THE FORCE OF DESTINY: A HISTORY OF SINCE 1796 PDF, EPUB, EBOOK

Christopher Duggan | 704 pages | 01 Jul 2008 | Penguin Books Ltd | 9780141013909 | English | , United Kingdom The Force of Destiny: A Since by Christopher Duggan

He has written several books on modern Italian history, including History of Sicily, with M. Finley and D. For the latest books, recommendations, offers and more. By signing up, I confirm that I'm over View all newsletter. For more on our cookies and changing your settings click here. Strictly Necessary cookies enable core functionality such as security, network management, and accessibility. You may disable these by changing your browser settings, but this may affect how the website functions. See More. Analytics cookies help us to improve our website by collecting and reporting information on how you use it. These cookies may be set by us or by third-party providers whose services we have added to our pages. Preference and Feature cookies allow our website to remember choices you make, such as your language preferences and any customisations you make to pages on our website during your visit. Targeting cookies are used to make advertising messages more relevant to you and your interests. They perform functions like preventing the same content from reappearing, ensuring ads are displayed and, in some cases, selecting content based on your interests. Paperback Features Find your next read Most viewed Most viewed Best first lines in fiction Best book club books Prize judges on how to read more must-read classic books Must-reads of Sign up for our newsletter Events Podcasts Apps. Children's Children's 0 - 18 months 18 months - 3 years 3 - 5 years 5 - 7 years 7 - 9 years 9 - 12 years View all children's. Puffin Ladybird. Authors A-Z. Featured Authors. Contact us Contact us Offices Media contacts Catalogues. Gifts for bibliophiles. Penguin Shop Penguin Shop Book bundles. Penguin gifts. Writing workshops. View all. As a one-volume history of Italy, you can't go wrong with this book. Fantastically well-written, incisive analysis, a thorough examination of the source material and a fine introduction to the wide array of problems that have plagued, and continue to plague Italian society. Dec 07, Czarny Pies rated it really liked it Shelves: european-history. The Force of Destiny is not a history of Italy, it is rather a history of the idea of Italy as held by the political and cultural elites of the region. Facts about the region which was unified into the Kingdom of Italy in are only alluded to when it is necessary to explain a change in this idea. Duggan writes in his preface: "This book ceases to examine how, under the impact of the Napoleon invasion and the mixture of their optimism and resentment that this engendered, an initially small gr The Force of Destiny is not a history of Italy, it is rather a history of the idea of Italy as held by the political and cultural elites of the region. Duggan writes in his preface: "This book ceases to examine how, under the impact of the Napoleon invasion and the mixture of their optimism and resentment that this engendered, an initially small group of men and women began to promote the idea of an Italian nation. He even provides a very brilliant analysis of Carlo Collodi's Pinocchio. As an undergraduate, this book which lacks any economic, demographic or sociologic analysis would have made me purple with rage. As a retired person who loves to go to the opera, I enjoyed it immensely. The problem with the book is that Duggan seems to feel that the world ended when Mussolini died. He states: "The approach the country's problems of the generation of the Risorgimento retained a powerful allure long after unification in It reached its apogee with . Thus only 60 pages are devoted to the period from to In contrast, Mussolini's two decades get pages. Mussolini after all was poet with a vision. Those that have followed him have been prosaic in the extreme. Whatever its faults, The Force of Destiny is guaranteed to please fans of Italian opera, futurist art and neorealsimo cinema. If you are one, then read this book. Oct 19, Jim Puskas rated it it was ok Shelves: history. A pretty good reference book, a bit dry but fairly comprehensive, endeavoring to untangle the complexities of Italian history from the time of the Napoleonic invasion until almost the end of the 20th century. It therefore clearly covers a great deal of territory and does so in an even-handed manner, which is no small achievement, given the degree of passionate rivalry, internecine warfare and general skullduggery that characterized much of that period. That said, the high drama of the Risorgimen A pretty good reference book, a bit dry but fairly comprehensive, endeavoring to untangle the complexities of Italian history from the time of the Napoleonic invasion until almost the end of the 20th century. That said, the high drama of the Risorgimento, the protracted and bitter struggle between the Church and the secular world, the topsy-turvy adventurism of successive Italian regimes leading up to and during the two Great Wars, all of