but still appealing. The illustrations look very attractive, where they are not blurred or smudged. If a better quality version is ever published I would recommend that one.