The Perfect Fascist: A Story of Love, Power, and Morality in Mussolini’s Italy Hardcover – August 11, 2020

Dr De Grazia draws a full-size but also intimate portrait of the fascist in question, which makes it possible to study the men of the movement as social and even familiar beings. Possible to study, to analyze, and to combat.

This is a surprising and fascinating tale offering a window into the rise of Mussolini and those who served his fascist regime, told through the lens of a complex man and his complicated marriage.

Fantastic telling of the history of Italian fascism through the prism of the life of one of its hierarchs. I couldn't put it down.

The Perfect Fascist is a great book. In telling the story of Attilo Terruzi and his American wife Lilliana Weinman Victoria De Grazia gives us a wealth of information on the people and events in Mussolini's Italy. The Italian army, the Vatican, the vanity and sexual conquests of a man like Terruzi, and the self -centered world of his wife Lilliana make for a fascinating and well written read. I ended up with six pages of notes on my kindle because there were so many things I wanted to go over and remember. And, perhaps, you will see shades of our present times. "Adolph Hitler would later reflect on the use of the noble lie as a key element of the art of statecraft. Magnitude was a key. The masses, he said, lied about the little things: they were incapable of disbelief."

The above headline should have been the title of Ms de Grazia's book as she gives us no definition of what the perfect Fascist's qualities are, or for that matter what Fascism is; nevertheless she has written a good book that describes the complicated times of Italy from prior to WWI until the late 1940s.I have always felt the the most complicated political times of the western world were had by Russia towards the end of WWI when the were fighting Germany in the midst of their own civil war; but this was nothing compared with what the Italians faced when the Allies landed in southern Italy beginning the end of WWII. During that time some Italians supported the Axis, and some supported the Allies; some supported the King,while others wanted a democracy; the Nazis and the Fascists were fighting amongst themselves, as Mussillini was being deposed. This is all well documented by Ms deGrazia in her Biography of Attilio Teruzzi, a second tier General and good friend of Mussolini. Along the way she also equates some of Teruzzi's traits with Donald Trump...tho I feel this was stretching it a little.All in all, a good and very educational read.Bob BognerAuthor: Wilder:A Social Justice Phantasy

The book is rather bland and boring, and not well written. And it did not sufficiently explain the "morality in Mussolini's Italy" as referred to in the title. Also, there were lots of grammatical errors, many of which made it difficult to understand the meaning of the sentence.

This was a fascinating account of how power and male violence played out in Fascist Italy. The powerful narrative of the story, made it totally accessible to the layman who is not used to reading big history books. Highly recommended.