No country has awakened the longing of the Germans more than Italy. Nowhere else do past and present intertwine so richly, with the foreign and seemingly familiar lying so closely together. Joachim Fest did not travel through this country via the conventional route, but approached it from the south. This has resulted in a vivid, multifaceted portrait. Sharp observations constantly alternate with pointed reflections or gripping historical sketches. However, the focus is on the people he encounters. A brilliantly written travel journal and much more: a literary masterpiece, artfully composed yet very personal. "Among Joachim Fest's books, 'Im Gegenlicht' is his most beautiful. His lightest. Perhaps his dearest... the reader may find it hard to tear themselves away." Wolfgang Büscher "The most beautiful book.".