The massive international bestseller—an epic historical novel that chronicles the birth and rise of fascism in Italy, witnessed through the eyes of its founder, the terrifyingly charismatic figure who would become one of the most notorious dictators of the twentieth century, Benito Mussolini.It is 1919, and the Great War that has ravaged Europe is over. In Italy, the people are exhausted. Tired of the political class. Tired of vague promises, inept moderates, and the agonizing machinations of a democracy that has failed ordinary citizens.

While elite leaders have sat idly by, achieving nothing, one outsider—the director of a small opposition newspaper and a tireless political agitator—is electrifying the masses, promising hope for a demoralized nation hungry for change.

A former socialist leader ousted by his own party, he is a drifter who knows what it is to feel lost. His voice speaks for the misfits and the outcasts; he is a protector of those who are forgotten. 

He is Benito Mussolini. And soon Italy—and the world—will be forever remade. 

In M: A Novel, Antonio Scurati tells the story of fascism from within the mind of its founder, the man known to his followers as Il Duce. Steeped in historical detail and interspersed with period documents and sources, this masterful saga explores the seductive power of nationalism and idolatry, revealing how authoritarianism took hold and a nation bent to the will of one ruthless strongman. Provocative and resonant, M is a chilling reminder that the past is never gone, and that it holds urgent lessons for us today. 

The second volume of Antonio Scurati's masterful trilogy, acclaimed as one of the great historical novels of the twenty-first century, and an international bestseller. M: The Ascent to Power takes the reader through the 1930s as Benito Mussolini transcends his youth as a small-time newspaperman, agitator, and socialist to become the terrifyingly charismatic Il Duce, with the drums of the Second World War beginning to rumble across Europe. Firebrand Benito Mussolini's speeches and promises have won him the devotion of Italy's poor and marginalized suffering from the ravages and economic deprivations of the First World War. With his political rise and taste for violence, Mussolini bends all of Italy to his will, molding the nation into a fearsome police state and establishing a nefarious new system of government known as fascism.M: The Ascent to Power follows Mussolini to the precipice of World War II. Il Duce's arrogant, aggressive, and charismatic personality and will to power combined with his shrewd use of propaganda, violence, and extensive network of torture and repression propel Italy's National Fascist Party forward. While his Blackshirts march on Rome, he declares the Slavic people barbarians, nationalizes Italian business, and eventually makes the choice to join forces with Nazi Germany's Fuhrer, Adolf Hitler. Antonio Scurati's M series imaginatively tells the story of fascism from inside the mind of its founder. Steeped in history and atmosphere and filled with details drawn from period documents and sources, this masterful saga explores the seductive power of nationalism and idolatry, revealing how authoritarianism took hold and a nation succumbed to one ruthless strongman. Provocative and resonant, this literary masterpiece is a chilling reminder that the past is never gone, and that it holds urgent lessons for today.

Italia este epuizată. Sătulă de clasa politică. Sătulă de moderații inepți și de mașinațiile agonizante ale unei democrații ce pare să nu mai funcționeze. În timp ce liderii țării au stat cu mâinile în sân, bucurându-se de siguranța Parlamentului, un om din exterior a urcat până în vârf. Este un inadaptat prin excelență, un protector al veteranilor de război demobilizați rușinos, un vagabond care-și caută drumul. Vorbește în numele proscrișilor, al renegaților și al celor care pun mai presus de orice puritatea ideologică. Este un fost lider socialist înlăturat de partidul său, directorul unui mic ziar de opoziție, un agitator politic neobosit. Ca un animal, simte că se apropie schimbarea. Este Benito Mussolini. M. Fiul secolului descrie ascensiunea fascismului din perspectiva fondatorului său. Bogată în detalii și presărată cu documente și surse autentice, este o operă impecabilă de ficțiune istorică, cu o rezonanță dramatică în epoca noastră.„O relatare istorică magistrală, o carte extraordinară și stimulatoare. Un portret al lui Benito Mussolini cu atât mai precis și mai bine reliefat cu cât este concret și riguros. O lucrare îndrăzneață, fluidă, impresionantă. O poveste genială.”Le Figaro„O realizare literară incontestabilă. Scurati examinează minuțios istoria într-o proză de excelentă calitate, bogată în aluzii literare...”El Paìs„Panoramică și polifonică, lucrarea lui Scurati dezvăluie experiențele celor temători și ale celor care stârnesc teamă, retorica revoluționarilor și cea a reacționarilor... o multitudine de fragmente care alcătuiesc un mozaic imens.”New Statesman„Seamănă cu un thriller politic... surprinzător de modern. O lectură obligatorie.”Die Zeit

