
Blood and Power
The Rise and Fall of Italian Fascism
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Narrated by:
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Daniel Philpott
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By:
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John Foot
About this listen
Bloomsbury presents Blood and Power by John Foot, read by Daniel Philpott.
'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.
Excelent insight into what life was like in Fascist Italy
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Fascinating history of Italy and Fascism
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Violent and Dark Era in Italy.
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interesting in the current context
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Direct quotes, eye-witness accounts, related literature, references to photographs and footage and even memories of the author's own ancestors form an objective view of the period.
My only criticisms are as follows:
1) In the first part of the book, we are told on numerous occasions how the liberal apparatus, state, government etc. of Italy at the time was either nearly or totally passive in the face of clear aggression from fascist forces, right up until an attempt to declare martial law. Police forces let people get away with literal murder, looked on while brutal beatings took place (inside places as public as Milan's galleria). The author never once attempts to explains exactly why the state and authorities were so non-interventionist. Why did a whole series of liberal prime ministers ignore the ransacking if newspaper offices, beatings in public places, murders, etc.? It's never explained. It's not like these officials were fascist themselves, so why?
2) While overall it's told quite well, in many places the writing isn't smooth, is quite clunky, with multiple repetitions and poorly structured phrases. In some places it reads very professionally, while in others it appears a bit amateur.
3) The narrator speaks very clearly and is a good fit, but frequently commits jarring mistakes with intonation. He'll read the middle of a sentence like it's the end, and sometimes use long pauses. He often puts intonation and emphasis in entirely the wrong place.
Despite this, overall I highly recommend this book.
Fantastic coverage of the fascist period of Italy
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Cons: Very broad spectrum for the length of book.
A well researched history
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A brilliant description of a truly awful period.
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brilliant
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Terrible narration
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