Blood and Power: The Rise and Fall of Italian Fascism (Paperback) - John Foot

'Clear, cool, plainly written and devastating' Lucy Hughes-Hallett, Times Literary Supplement A major history of the rise and fall of Italian fascism: a dark tale of violence, ideals and a country at war. In the aftermath of the First World War, the seeds of fascism were sown in Italy. While the country reeled in shock, a new movement emerged from the chaos: one that preached hatred for politicians and love for the fatherland; one that promised to build a 'New Roman Empire', and make Italy a great power once again. Wearing black shirts and wielding guns, knives and truncheons, the proponents of fascism embraced a climate of violence and rampant masculinity. Led by Benito Mussolini, they would systematically destroy the organisations of the left, murdering and torturing anyone who got in their way. In Blood and Power, historian John Foot draws on decades of research to chart the turbulent years between 1915 and 1945, and beyond. Drawing widely from accounts of people across the political spectrum - fascists, anti-fascists, communists, anarchists, victims, perpetrators and bystanders - he tells the story of fascism and its legacy, which still, disturbingly, reverberates to this day.

About the Author

John Foot is the author of seven books, including The Archipelago: Italy since 1945; Calcio: A History of Italian Football; Pedalare, Pedalare. A History of Italian Cycling; Italy's Divided Memory and The Man who Closed the Asylums. Five of his books have been translated into Italian. He has written for the Guardian, Independent on Sunday, London Review of Books and the TLS. He has appeared in a number of TV documentaries and on national and local radio. He is Professor of Modern Italian History at the University of Bristol and Director of an 8-university Doctoral Consortium funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Committee. He lives in Bristol with his partner and daughter. In the 1990s and 2000s, he lived in the city of Milan. He is a regular contributor to the Italian magazine Internazionale.