that I believe merited a more colorful and even a light-hearted approach, to capitalize on the sheer outrageousness of many of the players and their adventures. There is surely the stuff of great theater here but the scholarly Duggan seems not to have noticed it. In a nutshell: Long on facts, short on entertainment. Sep 04, Heidi rated it it was ok Shelves: , history , history-european , nonfiction , topics-war , topics-violence , topics-racism , topics-poverty , topics-capitalism , topics- colonialism. It took me two months to read this. I'm normally a very fast reader. This was a slog. I did not enjoy the book, though there were sections that were interesting and engaging. Mostly, reading this felt like work. It seemed heavy on analysis of events and, in some places, light on the historical facts behind those events. This was my first time attempting to dive into Italian history, and I found portions of it to be confusing because of how quickly the author glossed over details that were, in ap It took me two months to read this. This was my first time attempting to dive into Italian history, and I found portions of it to be confusing because of how quickly the author glossed over details that were, in appears, crucial to really understanding his analysis. It also was just incredibly dry in many places. I found the chapters on the world wars, Italian colonialism in North and Eastern Africa, and the rise of fascism to be more interesting. But those were probably not coincidentally topics of which I already had some knowledge. I wonder if the rest of would have been more interesting if I were more familiar with the less recent history. Ultimately I do not recommend this book. Jul 25, Fred Gorrell rated it really liked it Shelves: nonfiction , history-geography. This encyclopedic description of the history of Italy, from the invasion of Napoleon through and beyond WWII, is written in an engaging style. The book provides an opportunity to contrast Italy's modern development with those of other emerging industrialized nations. Selected as background reading to prepare for a summer vacation in Italy, it provided a wealth of information that informed much of the sight-seeing we did. Jul 05, Converse rated it liked it Shelves: history , non-fiction. Emphasizes the frequent fear among Italian nationalists that their fellow citizens lack sufficient identification with the state and public spirit to allow a united Italy to persist. Mar 10, Alex rated it really liked it. Great history from until unification. Decent job on s and s. Rest of the book is a bit dry especially from s until Mussolini. Apr 11, Paula rated it liked it. For a class; helpful. For reading for pleasure Jun 30, Margaret Walker rated it it was amazing. My parents-in-law fought with the Italian partisans and my mother went to school in Mussolini's Italy, so I was interested to read Dr Duggan's book. Italian modern history is very confronting. There are Italian restaurants all over the world because of the number of Italians who wanted to leave Italy. Bear in mind, one, that Fascism glorifies violence and shuns humanitarian values. Then, two, that the rise of Mussolini and the consequent Italian atrocities in Ethiopia, Libya, Yugoslavia and Greec My parents-in-law fought with the Italian partisans and my mother went to school in Mussolini's Italy, so I was interested to read Dr Duggan's book. Then, two, that the rise of Mussolini and the consequent Italian atrocities in Ethiopia, Libya, Yugoslavia and Greece didn't arrive in history fully formed. They had their roots in the Risorgimento, at the beginning of the book. We have Churchill and Roosevelt to thank for letting them off, Yugoslavia and communism notwithstanding. Africa wasn't communist and neither was Greece. I think Britain and America favoured Italy and that the racial mindsets so prevalent between the wars encouraged them to do so. The modern Italy you see on your TV screens is a creation of the west who poured money into the country after the war and set up the government they wanted. I discovered all this by reading 'The Force of Destiny' so, if you feel depressed afterwards, remember, I warned you. Apr 06, Jonathan Keogh rated it it was ok. This book is not a history, but a historical analysis. Heavily coloured with what seems to be the author's own ideologies and view points, its constantly tangential narrative offers only crumbs of little details - presented in order to paint a picture of the social life of the delineated periods - while giving little or none of the big picture the average reader is usually craving. Page after page he will try to convince you of his own personal take on events by only focusing on details that are This book is not a history, but a historical analysis. Page after page he will try to convince you of his own personal take on events by only focusing on details that are important to his view-point at least, that is what it felt like , that really instead should be left up to the reader to decide when reading history; and all of the while, as you pass over the narrative, you'll be left scratching