The Force of Destiny: A History of Italy Since 1796 - Softcover

Duggan, Christopher

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0141013907 ISBN 13: 9780141013909

Publisher: Penguin, 2008

Synopsis

The greatness of Italy's culture and way of life have had a powerful attraction for many generations of visitors. This has created an overwhelming sense that Italy is a fundamentally benign and easy going country. The Force of Destiny, Christopher Duggan's immensely enjoyable new book, lays waste to this idea. While sharing everyone's enthusiasm for Italy as a place, he strongly distinguishes this from its political role over the past two centuries, which has been both vicious and ruinous for Europe as a whole.

About this title

Review:

'A pleasure to read, and an enduring tribute to Italy's struggle to free itself from foreign occupation and unite as a nation' -- Ian Thomson, Daily Telegraph

'Brilliant' -- Spectator, Books of the Year

'His comments on the inadequacies of politicians and generals are lethal in their deftness'
-- David Gilmour

'Indispensable ... deserves to be the standard history of modern Italy for the foreseeable future' -- Michael Burleigh, Literary Review

'What gives The Force of Destiny its edge is Duggan's own grasp of the specific Italianness of the historical experience he so vividly describes' -- Jonathan Keates, Sunday Telegraph

About the Author:

Christopher Duggan is Professor of Italian History at the University of Reading. He is the author of Fascism and the Mafia.

About this edition

• Publisher: Penguin
• Publication date: 2008
• ISBN 10: 0141013907
• ISBN 13: 9780141013909
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 704