Mussolini
A New Life
Published on 12. June 2003
Book
Hardback
480 pages
978-0-297-81965-3 (ISBN)
Description
Of the four great European dictators of the 20th century, Mussolini remains the least known. The last major, non-academic life, by Denis Mack Smith, has been in print for 20 years, but since its publication much new material has emerged, particularly letters. However it is a minefield for any historian as there have been many attempts to falsify the record with forged material. Nicholas Farrell was a DAILY TELEGRAPH journalist in the second half of the 1990s and spent time investigating the forgeries and writing about the resurgence of Mussolini's reputation, fifty years after his death. Whereas Mack Smith painted Mussolini as a dyed-in-the wool villain, Farrell takes a different view. He is more positive, and he shows how Italy was changed very much for the better until Mussolini's final and disastrous decision to join the Axis and support Hitler. Could he have followed Franco's example and stayed on the sidelines? It is one of the questions Farrell examines. This new life of Mussolini also launches a talented biographer.
Reviews / Votes
We are setting a press date of 30 June for this title due to serialisation. Serial has now run with the first four-part extract in the 1 June edition of the MAIL ON SUNDAY: MUSSOLINI THE MAN WHO SEDUCED A NATION the headline shouted! A second extract also ran in IRELAND ON SUNDAY Press interest is strong, we are expecting reviews in all national papers though sadly we lost the NIGHTWAVES BBC RADIO 3 interview as the author is overseas. THE JEWISH CHRONICLE has also asked the author to write an article on how Mussolini was more of a friend to the Jews. And he has also written a double page spread for THE INDEPENDENT on Blair: the new Mussolini. I am also talking to the EXPRESS about apiece on the Daily Mail, Mussolini and Oswald Mosley. And another piece by afriend of the author on Mussolini and the Jews has also run in THE SPECTATOR. We are now receiving our first reviews: "A revisionist history which is notentirely without merit." INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY "A highly spirited and ratherremarkable book"ANDREW ROBERTS, DAILY TELEGRAPH "A new and substantial biograMore details
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Orion Publishing Co
Target group
Professional and scholarly
College/higher education
Product notice
sewn/stitched
Illustrations
20, 2 maps
Dimensions
Height: 243 mm
Width: 172 mm
Thickness: 42 mm
Weight
1013 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-297-81965-3 (9780297819653)
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Schweitzer Classification
Person
Nicholas Farrell, a former DAILY TELEGRAPH journalist, now contributes to the SPECTATOR. He researched and wrote the biography while living in Italy.