your head wondering what actually happened. As other reviewers have noted, there are some positives. Mr Duggan has an eye for revealing details about the lower classes that help understand the cultural and political air of the times; but these again are weighed down by their exhausting presentation: fact after fact, quote after mined-quote, presented with barely an after-thought on the general context of the period being discussed. He will give lively accounts of how the operatic performances in some tiny specified village sparked a local revolt against the Austrian militia, but buried in a sledging narrative that often forgets important macro-historical events about the Austrian occupation itself. He will speak of how Giuseppe Garibaldi's character was viewed by the Piedmontese elite, but give less than two whole pages in narrating his conquest of all of southern Italy! Even now I find this unbelievable, considering how many hundreds of pages he spent, before this section, seemingly bemoaning the constant failures of the revolutionaries in liberating the south from foreign intervention. Overall, I was left with an incredibly pessimistic and depressing view of modern Italian history. In fact, the author himself admits that he thinks of the unification of Italy as a failed endeavour. What a shame. Is anyone else utterly sick and tired of this kind of history writing? Pessimistic, dismissive, and post-modernist narratives that think hand-picked anecdotes on the personal lives of the peoples of the time particularly the lower- classes - peppered with a hostile tone applied to any act or attitude not aligned to the current socio-political climate - counts as good history? I guess I'll just have to stick to the classics. They're classics for a reason: because they rose above their times to supply humanity with a genuinely inspiring and great piece of literature, and do not beat you over the head with their ulterior meta-narratives for their own gain. God forbid - in the author's eyes - that I am at all inspired by the great men and events of the Risorgimento! Two stars. Feb 20, Pinko Palest rated it did not like it. A history of the notion of Italy rather than a history of Italy. Nothing wrong with that, but doesn't even begin to address some of the more important issues, such as the view from bleow, rather than from above. The earlier parts of the book make for plodding reading too Read this for my AS History unit on . Very readable and informative, and Duggan does a very good job of sorting out the massive chaotic jumble of events all occurring in Italy and elsewhere at the same time and putting them in a coherent order. The pictures I feel also supported the book greatly and were a welcome break from intensive reading hahaha. Aug 19, Jim Rimmer rated it liked it Shelves: history , non-fiction , european-history. Interesting book which very much focuses on the unity paradox of the Italian nation state while failing, on a number of levels, to delve into other threads of history i. Seldom moves beyond Italy as isolate. Algo como para tener una idea. Nov 20, Kevin Nolan rated it really liked it. A very heavy read that has taken me a long time to get through. Despite this though it never lost my attention and is a fascinating incite into Italy as a nation. Dec 26, Matt rated it really liked it. Looking forward to reading this. Thanks, Mary. Bonus: Named for one of my favorite Verdi operas. Mar 06, ! Byron W rated it it was amazing May 01, Ricky rated it really liked it Dec 28, There are no discussion topics on this book yet. Readers also enjoyed. About Christopher Duggan. Christopher Duggan. Christopher John Hesketh Duggan was a British historian specialising in the political, social and cultural history of modern Italy. In , he moved to the University of Reading where he remained until his death. He had been of Modern Italian History since Books by Christopher Duggan. Escape the Present with These 24 Historical Romances. You know the saying: There's no time like the present In that case, we can't Read more Trivia About The Force of Dest No trivia or quizzes yet. Welcome back. Just a moment while we sign you in to your Goodreads account. The Force of Destiny: A History of Italy Since - Christopher Duggan - Google книги

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. He has written several books on modern Italian history, including History of Sicily, with M. Finley and D. For the latest books, recommendations, offers and more. By signing up, I confirm that I'm over View all newsletter. For more on our cookies and changing your settings click here. Strictly Necessary cookies enable core functionality such as security, network management, and accessibility. You may disable these by changing your browser settings, but this may affect how the website functions. See More. Analytics cookies help us to improve our website by collecting and reporting information on how you use it. These cookies may be set by us or by third-party providers whose services we have added to our pages. Preference and Feature cookies allow our website to remember choices you