Galeazzo Ciano

In this splendidly nuanced study, Tobias Hof has provided the first serious English-language biography of Galeazzo Ciano, the son-in-law of the Duce. Ciano was a rich, bright, and clever fascist whose story ended in early death when he was executed by Mussolini's regime in January 1944, with Mussolini cravenly allowing his son-in-law to die for his own failings as a dictator. As Tobias Hof notes, the Mussolinian version of tyranny was to be a one-generation affair.

- Richard Bosworth, Senior Research Fellow in History, Jesus College, University of Oxford

Italian fascism is not only Mussolini. This long-overdue academic biography of Galeazzo Ciano is an important contribution towards a better understanding of the fascist dictatorship. Fascism was not a monolithic power but rather a network of powers, where familism, social environments, and strong friendships were crucial to build careers and to destroy them. Because of his origins and generation, Ciano cannot be enumerated among the fascist gerarchi of the 'first wave' like Italo Balbo and Dino Grandi. Tobias Hof's biography of Ciano enables a better understanding of the consolidation of fascism and the rapid rise and collapse of powerful people and a political system. Hof tries to answer the question of when and, above all, if Ciano was really considered Mussolini's heir.

- Patrizia Dogliani, Professor of Contemporary History, University of Bologna