History was always written by those in charge, but more and more, historians are turning to the records left by ordinary people. With Fascist Voices, Christopher Duggan explores letters and diaries of Italians during the rise of Fascism and the rule of Mussolini. He lucidly exposes the reality of modern dictatorships: they may not be democracies but they depend on the enthusiasm of their people as well as their fear. Italians under Fascism weren’t blind to the system’s faults or abuses of the bosses but the attraction to the charismatic personality of Il Duce continued even after he took their nation down the path to disaster.