make, such as your language preferences and any customisations you make to pages on our website during your visit. Targeting cookies are used to make advertising messages more relevant to you and your interests. They perform functions like preventing the same content from reappearing, ensuring ads are displayed and, in some cases, selecting content based on your interests. Paperback It is very well written and once you start you cannot stop reading. The book tells the story of Italy from Christopher Duggan. In short, I would strongly recommend this text to anybody, student or otherwise, who wants to know the canonical history of contemporary Italy. His thesis, the idea that Italy has been the political project of a small elite who only partially managed to overcome the tremendous difficulties presented by the task, will persuade all readers, except, perhaps, the most rabid nationalists. Molto perbene would be a synthetic way to describe this work, full of le buone cose di pessimo gusto that one can find in the Italian family album. In this context, most of the objections that I would make to the book are really objections to the way in which most learned Italians would tell the story of Italy. If you choose to tell the story of Italy as the story of the small elite who built the nation state, this is what you get. It is the story of the small, largely hegemonic, groups. Social history is marginal. Women are marginal. The Italian Jews are mentioned only as the victims of confinement or persecution and, even so, only a few times an international event like the Edgardo Mortara case is not mentioned. The briganti are presented with sympathy, the symptom of the shortcomings of the unification process, but they are only the symptom of the problems encountered by the Italian elite in creating a working nation-state. The socialists are mostly Filippo Turati and a few other leaders. Editori Laterza :: The Force of Destiny. A history of Italy since

His thesis, the idea that Italy has been the political project of a small elite who only partially managed to overcome the tremendous difficulties presented by the task, will persuade all readers, except, perhaps, the most rabid nationalists. Molto perbene would be a synthetic way to describe this work, full of le buone cose di pessimo gusto that one can find in the Italian family album. In this context, most of the objections that I would make to the book are really objections to the way in which most learned Italians would tell the story of Italy. If you choose to tell the story of Italy as the story of the small elite who built the nation state, this is what you get. It is the story of the small, largely hegemonic, groups. Social history is marginal. Women are marginal. The Italian Jews are mentioned only as the victims of confinement or persecution and, even so, only a few times an international event like the Edgardo Mortara case is not mentioned. The briganti are presented with sympathy, the symptom of the shortcomings of the unification process, but they are only the symptom of the problems encountered by the Italian elite in creating a working nation-state. The socialists are mostly Filippo Turati and a few other leaders. Duggan makes sure that we know that the founding fathers were not infallible saints, but this is still the story of the founding fathers with a small side dish of other inhabitants of the Italian peninsula. Since this is the modern Italian canon, the reader finds an abundance of information about the Risorgimento but very little about the Republic. As with my Liceo manual, one has the feeling that the syllabus ends with fascism and what comes afterwards will not really be part of the program. If he mentions Andrea Costa, perhaps he can say something about Antonio Gramsci, other than the fact that his writings were generically important for the Italian Communist Party. In some instances, one suspects that the author could have done a little more to account for other narratives while remaining faithful to his project. The idea that the Italian lower classes are always simply religious, merely choosing between the rival religions of socialism or Catholicism, is reductive of both socialism and Catholicism. The absence of any meaningful account of in Italy is perplexing. Contact us Contact us Offices Media contacts Catalogues. Gifts for bibliophiles. Penguin Shop Penguin Shop Book bundles. Penguin gifts. Writing workshops. View all. Isokon Penguin Donkey. Coralie Bickford-Smith Collection. Isokon Penguin Donkey: Pink. Penguin 85th by Coralie Bickford-Smith. Penguin 85th by Dapo Adeola. Penguin 85th by Jackie Morris. Penguin 85th by Vashti Harrison. Book Bundles. Stocking Fillers. Events Podcasts Penguin Newsletter Video. Paperback Ebook. View more editions. Buy from. Read more. Share at. More from this Author. Fascist Voices Christopher Duggan. About the Author. Sign up to the Penguin Newsletter For the latest books, recommendations, offers and more. Please enter an email. Please enter a valid email address. Thank you for signing up to the Penguin Newsletter Keep an eye out in your inbox.

