The Italian Resistance: Fascists, Guerrillas and the Allies [Paperback]

Tom Behan (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0745326943 | ISBN-13: 978-0745326948 | Publication Date: August 4, 2009

One of the enduring myths about World War Two is that only the Allies liberated occupied Europe. Many countries had anti-fascist Resistance movements, and Italy's was one of the biggest and most politically radical yet it remains relatively unknown outside of its own homeland. Within Italy many plaques and streets commemorate the actions of the partisans -- a spontaneous movement from below that grew as Mussolini's dictatorship unravelled. Led by radical left forces, the Resistance trod an uneasy line between fighting their enemies at home and maintaining their alliances abroad. Essential for courses on World War Two and European history, Tom Behan uses unpublished archival material and interviews with surviving partisans to tell an inspiring story of liberation.

Editorial Reviews

Review

This is the book on mid-twentieth century Italian history I have been waiting for. A marvellous reconstruction of the social and political history of Italy in the closing years of World War Two, with fine-tuned attention to the crucial interplay of grass-roots activism and high politics. -- Dr Gerd-Rainer Horn, Senior Lecturer, Department of History, Universityof Warwick At a time when the Italian Resistance is under attack from all quarters, Tom Behan's clear and accessible book is a trenchant reminder that the movement had great moral, historical and political significance. -- Dr Phil Cooke, Senior Lecturer in Italian Studies, University of Strathclyde, editor of The Italian Resistance: An Anthology (1998).

About the Author

Tom Behan is Senior Lecturer in Italian Studies at the University of Kent. His books include The Camorra (1996); The Long Awaited Moment: The Working Class and the Italian Communist Party in Milan, 1943-48  (1997); Dario Fo: Revolutionary Theatre  (Pluto, 2000); See Naples and Die: The Camorra and Organized Crime (2002); The Resistible Rise of Benito Mussolini (2003) and Defiance: The Untold Story of One Man Who Stood Up To The Sicilian Mafia (2007).

Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Pluto Press (August 4, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0745326943
• ISBN-13: 978-0745326948
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.9 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.1 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #367,178 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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