I enjoyed his immensely since I knew practically nothing about the Etruscans - other than some of their factions ruled the Romans during that nation's early years. But the Romans got much more from this civilisation than freedom. From customs to gods, the Etruscans were clearly an ancient cultural superpower, influencing nations across the Mediterranean and providing the shoulders the Romans stood on. Curiously, we know hardly anything about them. To think we waste time chasing myths like the Atlanteans when there are bona fide lost civilisations like the Etruscans to explore!
I got this book years ago because there was little information on the Etruscans and this was something that finally had some. Unfortunately, there is not much information on the Etruscans in the book either since it is relatively thin in page count. However, since the book has been published (1975) there has been more discoveries and research into this ancient civilization so there are better resources available today. What this book does do is provide the basics on the culture, geographical area, and basic history of the Etruscan people in the central Italian peninsula.
We toured the Etruscan towns and tombs when we were stationed in Italy. We enjoyed seeing their art and artifacts in The Villa Julia Museum in Rome and also in Copenhagen.
This books gives their history in fascinating detail and makes the reader aware of how influential they were in the history of Rome and its development.