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View 1 comment. Sep 05, Andrew rated it liked it Shelves: european-history , anthropology-sociology , italy. The history often focuses on the literary and social aspects that many political events in the country sparked. This work can be squarely defined as a post modern history. First I will talk about the good. This book does have some highly engaging content, with interesting anecdotes from local peoples, authors and political figures that existe The Force of Destiny: A History of Italy Since , by Christopher Duggan, is a history of Italy around the time of its independence up until the present. This book does have some highly engaging content, with interesting anecdotes from local peoples, authors and political figures that existed through Italy's tumultuous history since For example, the author equates scenes from Carlo Collodi's "Pinocchio" to Italian moral ineptitude. The work is dotted with references like Pinocchio, which can provide an interesting background to the historical analysis. I was particularly impressed, however, with the quality of information on Italy's political climate. However, there are many low points in this narrative. For one, the post modernist aspect of this history often detracts from the history itself. An uneducated reader may have difficulty understanding the shift in events because they are barely mentioned at all. For example, the Occupation of Fiume in played an important part in Italian Fascist ideology and was a symbol of Italy's growing militarization. This is all explained in detail, but the annexation of Fiume in , and the critical years that an independent Fiume played between in Italy's international relationships with the UK and USA are not mentioned. The annexation itself is only mentioned in parenthesis, in less than a sentence. Issues like these persist throughout the book. The history is often sidelined for the analysis, and this is a clear weakness in Duggan's work. I would have found the development of Italy and the political, social and economic consequences of unification and subsequent historical events more interesting if they were explained in any detail. Instead, tangent analysis often occurs, and although some of these tangents are interesting, they almost entirely focus on the ideological stance of Italy's current political climate, and nothing else. In all, I would say this is a middling history, in my opinion. It focuses far too much on historical analysis, which may or may not be coloured with the authors own prejudices and ideological viewpoints, and far too little on the actual historical events in Italy since I would hesitantly recommend this book to those who have a background in Italian history, or who know a lot of the background facts. In this case, the analysis may be refreshing. If you are looking for a book to learn more about Italian history however, this one may be a skip. Don't normally read Non Fiction but this provided a good background on the history of Italy, and relevant to my Foundation Degree Course. If you wanted to learn more about the history of the state of the country since , I'd recommend reading this. Insomma, la difficoltosa impresa del "fare gli italiani" dopo aver fatto l'Italia, come auspicava D'Azeglio. L'ho trovata una lettura molto interessante, per almeno tre motivi. Certi problemi del nostro Paese, ad esempio lo scarso senso civico, hanno radici antiche. Una ricostruzione con il senno di poi, ovviamente, ma che ha una sua base solida, credo. Quale malattia genetica, ab origine, ha contratto l'Italia? Un'Italia unita a forza dal destino e del caso! Molto bello questo libro, da leggere e, forse, meditare; avvincente nella prima parte si legge con foga, sembra un romanzo , diventa meno scorrevole e un po' superficiale con il Novecento. Mar 27, Stefanie rated it really liked it Shelves: italian. Although the Italian peninsula dominated politics and culture during the Roman Empire and Etruscan periods and experienced a resurgence of art and intellectualism during the Renaissance, the entire region was subject to foreign invasion and subjugation. Italy as a concept, let alone a nation, did not exist until , with the Risorgimento. Previously, the peninsula was more of a geographical expression, composed of city-states, largely under French or Austrian rulership at the time of Napoleon's invasion. The peoples identified with their area, which is clearly expressed by the use of dialect; a standardized usage of Italian was not determined until the Risorgimento. This book traces the difficulties and challenges of unification and nationhood: divisions between North and South, leadership, the Church, the monarchy, dictatorship, world and civil war, the mafia, and party divisions. Italy continues to struggle to this day with debt and corruption. If you want to deepen your understanding of a culture and its people, this is a rewarding and rich examination. Nov 24, Lauren Albert rated it really liked it Shelves: history-european. History may repeat itself but modern Italian history does seem unusually unique. Its union was nothing like that of Germany and its split north-south nothing like that of the United States. Duggan does a good job of drawing out these things. Mar 05, Mark rated it really liked it. This excellent book is not so much a history of Italy as it is a history of the nation of Italy. As Christopher Duggan demonstrates, Italian nationalism was confined to a few intellectuals, artists and professionals, with regional identities predominant among the rest of the population. As a result, unification was superficial for much of the populace, who often found themselves at odds with the liberal state and forced to choose between this artificial link and their much deeper-seated loyalty This excellent book is not so much a history of Italy as it is a history of the nation of Italy. As a