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.

'...a highly readable account, packed with information, full of references to present-day politics and with a fair number of light-hearted asides to the reader. Clark is a master of the moderating synthesis and has no place for moral outrage.'

Paul Corner, Journal of Modern Italian Studies 2006

M Clark is a retired academic, former reader in Politics at the University of Edinburgh (he taught Gordon Brown what he knows about European History!).  He is also the author of Modern Italy 1871-1995, ( Longman 1985) and other books on Italian history including Antonio Gramsci and Revolution, (Yale 1977) and  The Italian Risorgimento, (Longman 1998).