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Growing Up in Mussolini's Fascist Italy: The Story of Andrea Marcello Meloni Paperback – July 16, 2020

4.9 4.9 out of 5 stars 20 ratings
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Andrea Meloni was born in Year VI (1928) of the Fascist Era in Italy. In his memoir he tells stories about growing up in Mussolini's Italy. In elementary school he delighted in being a little fascist, participating in military drills in his schoolyard and the streets of Rome. As a teenager he gradually became disillusioned with fascism as Mussolini led Italy into World War II on the side of Germany and eventually fell from power when the Allies began their invasion of Italy. He describes the first years of his life living in extreme poverty in the village of Acuto (Frosinone), his move to Rome at age five, the years under Mussolini followed by the terrors of the German occupation of Rome and the dangerous civil war between fascists and partisans, and finally the overwhelming post-war devastation.
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  1. Print length
    110 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Xlibris Us
  4. Publication date
    July 16, 2020
  5. Dimensions
    6 x 0.26 x 9 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    1796074756
  7. ISBN-13
    978-1796074758
  8. See all details
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The Amazon Book Review
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Editorial Reviews

Review

“At the crossroads of biography, memoir, essay, and history, Growing Up in Mussolini’s Fascist Italy: The Story of Andrea Marcello Meloni is a vivid and moving tribute to a unique period in time and a unique individual who lived through it. Weaving firsthand accounts and photographs with a wealth of research and insights, Christine Foster Meloni gives us a detailed excavation of a period that is no less fascinating or relevant now than it was when it occurred, and she paints a memorable portrait of a man who was forever altered by it.
- Kirk Kjeldsen, author of Land of Hidden Fires

“Often left out of World War II accounts set in Europe, Growing Up in Mussolini’s Fascist Italy: The Story of Andrea Marcello Meloni offers a vivid picture of life in Italy during Mussolini’s 21-year iron rule. “When I was born, in 1928,” Andrea writes, “I was born a little fascist. Yes! In that period one was first born a fascist and then an Italian.” In this memoir, author Christine Meloni wraps her husband’s own words in her own extensive research on the rise of Mussolini and the historical context of Andrea’s life. This is both an entertaining and informative read for anyone interested in World War II history and fascism in Italy.” -J.L. Oakley, author of The Jøssing Affair and The Quisling Factor

About the Author

Christine Foster Meloni fell in love with Italy while studying Latin in high school. She went on to earn degrees in Italian Language and Literature at Wells College (B.A.) and the University of Florence (M.A.), in Pedagogia at the University of Rome (M.A.), in Linguistics at American University (M.A.), and a doctorate in International Higher Education at George Washington University. After moving to Rome, she met and married Andrea Meloni and lived there for ten years, teaching English at the English School, Euroschool, and School for Translators and Interpreters. Returning to the U.S. with Andrea and their sons Adriano and Marcello, she taught English as a Foreign Language for 27 years at George Washington University where she is Professor Emerita. She is currently the Washington, DC correspondent for the national Norwegian American newspaper.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Xlibris Us (July 16, 2020)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 110 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1796074756
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1796074758
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 6.1 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 0.26 x 9 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.9 4.9 out of 5 stars 20 ratings

About the author

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Christine Foster Meloni

Christine Foster Meloni

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Christine Meloni fell in love with Italy while studying Latin in high school. She went on to earn degrees in Italian Language and Literature at Wells College (B.A.) and the University of Florence (M.A.), in Pedagogia at the University of Rome (M.A.), in Linguistics at American University (M.A.), and a doctorate in International Higher Education at George Washington University. After moving to Rome, she met and married Andrea and lived there for ten years, teaching English at the English School, Euroschool, and the School for Translators and Interpreters. Returning to the U.S. with Andrea and their two sons, Adriano and Marcello, she taught English as a Foreign Language for 27 years at George Washington University where she is Professor Emerita. She is now the Washington, DC Correspondent for the Norwegian American newspaper.

Christine Foster Meloni è nata a Minneapolis, Minnesota (USA). Nel corso della sua lunga carriera accademica, ha insegnato italiano e latino al Lyndon Institute in Vermont, inglese a Casa Materna a Napoli, all’English School, all'Euroschool, e all'O.S.F.I.N. Scuola per Interpreti e Traduttori a Roma, e alla George Washington University a Washington, DC, dove è attualmente Professoressa Emerita. Durante il suo soggiorno in Italia, ha conosciuto e sposato Andrea Meloni di Roma. Hanno tre figli e cinque nipoti.

