Description
Book SynopsisAn incisive account of how Mussolini pioneered populism in reaction to Hitler’s rise—and thereby reinforced his role as a model for later authoritarian leaders
Trade Review“Much attention has been paid to the populist politics of modern leaders such as Trump and Erdogan, and one of the many interesting strands of this new book is whether Mussolini might reasonably be considered the first such populist.”—
BBC History Magazine“An engaging and persuasive guide…Bosworth is surely right when he argues, in this most enjoyable and wide-ranging book, that the word “facist” is used today too often and too loosely.”—Caroline Moorehead, Times Literary Supplement
‘In his inimitable style and with peerless erudition, Bosworth provides us with a passionately engaged history of a Mussolini and an Italy caught up in the monstrous gravitational waves engendered by the coming of Third Reich.’—Giuseppe Finaldi, author of
Mussolini and Italian Fascism‘This trenchant, eminently readable, book is a convincing analysis of the decline and fall of Fascism. Its conclusion – that Mussolini’s Italy was a “weak regime that went to its collapse broadcasting fake news about itself” – ensures that the book also has a contemporary ring.’— Professor Mark Gilbert, Johns Hopkins University
‘An original and fascinating analysis of the degeneration of the Italian Fascist regime in its last decade of peace, and of ‘the first modern dictator’s’ place in the broader context of contemporary history, especially in relation to present-day populist movements.’—John F. Pollard, author of
The Vatican and Italian Fascism, 1929–32"At a time when the specter of fascism haunts contemporary society, Bosworth provides a timely reminder that populist bluster tends to mask profound inadequacies. Benito Mussolini may have been the first modern dictator, but he was also a failure who led his nation to catastrophe.”—Professor Joshua Arthurs, West Virginia University
