Gomorrah: A Personal Journey into the Violent International Empire of Naples' Organized Crime System Paperback – November 25, 2008

Wow. First the obvious; Mr Saviano is an extremely brave and honorable man. Second; this book is written in a very personal manner that really brings home the savage nature of this group of thugs. Truly revealing in many ways, Mr Saviano's book eliminates any delusion that these guys are glamorous in any way, shape or form. It's a true look at what the Camorra really is, and reveals the damage they have done, and are still doing to their own people. It needed to be told...and it took a brave man to tell it. He's paying a big price from what I've read about him now, but I for one think what he has done here will live on for a long time and have consequences. I couldn't help thinking that if the Italian Government was as brave and honorable as this author, maybe the Camorra would get theirs.

It is an interesting read; the only negative comment I have about the book is the emotional intensity displayed from time to time by the author. His repetitive statements, "and I can prove it!" grow tiresome after a while.The Camorra he describes seems to have two components--a violent, vicious killing machine to enforce its rule and get its way. The other part is that of a commercial empire using its originally ill gotten gains to finance and capitalize a range of mostly legitimate businesses. Of course there are the illegal businesses--such as the drug trade. And even some of the "legitimate" businesses are only quasi-legitimate--high quality knockoffs or counterfeit fashion articles.The books was originally published in ~2005 or 2006. So in that regard it's dated, but I don't doubt that the Camorra Version 2018 isn't all that much different from the Camorra Version 2006.

The author is very brave even reckless investigating the Naples crime organization and its tentacles in the rest of Italy, my favorite travel destination, and across borders into the rest of Europe. The reader will learn many things he may not want to know about this exceptional part of a country with such great culture and natural beauty.The author’s introduction of his own agenda to the story weakens a still very worthwhile read.

Great read! The beginning of the book clearly explains the business model of the Italian mob and businessmen in Naples. (Shows how soft crime and business mesh.) The later portion of the the book shows the life style and cultural aspects of living in Naples and the "Life". Translated from Italian is a very very descriptive flowery way.

An interesting look into the underworld of southern Italy. this book was recommended to my by an Italian friend. It wasn't a novel. It is a look into the inner workings of the Italian underworld. Most of the references to different cities and areas of Italy were lost on me. It goes into how the various factions of the underworld function and what a huge part of the economy is under their influence. There are some thought provoking revelations here about the interface between obvious criminal activities such as drug dealing or prostitution, and the subtle taking over of "legitimate businesses" such as the cement industry or the trash removal industry. It is scary to learn about these things. IT definitely got me thinking about how certain industries are controlled in the USA. Who knows what is really going on in the USA?

Saviano is obviously a local, otherwise he'd never have gotten access to the people and information he presents in Gomorrah. It's stunning to realize just how much money, power, and influence flows through the veins of Italy's largest criminal organization. He presents his findings piece by piece, focusing on one criminal activity or endeavor at a time, hence there is a lot of time overlap that at first is a bit confusing. But keep reading; it gets even juicier. The author at times tends toward the philosophical in wondering how these people, in whose midst he grew up, can justify or even understand their own actions. Anyone with an interest in Italy, organized crime, international trade, or enslavement to a sociological code that rots one from the inside out will benefit from reading this book.

Really an interesting book, but badly translated; reads like it was translated word for word, the syntax is definitely Italian, not English. Also, the writing style is a little weird, stream-of-consciousness, sort of like Hunter Thompson, which, for me, got old pretty pretty quickly.Nevertheless, an interesting, horrifying book. What the Camorra is doing to Italy is appalling. Add this to The Monster of Florence and the whole Amanda Knox affair as one more reason to never run afoul of the Italian, so-called, justice system; there isn't one, really, there's the Camorra...

I first learned about the book when I was in Reggio Calabria and saw lots of police protection around a man I had never heard of -- Robert Saviano. Asking around I learned the story of his expose of the Neapolitan Mafia (the Camorra) and then found the book (translated into English, yay!) on Amazon. What a fascinating read offering a real glimpse into the underworld life of not just Italy, but how organized crime has permeated much of the global marketplace. Kind of like an underground Walmart story. This is a fascinating glimpse into that world. Prior to reading this book I had only known of Cosa Nostra (the Sicilian Mafia). There's also a Calabrian Mafia ('Ndrangheta).