Customer reviews

4.9 out of 5 stars
4.9 out of 5
20 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Carla D
5.0 out of 5 stars A moving and ideal example of how to complete a loved one's unfinished memoir
Reviewed in the United States on February 1, 2021
Verified Purchase
It’s said that couples who have been together for a long time are often “in sync,” finishing each other’s sentences. In the case of the beautiful 50-year love story and marriage of Italian Andrea Marcello Meloni and Norwegian-American Dr. Christine Foster Meloni, Christine has far exceeded this saying—by completing her late husband’s memoir of his youth in Fascist Italy. Bilingual, blessed with a scholarly mind to do dogged research, and determined to ensure that Andrea’s memoir is understood in the context of the times, Christine presents an enlightening and endearing view into the roots of a WWII Italian child-citizen soldier, and a gracious gentleman whom many of us knew only in his latter years. Andrea’s awakening to the cruelty of Mussolini and Facism and his ever-broadening appreciation and knowledge of history and truth, no doubt shaped his character in such a way that he became the perfect match for his soulmate, Christine. Her generous inclusion of reflections from others who knew Andrea and of photos from the past complement the text. Growing Up in Mussolini’s Fascist Italy: The Story of Andrea Marcello Meloni is a tribute to Andrea, and an ideal example for anyone dreaming of completing a loved one’s unfinished memoir. That said, Christine’s insights, meticulous research, writing and translations sets a bar that may be difficult for others to reach.
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Elizabeth Hardisty
5.0 out of 5 stars Engaging and Timely
Reviewed in the United States on September 4, 2020
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Curious to know a little about “Fascism”, I loved reading this - and the additional resources too (they are excellent: to hear one of Mussolini’s speeches ‘live’, see link on p. 75.) Meloni writes a gentle, personal account from her husband’s notes - one aches for the hungry little village boy, understands his enthusiasm later on when he gets his own uniform and marches, with his friends, in the military parade. One aches again when he endures the sufferings of the war imposed on all his people - and deeply understands his eventual, mature hatred of oppression and his love of freedom and peace. This book is more than readable and enlightening tho’: it’s applicable to the present. We're seeing our own freedoms being curtailed (for whatever-many reasons); poverty is growing and so is the centralization of political power. “Growing Up In Mussolini’s Fascist Italy” is a book to read now and keep in mind and heart as we make choices for our own future.
One person found this helpful
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klw
5.0 out of 5 stars Heart awakening and inspiring
Reviewed in the United States on December 22, 2020
Young Andrea Meloni's rural Italian family is so impoverished that he must go to live with his childless uncle and aunt near Rome. There he receives a jaunty uniform and becomes "a little fascist". In his vulnerability, he invests hope in Benito Mussolini's propaganda of false promises--until the Julius Caesar pretender finds himself a puppet of the Nazi regime. Disillusioned, Andrea, faces months of hunger and devastating GI bombings that eventually drive Nazi troops out of Italy. Andrea's story links Italy's fascist history with a young boy's emotional and physical journey to adulthood and freedom. Andrea's widow, Christine Meloni, professor emeritus at George Washington University, augments her late husband's written account with her own academic and personal research to create a story with such immediacy that it will awaken your heart and inspire you with the need to nurture democracy.
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Ann
5.0 out of 5 stars The Remarkable True Story of an Italian Youth Growing Up Under Mussolini's Fascist Regime
Reviewed in the United States on November 12, 2020
This personal narrative covering Andrea Meloni's early childhood through teenage years under the fascist regime of Benito Mussolini is both part memoir and part depiction of what life was like in the years of totalitarian rule that preceded World War II until its end in 1945. After Andrea's death, his American wife, Christine Foster Meloni, set out to transcribe Andrea's journal of his early years for the benefit of their family and friends. In doing so, Christine weaves his story, with numerous notes, references, and a complete bibliography, into a well researched account of a country that suffered immensely under "Il Duce," as Mussolini was called. The reader gets a real feel for what life was like in war-torn Italy and how it affected everyone adversely, but especially working class people. --Anne Lindell
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virginia l.
5.0 out of 5 stars A first hand look at Mussolini’s Fascist Italy- a gem!
Reviewed in the United States on August 12, 2020
Growing Up in Mussolini’s Fascist Italy: The Story of Andrea Marcello Meloni is a gem. This slim volume is a must-read for all World War II buffs—and for all who want to know what Fascism in Italy was really like. Christine Meloni’s loving memorial to her husband is often told in his own words written in his journals, translated from Italian by Christine, and printed in italics in the book. The last chapters describe the lasting effects Fascism had on Andrea and his life in the U.S. The book is totally engrossing. I didn’t want it to end.
2 people found this helpful
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Jane Otto
5.0 out of 5 stars How might a child survive WWII?
Reviewed in the United States on August 30, 2020
In this slim volume the author weaves together the rise of Benito Mussolini in Italy, the whys of that country's joining the Axis powers in WWII, and the effects of those events on a boy who was born in rural poverty. How Andrea Meloni managed to grow up in spite of hunger and a dangerous sense of adventure to survive the war blends world political events in the life of a single child. Well worth the read for both an understanding of history and admiration of the man who became the author's husband.
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George C
5.0 out of 5 stars Bravo Christine Meloni
Reviewed in the United States on December 25, 2020
Easy to enjoy this spiffy, compact, well illustrated book. The photos are superb the narrative compelling. Hooked from the beginning with descriptions the crushing Italian poverty in Acuto, me reminded, in modern 21st century comfort, what it was like to be surrounded with nothing, most notably no hope for reasonable reprieve. Stayed hooked for the next 100 pages right up to the final two photos of a young and late middle aged couple, smiling back - the author and her beloved. History and romance!
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George R Bozzini
5.0 out of 5 stars Review by George R Bozzini, co-author of Literature Without Borders (2001)
Reviewed in the United States on August 24, 2020
Growing Up in Mussolini's Fascist Italy is a carefully documented history (Note the three pages of references) and an engaging personal narrative. Thanks to the fact that Andrea' uncle--with whom he lived in Rome--was a professional photographer, the photos of people and Fascist memorabilia, such as report cards and notebook covers, enliven both the history and the memoir.

The first four chapters of the personalized history are followed by two very engaging chapters noting the lifelong effects of Fascism and the WW II experience of Andrea.
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Solito
5.0 out of 5 stars A seriedade do atendimento da Amazon
Reviewed in Brazil on July 30, 2021
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Excelência do produto,assim como o pronto atendimento da Amazon.
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Jean-Paul Guillois
5.0 out of 5 stars Témoignage vécu du comment le totalitarisme s'installe dans un pays
Reviewed in France on October 29, 2020
Verified Purchase
Au-delà de l'hommage personnel que Christine octroie à son mari Andréa nous avons là:
-un témoignage vécu du désarroi d'une population soumise à la pauvreté et au faux espoirs d'un totalitaire,
-les ravages occasionnés par la guerre qui fait de la population une perdante de quel côté que ce soit.
A lire !
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