result, unification was superficial for much of the populace, who often found themselves at odds with the liberal state and forced to choose between this artificial link and their much deeper-seated loyalty to the Catholic Church. This approach helps make the appeal of Fascism much more understandable, with Duggan's analysis of this period one of the strongest points of this book. In the end, the reader is left with a deeper understanding of the problems Italy faces today, and perhaps as well a skepticism about the ability of Italians to address them in the future. Jan 17, Ray LaManna rated it it was amazing Shelves: italy. If you want to know what events led to the modern Italian state, this is the book for you. A scholarly but readable text Christopher Duggan died at only 57, and while that is tragic for all the usual reasons, his contribution to the literature of modern Italian history is nevertheless immense. There is rather more to that subtitle than may at first appear. With a comparable book such as Jonathan Fenby's 'The History of Modern France', there is at least a tacit assumption that, say, 'France' is a noun with some coh Christopher Duggan died at only 57, and while that is tragic for all the usual reasons, his contribution to the literature of modern Italian history is nevertheless immense. With a comparable book such as Jonathan Fenby's 'The History of Modern France', there is at least a tacit assumption that, say, 'France' is a noun with some coherent meaning and substantive basis. Not only can no such assumption be made here, but in fact exploring the conceptual problem of 'Italy' is the central thesis and driving force of the book. It is frequently highlighted that despite the process of 'material unification' culminating in , the 'moral unification' required for nationhood proved elusive. De Gaulle may famously have had 'a certain idea of France', but there have been too many ideas of Italy for any lasting consensus to have been reached. Whether by accident or design, Duggan implicitly comes out against the 'Great Man' theory of history. This is not to say there are no 'Great Men' in the text, as it is full of them, from Joachim Murat to Silvio Berlusconi and the whole rogue's gallery in between. But the overall impression is that there are forces at work - or rather resistance to forces - in the Italian character upon which even decades of exertion by Mazzini, d'Azeglio, Cavour, Garibaldi, Crispi, Giolitti, D'Annunzio, Mussolini and their ilk can only make the most transitory of impressions. This is not so much the force of destiny as the inertia of immutability. Thus Duggan provides a solid grounding in some of the many divisions and forces which have served to despoil unity. There is the broad north-south divide, the narrower parochialism of city-states such as Modena and regions such as Sicily, the mutually incomprehensible dialects, the competing claims to hearts and minds of Catholicism with at different times socialism, Liberalism, fascism, communism, consumerist capitalism, and 'Christian Democracy'. Then there are the numerous complexities surrounding the Papacy and the Papal States and their interactions with various regimes. We also look at the complexities around defining 'mafiosi' and 'the mafia', and determining its historical role, whether as a pattern of culturally-endorsed behaviour, an abstract concept, a convenient scapegoat, or a discrete hierarchical organisation. And of course there are the usual difficulties of interpretation surrounding resistance fighters, anarchists, and terrorists. Culture - from high art to mass media - is important and sometimes in counter-intuitive ways. Duggan explains how Italy's world-class artistic and intellectual achievements were often seen as obstacles to 'moral unity', and as symptomatic of the ineffectual personalities of a people chronically incapable of the sacrificial mindset required of nationalism. It's doubtful that another author will attempt a second edition of this book, and therefore it will inevitably require supplementing as time marches on one wonders what Paul Ginsborg's opinions on the matter may be. Nevertheless, it will not soon be surpassed as a summary of over two centuries of Italy's painful struggles to achieve modern nationhood. May 04, Jackson Cyril rated it really liked it. Duggan isn't so good on post WW2 Italian history, but he covers the period from some pages of this pg book exceptionally well. As a one-volume history of Italy, you can't go wrong with this book. Fantastically well-written, incisive analysis, a thorough examination of the source material and a fine introduction to the wide array of problems that have plagued, and continue to plague Italian society. Dec 07, Czarny Pies rated it really liked it Shelves: european-history. The Force of Destiny is not a history of Italy, it is rather a history of the idea of Italy as held by the political and cultural elites of the region. Facts about the region which was unified into the Kingdom of Italy in are only alluded to when it is necessary to explain a change in this idea. Duggan writes in his preface: "This book ceases to examine how, under the impact of the Napoleon invasion and the mixture of their optimism and resentment that this engendered, an initially small gr The Force of Destiny is not a history of Italy, it is rather a history of the idea of Italy as held by the political and cultural elites of the region. Duggan writes in his preface: "This book ceases to examine how, under the impact of the Napoleon invasion and the mixture of their optimism and resentment that this engendered, an initially small group of men and women began to promote the idea of an Italian nation. He even provides a very brilliant analysis of Carlo Collodi's Pinocchio. As an undergraduate, this book which lacks any economic, demographic or sociologic analysis would have made me purple with rage. As a