Giacomo Chiozza's 3 favorite reads in 2024

M: Son of the Century is the first installment of Antonio Scurati's monumental tetralogy on Benito Mussoni's life, politics, rise and fall. It is a novel. But it is also history at its best. It is accurate -- it portrays what happened in the critical years between 1919 and 1924 when the Fascist movement emerged in the aftermath of the Great War and rose to power. The book describes the political, cultural, and social context within which Mussolini came to power with the precision and insight that only the most gifted novelist can attain. The book also offers an insight into the psychology of power and violence: what it takes to command, why some people willingly, if not enthusiastically, embrace the leader as he systematically abuses his power, and why some other people resist to the cost of their lives. It is a chilling account, and a book for our times.

The Wars for Asia is a masterpiece of historical analysis. It casts a new light on the history of World War II and, in the process, it reveals the enduring foundations of current political rivalries over the Eurasian landmass and the Pacific Ocean. The book demonstrates that what we usually refer to as World War II is the interlocking interaction of three different conflicts -- the Chinese Civil War, the regional war between China and Japan, and the global war pitting the US and its allies against the Axis powers. Each one of these conflicts had its own logic and dynamic. At the same time, none of these conflicts can be fully understood and explained if looked at in isolation, as is the case in usual historical accounts. That is why the Wars for Asia is so innovative: it shows the interconnections between and across these conflicts and how their major protagonists -- Chiang Kai-shek, Mao, Stalin, the leaders of Imperial Japan, Roosevelt, Churchill, and Hitler -- acted upon those interconnections to pursue their country's goals, as well as their political survival. All of this comes in a riveting style that makes the book hard to put down.

Jimmy Carter in Africa tells the story of US foreign policy towards Africa during the Carter administration. The book offers a comprehensive overview, but it predominantly focuses on two aspects: the decolonization of Rhodesia, and the war in the Horn of Africa. It may appear a standard account of US diplomatic history. But it is not. The book not only connects domestic politics in the US, the domestic political and societal battles against racism, and the international competition between the US and the USSR. It also provides perceptive assessments of the ambition, moral compass, political shrewdness, and at times pettiness of the key protagonists, starting from President Carter and his cabinet leaders to the African leaders, Mugabe, Siad Barre, Mengistu, among others. The portrayal of Andy Young, US Ambassador to the United Nations, is a special gem in the book.