Italy and Its Discontents: Family, Civil Society, State 1980-2001 Book

It's easy to misinterpret or over-simplify the social, political and economic history of contemporary Italy. Too many of the events of the last twenty years seem designed to coincide with (and confirm) stereotyped images of the country. Administrative chaos and corruption revealed in the "Tangentopoli" scandals of the 90s. Mafia wars, assassinations and organised crime. Unpredictable and crisis-ridden government culminating in the emergence of Silvio Berlusconi as a political force. In Italy and Its Discontents Paul Ginsborg avoids easy answers to difficult questions. He aims to provide a coherent analysis of contemporary Italy and he does so by structuring his book around the continuing importance of the family in Italian society. Both as reality and as metaphor the family is shown still to be at the heart of any understanding of the country. Family-run businesses dominate the economy, family contacts are used to deal with the twists and turns of the bureaucracy, political parties and the Catholic church alike continue to use the language of family in their propaganda. Ginsborg marshals an impressive array of detail and fact to support his subtle and intelligent interpretations of the last 20 years of Italian history. His book can sometimes seem dry and even (at times) forbiddingly academic, but for anyone looking to know more about the real rather than the stereotypical Italy of the last twenty years, it is essential reading. --Nick RennisonRead More