This internationally bestselling novel chronicles the birth and rise of fascism in Italy from the point of view of its founder, Benito Mussolini. In 1919 the people of Italy are beaten down by the Great War and the political class. Along comes an outsider who promises hope and electrifies the country. He speaks for the misfits and protects the forgotten. He is Benito Mussolini. Antonio Scurati tells the story of Il Duce's rise and how a nation bent to the will of a ruthless strongman.