UNA STORIA ITALIANA

A comprehensive, outspoken and insightful story of the media tycoon and political leader, Silvio Berlusconi, who was the longest serving prime minister in Italy after Mussolini and Giolitti; a sharp book that digs into his personal, entrepreneurial and political parable, from the very beginning to the most recent scandals and countless allegations, exploring the dark sides.

"An Italian Story". This was the title of the illustrated pamphlet, distributed in millions of copies to every household in the country, on the eve of the 2001 general elections. With both hagiographic and electoral intent, it celebrated the talents of Silvio Berlusconi, the gifted businessman who built a real estate empire, guided a football club to triumph, routed the RAI monopoly by building an authentic media colossus, founded a new and immediately winning party, and instilled optimism and unconditional confidence in many Italians. Since then dozens and dozens of books, films, articles and TV debates have chronicled the exploits of the Italian Cavaliere. But do we really know the truth behind all this? Gianni Barbacetto quells all the background noises that surrounds every act in Berlusconi's history, and he neatly traces, alongside the well-known events, the unknown, forgotten, underestimated, and obscure ones in which he has been a key player, nationally and internationally. The origin of his first millions. The alleged relations with the men of Cosa Nostra. The real reasons behind his decision to enter politics, "to enter the field" (in his own words). The episode of the bribe that, had it been discovered in 1993 by the Mani pulite magistrates, would probably have changed the course of his fate and that of the country. All the ad personam laws and stratagems that allowed him to emerge (almost) unscathed from trials. Commercial broadcasting television, the constantly exhibited wealth and the cult of eternal youth, power and success at any cost, the scandals and the allegations. Gianni Barbacetto is an Italian journalist and author who wrote for magazines like "Il Mondo", "L'Europeo", "Diario" and is now one of the main columnists of "il Fatto Quotidiano". For Chiarelettere he wrote in 2012 Mani pulite (with Peter Gomez and Marco Travaglio), the landmark and bestselling book on Tangentopoli, which appeared in a new edition in 2022. For Chiarelettere he also published Le mani sulla città (2011), Il Celeste. Ascesa e declino di Roberto Formigoni (2012), Excelsior. Il gran ballo dell'Expo (2015) and La beatificazione di Craxi (2020). His most recent books also include Angeli terribili (Garzanti 2018) and Piazza Fontana. Il primo atto dell'ultima guerra italiana (Garzanti 2019).