Garibaldi: Invention of a Hero

by Lucy Riall

Giuseppe Garibaldi, the Italian revolutionary leader and popular hero, was among the best-known figures of the nineteenth century. This book seeks to examine his life and the making of his cult, to assess its impact, and understand its surprising success.
For thirty years Garibaldi was involved in every combative event in Italy. His greatest moment came in 1860, when he defended a revolution in Sicily and provoked the collapse of the Bourbon monarchy, the overthrow of papal power in central Italy, and the creation of the Italian nation state. It made him a global icon, representing strength, bravery, manliness, saintliness, and a spirit of adventure. Handsome, flamboyant, and sexually attractive, he was worshiped in life and became a cult figure after his death in 1882.
Lucy Riall shows that the emerging cult of Garibaldi was initially conceived by revolutionaries intent on overthrowing the status quo, that it was also the result of a collaborative effort involving writers, artists, actors, and publishers, and that it became genuinely and enduringly popular among a broad public. The book demonstrates that Garibaldi played an integral part in fashioning and promoting himself as a new kind of “charismatic” political hero. It analyzes the way the Garibaldi myth has been harnessed both to legitimize and to challenge national political structures. And it identifies elements of Garibaldi’s political style appropriated by political leaders around the world, including Mussolini and Che Guevara.

Genres: History, Italy, Biography, Nonfiction, 19th Century

496 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2007

About the author

Formerly Professor of History at Birkbeck, University of London, Lucy Riall is a professor in the Department of History and Civilisation at the European University Institute in Florence.

Reviews

[Seingalt · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've recently taken a keen but amateur interest in the history and literature of early twentieth-century Italy. My understanding of the period, though, is hampered by my ignorance of the people and events of the Risorgimento; so I was pleasantly surprised to find an English copy of Riall's book in my local library (I live in Garibaldi's hometown, which is not, to his everlasting distaste, in Italy).

Alas, I probably won't finish this book (I've read the lengthy intro and the first three of twelve chapters). I'm in no position to find fault with the thesis being defended here, but the slightly pedestrian writing, almost never lightened by a touch of irony or grace, puts me off. (Sentence after sentence, for example, begins with such words as "hence," "thus," "however," and "nevertheless.")

And maybe I'm more than unusually ignorant and too eager to blame Riall for my own shortcomings, but, really, what is one to make of such representative sentences (page 29) as this one? "Mazzini perceived, brought out and added a political dimension to Italian romanticism and tied the romantic idea of Italy to a political mixture of Jacobinism and romantic socialism." (For the rest, the brief portrait of Giuseppe Mazzini in London was rather intriguing.)

It may be slightly unfair of me to give this book, which I won't finish, only two and a half stars. It is, after all, mostly but not exclusively my own ignorance that's keeping me from enjoying it more. At the same time, on its release it was reviewed relatively widely (for a scholarly book, that is), as if it were suitable for general readers. It isn't. It's for specialists alone. And masochistic ones, at that.

[Kris · Rating 1 out of 5]

boring. An interesting theory, if you believe that Garibaldi calculated his every action to create a "legend", instead of just being an unselfish freedom fighter.

[Alexandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was like reading a biography without the bio in it

[Rob · Rating 2 out of 5]

Garibaldi is a character who has popped up in a couple of books I’ve read this year, so I figured it was about time I learned more about him and the achievement of Italian unification. I came across this book and simply dove in. Normally, a 400 page biography is not a huge commitment for me, but I found this one tough going and opted to skim some sections of the book. Many pages are dedicated to quotes, fictional narratives and eyewitness accounts about his appearance and magnetism which grew somewhat redundant and tedious. Much of what I wanted to learn was about the supporting characters (Napoleon III, Cavour, Pope Pius IX, etc), battles and situations but instead found the recurring narrative focused on his image in Italy and abroad and also the author’s point of view that this was intentionally and meticulously crafted. I’m sure there was some thought there, but could not believe it to the same degree. A large portion of the book argues this idea over and over and I thought the story suffered from it. After all, « Invention of a Hero » is part of the title and this is very much about that and less of a linear history of a man and his times.

[Josiah Okai · Rating 5 out of 5]

I, in the 8th grade, decided that for my research paper, I would write about the Italian “hero”, Giuseppe Garibaldi. If you would like a book that goes as in depth as possible about the fight for unification, Garibaldi’s fighting spirit, and how Garibaldi’s popularity grew throughout Europe in his lifetime, you’ve come to the right place. Riall has all the knowledge there is to offer on this topic.

At times, I had a huge mental block and couldn’t understand what she was saying. Looking at how big of a book it was gave me no assurances. I still kept the 5 stars, however, because the knowledge I gained after the long journey was worth it.

[Ari · Rating 1 out of 5]

A blundering and useless mess never read a history of a military man written by a -----

[Ankshita · Rating 1 out of 5]

Given the obtuse manner in which ‘modern’ intellectuals treat historical figures, soon the only irrefutable proof of genuine GREATNESS would be the release of a book denying it.

The author’s treatment of the subject is so appallingly distorted and biased that one wonders how this could ever pass off as ‘academic’ writing.

[Sebastian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Riall, Lucy, Garibaldi: Invention of a Hero (New Haven and London: Yale University Press, 2007). Wetenschappelijke biografie gewijd aan Giuseppe Garibaldi (1807-1882), de voorman van de Risorgimento zonder wiens onvermoeibare en vaak heroische inspanningen Italië waarschijnlijk niet zou hebben bestaan. Minder dan de schrijfstijl van de auteur doet diens veelbewogen leven en tijd voortdurend verder lezen. Opvallend is het doelbewuste gebruik dat Italiaanse nationalisten als Garibaldi en Giuseppe Mazzini maakten van de media en de publieke opinie met succes bespeelden. Het boek maakt ook duidelijk onder welk een gecompliceerd gesternte de Italiaanse staat werd geboren: de Italiaanse nationalisten hadden weinig op met de regering van Piemonte en later Italië, de invloedrijke Rooms-Katholieke kerk verzette zich van meet af aan krachtig tegen de inperking van zijn macht, Italië had het nodige te duchten van buitenlandse machten (in het bijzonder Frankrijk en Oostenrijk). Garibaldi blijft bij dit alles fier overeind als de onzelfzuchtige held van de Italiaanse eenheid. Gelezen: 2009. Cijfer: 7.

[Brian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lucy Riall’s biography of Garibaldi focuses on the man and myth and how they came together to form the “invention of a hero” via his work in the unification of Italy. Garibaldi’s role in the unification is well known from intellectual thinker to military commander and the unifying link between the other key players of Mazzini, Cavour and Victor Emmanuelle. The thesis is an interesting one although it makes it seem as if Garibaldi carefully calculated every move he ever made as opposed to being caught up in the revolutionary fervor that he was generating at the time. The books writing makes it a long haul to get through and many times you were wishing that Riall would just get to the point but overall there are still good nuggets of wisdom scattered throughout the book. If you are interested in the unification of Italy you will probably find this book to have new insights on Garibaldi but if you are just getting started on the subject this is probably one to pass on.

[Ben Clift · Rating 3 out of 5]

Permanently reading but it is fascinating links history across centuries

[Sami · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read for independent study