MY LAST YEAR IN POWER

by Benito Mussolini ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 25, 1948

The galley sheets do not include the introduction by Max Ascoli, which presumably explains the story of the Mussolini papers, now published for the first time in English. This ""apologia"" for Mussolini (the book is written in the third not the first person, in itself a singular commentary) was written during the brief period between his spectacular rescue by the Germans- and his death at the hands of fellow countrymen. In rather disjointed fashion, he traces the history of fascism, from the March on Rome, he writes of his tortuous relations with the king, he presents Grandi, base betrayer, he recounts the last year of Italy's participation in the war, skirting the part played by Germany, and attempting to give as favorable a picture as possible of the Italians, while accusing the admiral at Pantelleria and the officers in Sicily of treachery, playing into Badoglic's hands. A dull book, by and large, but psychologically interesting as a portrait of a poseur, stripped of his trappings. Part of this will appear in Life in September.

Pub Date: Oct. 25, 1948

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Farrar, Straus

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 1948

Categories: NONFICTION