Synopses & Reviews
In this much-lauded memoir, acclaimed for its blend of literary elegance and political passion, Rossana Rossanda, a legendary figure on the Italian left, reflects on a life of radical commitment.
Active as a communist militant in the Italian Resistance against fascism during World War Two, Rossanda rose rapidly in its aftermath, becoming editor of the Communist Party weekly paper and a member of parliament. Initially a party loyalist, she was critical of the party's conservatism in the face of new radical movements and moved into opposition during the late 1960s. The breach widened after she and others publicly opposed the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia, and were expelled in 1969. She went on to help found the influential paper il manifesto, which remains the most critical daily in Berlusconi's Italy.
Her unique experience enables her to reconstruct that period with flair and authority. She paints a revealing picture of fascism, communism, post-war reconstruction and the revolts that shook Europe in the 1960s. In The Comrade from Milan, one of the most influential intellectuals of the European Left relives the storms of the twentieth century. Both cool-headed and precise, Rossanda provides a rare insight into what it once meant to be politically engaged.
Review
"Rossanda's autobiography is the best book of the year." La Stampa
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"Honest and painful ... party, relationships, victories and, most of all, defeats compose a memorable fresco and a precious testimony." La Repubblica
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"For nearly four decades, Rossanda has been Manifesto's most individual editorialist and commentator ... a unique signature in the Italian press." New Left Review
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"A beautiful book, full of poetic pages, written in an elegant and evocative Italian reminiscent of Natalia Ginzburg." Corriere della Sera
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"The Italian Communist leadership of the generation of 1943-45 is exceptional: it has been described with wonderful skill in Rossana Rossanda's recent autobiography." Eric Hobsbawm
Synopsis
Rossana Rossanda is one of the most important and influential intellectuals on the European Left, and was one of its key figures in the second half of the twentieth century. Born in 1924, by 1943 she was immersed in the Italian Resistance movement. After the war she rose quickly through the ranks of the Communist Party, becoming editor of its weekly paper and a member of parliament. Inspired by the radicalization of the late 1960s, she became a party dissident. She moved further away from party lines after the invasion of Czechoslovakia, helping to found the legendary periodical Il Manifesto. After being expelled from the PCI in 1969, she became a major reference point for the New Left in Italy and in Europe more widely.
In this beautifully written memoir, which was greeted with literary acclaim in Italy, Rossanda recounts in a cool and trenchant manner the course she traveled through these stormy and decisive years, never stooping to sentimentality or bien-pensantrhetoric. From her uniquely privileged perspective, we gain a fascinating insight into the history of fascism, communism, postwar reconstruction and the stirrings of the revolts that were to shake Europe through the 60s and 70s.
Synopsis
A striking account of the European Left in the twentieth century by one of its main protagonists.
About the Author
Rossana Rossanda is a regular contributor to Il Manifesto and New Left Review. She is the author of numerous books, including Brigate rosse, Una storia italiana.