Edmondo de Amicis (1846-1908) was an Italian novelist, journalist, poet and short-story writer. His bestknown book is the children's novel Cuore (or Heart). He fought in the battle of Custoza during the Third Independence War, a defeat of Savoy forces against the Austrian Empire; the spectacle left him disappointed, and contributed to his later decision to leave military life. In 1870, he joined the staff of the journal La Nazione in Rome, and his correspondence at the time later served as base for his travel writings: Spagna (1873), Olanda (1874), Ricordi di Londra (1874), Marocco (1876), Costantinopoli (1878), Ricordi di Parigi (1879). Heart was issued by Treves on October 17, 1886, the first day of school in Italy. Its success was immense: in a few months it was printed in 40 Italian editions and translated into tens of languages. His later works include: Sull'oceano (1889), dealing with the plight of Italian emigrants overseas, Il Romanzo di un Maestro (1890), Amore e Ginnastica (1892), Maestrina Degli Operai (1895), La Carrozza di Tutti (1899), L'Idioma Gentile (1905), and Nuovi Ritratti Letterari e Artistici (1908).