Mussolini (up and down) fine

Author: [Australia] Bosworth, written by Richard, translated by Li Hongqiang
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-06-01
Features: This biography of Mussolini differs from previous accounts in that it does not portray Mussolini as a demon and does not set a predetermined tone—listing the crimes of the fascist government throughout, attacking Mussolini's brutality, arrogance, and cruelty. The author himself states that, to some extent, he is trying to view Mussolini with "a sense of pity," writing him as someone who is a bully, a coward, and a failure. Before writing the book, Richard Bosworth conducted extensive archival research, nearly exhausting all secondary literature. Through the detailed description of Mussolini's life based on these documents, readers can gain a more authentic understanding of him. The author is convinced that Mussolini was different from the ruthless Adolf Hitler and that he was not fundamentally different from many others. He was extremely vain and arrogant, loved to boast, had astonishing machismo, and was weak, incompetent, and indecisive—all of which reflect that Mussolini was an interesting and amusing figure, unlike Hitler, who was terrifying and a horrifying totalitarian dictator. Also, unlike Hitler, Mussolini did not act according to a single, exclusive ideology. Although Mussolini declared his intention to establish a "totalitarian state," in reality, he was a "Caesar in name only," superficial and hollow. To a large extent, Mussolini did not truly achieve autocratic rule. He first became an ambitious and hopeful countryman, then became a "man of his kind" in his region, later obtained dazzling but very fragile honor, and finally ended his life tragically and deservedly. Richard Bosworth's Mussolini is not only detailed and fair in its description and insightful in its analysis but also highly readable, with excellent writing skills and a light, humorous touch. It is widely recognized as the best English biography of Mussolini currently published.