Modern Italy: A Political History

by Denis Mack Smith

This history of modern Italy began in March 1861 when Count Camillo Cavour proclaimed a united Italian kingdom with the goal of creating a prosperous, liberal new power in Europe. For a country whose ancient heritage had placed it at the center of western culture, this late entry into nationhood and rapid reach for power would bring frequent crisis. In this fully revised edition of his classic history of the country, Denis Mack Smith provides a complete...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0472108956
• ISBN13: 9780472108954
• Release Date: October 1997
• Publisher: University of Michigan Press
• Length: 522 Pages
• Weight: 2.11 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.6" x 6.5" x 9.5"

Customer Reviews

A very thorough review of Italian politics since unification

In this book, I got exactly what I wanted: an understanding of the actors, events, and movements in Italian political history starting with unification in the mid-19th century. Cavour, Mazzini, Garibaldi, Crispi, Giolitti, Mussolini, De Gasperi. The author does a wonderful job of constructing these characters (and others) while conveying the changing political and societal backdrop in which they labored. A lack of tempocentrism and equal emphasis on the earlier periods were very positive in my view. Detailed explanations of the causes, mechanisms, and failures of Mussolini and fascism were especially well done.