Mussolini: A Study in Power

by Ivone Kirkpatrick

List of Illustrations
Chart & Maps
Introduction
The Road to Power
Power
Decline
Fall
Notes
Biographical & Explanatory Notes
Bibliography
Acknowledgment
Index
The Author & His Book
illustrated w/photos, charts & maps

Genres: History, Biography, War, Italy, Military History, Nonfiction

727 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1964

Reviews

[Kyle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mussolini's life should be made into an epic musical - you may think I'm joking but I'm being completely serious. This biography details in a great depth the most important chapters of Mussolini's life - his childhood, his rise to power,the murder of Matteotti, the consolidation of his base and position, his alliance with Hitler, his efforts in Africa, his involvement in the Spanish Civil War, his contribution to WW2, the palace revolution, his impeachment and subsequent rescue, the German puppet Salo Republic, and his last days and eventual seizure and death at the hand of Communist partisans (along with his mistress Clara Petacci).

It may seem surprising to some, but I truly do think that Mussolini's life enjoyed (suffered?) more dynamism and encompassed more drama than Hitler's life did - from innovations to power-trips to affairs, Kirkpatrick's biography covers all the crucial ground and as such is one of the best and most well-balanced biographies that I have ever had the pleasure of reading, dare I even say one of the best history books that I have read.

The Duce is portrayed today as a two-dimensional cartoon figure who lusted for power and in turn dealt dirty dealings with the Fuhrer but reality is often more strange than fiction. Mussolini was a complex and conflicted figure. From his early atheistic Socialist days to his midlife self-confidently righteous Fascist phase to his more solemn and philosophically invigorated and religious final period, Mussolini never failed to evolve and progress further in his perceptions of reality. One success never seemed to keep him content, he always looked ahead.

One of the common and most interesting themes throughout the book was Mussolini's precarious balancing act in which he tried to fulfill his agreements and obligations with the Germans while at the same time doing what was best for his people due some may say to a patriotic fervor that never truly left him. Mussolini was not often successful in this balancing act and the seesaw of political stability always seemed to sway too heavy in one direction or another; no one was happy, least of all Mussolini.

Kirkpatrick's book also details some of the unique and interesting domestic policies that were put into place in Fascist Italy including their war on Malaria, the incentivized child-bearing competitions, the latter-day race issues and the negotiations with the Vatican and the Pope. No matter what the domestic policies were though, the Italian people were never excited about the Axis alliance or their "responsibilities" as soldiers and thus drained the morale of the Italian war-efforts, especially after ill-advised imperial adventures in Africa.

The section on the latter part of Mussolini's life is especially sobering and it isn't always an easy read. If I'm being honest, there were multiple times throughout reading this that I felt truly sympathetic to Mussolini's circumstance; one of these instances was when Mussolini was reinstated (after being voted out by Grand Council) as the leader of Italy (technically in this case, the Salo Republic). Mussolini had two choices after he was voted out; A: Accept Germany's offer to be head of what was basically a German-puppet government (think post-WW2 Soviet states) or, B: Refuse to lead and let the Germans overrun Italy and claim what they see fit as war booty. It was a difficult position, in fact so difficult that Mussolini was damned if he did and damned if he didn't. One could chalk up his latter-day renewed interest and faith in the Catholic religion to events like these; Mussolini took up reading books like 'The Life of Christ' and 'The Life of St. Benedict' to fill up his time - he was very obviously becoming disillusioned with reality near the end of his life and by the time he was arrested and imprisoned, he was mostly at peace.

I can't recommend this book enough for those looking to get an extremely excellent overview of Mussolini and his contributions to one of the most important events in world history. There are certainly better books if you're specifically interested in a certain part of Fascist Italy's history, but for a general overview of the country during WW2 and Mussolini's life, one can't get much better than this book - props to Sir Ivone Kirkpatrick. After looking at the referenced works at the end of the book, it's very clear that the author has pulled from a staggering variety of sources and most of them are primary. If you've read up to this point, I don't see why you shouldn't give this a read.

[Ed Hammerbeck · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't finish this book as much as one of my dogs chewed it up. He did me a favor.

Don't get me wrong. The subject matter is top notch. It's good history/biography. But the writing style is dry as hell. It made reading a compelling story about a compelling person a slog. I'd see the book lying there on the table, and as much as I wanted to crack it open, I often didn't want to bother with the dusty, old prose. Normally, I can handle antique writing, but this just left me cold.

History = good
Style = blah

[James Minnigh · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good read. I have read numerous books and watched countless videos on WW2 and related subjects over the years. Not many if any really touch on Italy in WW2 or Mussolini. This book contained a lot of good information I had no idea about. My main complaint with the book is that there seemed long sections of the book where it became more about Ciano the foreign minister more than Mussolini. Still a good book and definitely worth checking out to learn more about Mussolini.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderful, definitive account of the life of a complex character on the world stage. This story is much like those famous Greek tragedies leaving one almost with sadness at the fate which the protagonist brought on himself. My only criticism is that the book does not go into as much detail on his rule prior to Hitler rising to power in Germany as I would have liked. Either way, this is a great book at a figure utterly eclipsed by that rascal to the North.

[Erik Graff · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not knowing much about Mussolini, he usually being treated in Hitler's shadow, I picked this biography for a review of his life and of Italy's history during it. I was not disappointed. This is an excellent book. Interestingly, except for a memoir, this is Kirkpatrick's only book.