retired person who loves to go to the opera, I enjoyed it immensely. The problem with the book is that Duggan seems to feel that the world ended when Mussolini died. He states: "The approach the country's problems of the generation of the Risorgimento retained a powerful allure long after unification in It reached its apogee with fascism. Thus only 60 pages are devoted to the period from to In contrast, Mussolini's two decades get pages. Mussolini after all was poet with a vision. Those that have followed him have been prosaic in the extreme. Whatever its faults, The Force of Destiny is guaranteed to please fans of Italian opera, futurist art and neorealsimo cinema. If you are one, then read this book. Oct 19, Jim Puskas rated it it was ok Shelves: history. A pretty good reference book, a bit dry but fairly comprehensive, endeavoring to untangle the complexities of Italian history from the time of the Napoleonic invasion until almost the end of the 20th century. It therefore clearly covers a great deal of territory and does so in an even-handed manner, which is no small achievement, given the degree of passionate rivalry, internecine warfare and general skullduggery that characterized much of that period. That said, the high drama of the Risorgimen A pretty good reference book, a bit dry but fairly comprehensive, endeavoring to untangle the complexities of Italian history from the time of the Napoleonic invasion until almost the end of the 20th century. That said, the high drama of the Risorgimento, the protracted and bitter struggle between the Church and the secular world, the topsy-turvy adventurism of successive Italian regimes leading up to and during the two Great Wars, all of that I believe merited a more colorful and even a light-hearted approach, to capitalize on the sheer outrageousness of many of the players and their adventures. There is surely the stuff of great theater here but the scholarly Duggan seems not to have noticed it. In a nutshell: Long on facts, short on entertainment. Sep 04, Heidi rated it it was ok Shelves: , history , history-european , nonfiction , topics-war , topics-violence , topics-racism , topics-poverty , topics-capitalism , topics-colonialism. It took me two months to read this. I'm normally a very fast reader. This was a slog. I did not enjoy the book, though there were sections that were interesting and engaging. Mostly, reading this felt like work. It seemed heavy on analysis of events and, in some places, light on the historical facts behind those events. This was my first time attempting to dive into Italian history, and I found portions of it to be confusing because of how quickly the author glossed over details that were, in ap It took me two months to read this. This was my first time attempting to dive into Italian history, and I found portions of it to be confusing because of how quickly the author glossed over details that were, in appears, crucial to really understanding his analysis. It also was just incredibly dry in many places. I found the chapters on the world wars, Italian colonialism in North and Eastern Africa, and the rise of fascism to be more interesting. But those were probably not coincidentally topics of which I already had some knowledge. I wonder if the rest of would have been more interesting if I were more familiar with the less recent history. Ultimately I do not recommend this book. Jul 25, Fred Gorrell rated it really liked it Shelves: nonfiction , history-geography. This encyclopedic description of the history of Italy, from the invasion of Napoleon through and beyond WWII, is written in an engaging style. The book provides an opportunity to contrast Italy's modern development with those of other emerging industrialized nations. Selected as background reading to prepare for a summer vacation in Italy, it provided a wealth of information that informed much of the sight-seeing we did. Duggan makes sure that we know that the founding fathers were not infallible saints, but this is still the story of the founding fathers with a small side dish of other inhabitants of the Italian peninsula. Since this is the modern Italian canon, the reader finds an abundance of information about the Risorgimento but very little about the Republic. As with my Liceo manual, one has the feeling that the syllabus ends with fascism and what comes afterwards will not really be part of the program. If he mentions Andrea Costa, perhaps he can say something about Antonio Gramsci, other than the fact that his writings were generically important for the Italian Communist Party. In some instances, one suspects that the author could have done a little more to account for other narratives while remaining faithful to his project. The idea that the Italian lower classes are always simply religious, merely choosing between the rival religions of socialism or Catholicism, is reductive of both socialism and Catholicism. The absence of any meaningful account of in Italy is perplexing. The Italian Trade Unions were more than just expressions of their parties of reference. Italian women should not be reduced to Sophia Loren and Gina Lollobrigida. Immigration, I suspect, will have more lasting consequences for Italy than Silvio Berlusconi, but there is a lot of the latter and nothing of the former. This is the book, and you can enjoy its narrative and still be taken by a serious desire to destroy the canon. What seems clear to me, however, is that most Italians still accept the canon, and in teaching Italian history it would not make sense to ignore it. Thus, as I said from the beginning, this will be a required text for my students. I will argue with it and I will ask my students to imagine other ways to narrate Italy, but I will tell them that this is how the canonical history of Italy is told. Citation: Emanuel Rota. H-Italy, H-Net Reviews. December,

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