Mussolini

Profiles in Power

by Martin Clark

Benito Mussolini was a brilliant Socialist journalist who in 1914 declared war, put himself at the head if the anti-Socialist movement in Italy, manoeuvred himself into power by 1933 and ruled the country until overthrown in 1943. He was a dynamic but insecure personality, who appeared dictatorial but always had to share power with the military and bureaucratic establishment. Mussolini founded an Empire in Africa and tried to 'make Italians' in his own heroic, war like image, but in fact failed to even control his own family! In June 1940, when France fell, he could not resist joining in the Second World War on the German side, although Italy was not equipped for serious fighting. His rule ended in Military disaster and personal humiliation.

This new biography focuses both on Mussolini's personality and on the way he exercised power, and regards these two issues as closely linked. It sees him as a man with all the talents needed to attain power but few of those needed to exercise it well. This book primarily focuses on how Mussolini had absolutely the wrong personality for a successful political leader.

Genres: History, Biography

376 pages, Paperback

First published February 25, 2005

About the author

Martin Clark was a British historian noted for his work on modern Italy. After obtaining his degree at Cambridge, Clark gained his PhD at Birkbeck College. In 1965 he was appointed assistant lecturer at the University of Edinburgh. He remained there at the politics department until his retirement in 2001.

Reviews

[Ezekiel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I observed that most reviewers reckon that this book is solely meant for students of history and historians except general readers. Well, i for one completely disagree with its recommendation who happens to be just a mere general reader. Contrary to what most of them claim, this book is eminently readable except for the part when Clark gets bogged down on corporatism and currency devaluation which most of its technalties elude my mind. But apart from that, It’s an enjoyable read especially when Mussolini attempted to transform the societal, economical, colonial and political aspects of Italy. However, the drawback of the book is that the book doesn’t go much in detail about the man himself who made very important descions that affect millions of people including the colonial subjects as the book very much claimed. In short, the book was misleading when it states at the back cover that Mussolini personality been described in detail. That’s why the 4 stars. But I still heavily recommend this book.

[Robert Ferber · Rating 4 out of 5]

library book. A fairly recent biography. I read this because of my interest in the development of an authoritarian/fascist government through populism. It really was fascinating to see how very popular and approved Mussolini was in the beginning, as he helped bring order and prosperity to a chaotic and struggling Italy following WWI. It was sobering to see how he gradually became seduced by his own image and made a series of irreversible errors, including Ethiopia, Somalia, and finally, becoming allied with Hitler and Nazi Germany.

[Genevieve · Rating 2 out of 5]

I just got bored with it. The book seems less biography than social history, and more economic and political history than anything. Makes for a very dry treatment of an interesting era.