The massive international bestseller—an epic historical novel that chronicles the birth and rise of fascism in Italy, witnessed through the eyes of its founder, the terrifyingly charismatic figure who would become one of the most notorious dictators of the twentieth century, Benito Mussolini.It is 1919, and the Great War that has ravaged Europe is over. In Italy, the people are exhausted. Tired of the political class. Tired of vague promises, inept moderates, and the agonizing machinations of a democracy that has failed ordinary citizens.

While elite leaders have sat idly by, achieving nothing, one outsider—the director of a small opposition newspaper and a tireless political agitator—is electrifying the masses, promising hope for a demoralized nation hungry for change.

A former socialist leader ousted by his own party, he is a drifter who knows what it is to feel lost. His voice speaks for the misfits and the outcasts; he is a protector of those who are forgotten. 

He is Benito Mussolini. And soon Italy—and the world—will be forever remade. 

In M: A Novel, Antonio Scurati tells the story of fascism from within the mind of its founder, the man known to his followers as Il Duce. Steeped in historical detail and interspersed with period documents and sources, this masterful saga explores the seductive power of nationalism and idolatry, revealing how authoritarianism took hold and a nation bent to the will of one ruthless strongman. Provocative and resonant, M is a chilling reminder that the past is never gone, and that it holds urgent lessons for us today. 

The second volume of Antonio Scurati's masterful trilogy, acclaimed as one of the great historical novels of the twenty-first century, and an international bestseller. M: The Ascent to Power takes the reader through the 1930s as Benito Mussolini transcends his youth as a small-time newspaperman, agitator, and socialist to become the terrifyingly charismatic Il Duce, with the drums of the Second World War beginning to rumble across Europe. Firebrand Benito Mussolini's speeches and promises have won him the devotion of Italy's poor and marginalized suffering from the ravages and economic deprivations of the First World War. With his political rise and taste for violence, Mussolini bends all of Italy to his will, molding the nation into a fearsome police state and establishing a nefarious new system of government known as fascism.M: The Ascent to Power follows Mussolini to the precipice of World War II. Il Duce's arrogant, aggressive, and charismatic personality and will to power combined with his shrewd use of propaganda, violence, and extensive network of torture and repression propel Italy's National Fascist Party forward. While his Blackshirts march on Rome, he declares the Slavic people barbarians, nationalizes Italian business, and eventually makes the choice to join forces with Nazi Germany's Fuhrer, Adolf Hitler. Antonio Scurati's M series imaginatively tells the story of fascism from inside the mind of its founder. Steeped in history and atmosphere and filled with details drawn from period documents and sources, this masterful saga explores the seductive power of nationalism and idolatry, revealing how authoritarianism took hold and a nation succumbed to one ruthless strongman. Provocative and resonant, this literary masterpiece is a chilling reminder that the past is never gone, and that it holds urgent lessons for today.

Italia este epuizată. Sătulă de clasa politică. Sătulă de moderații inepți și de mașinațiile agonizante ale unei democrații ce pare să nu mai funcționeze. În timp ce liderii țării au stat cu mâinile în sân, bucurându-se de siguranța Parlamentului, un om din exterior a urcat până în vârf. Este un inadaptat prin excelență, un protector al veteranilor de război demobilizați rușinos, un vagabond care-și caută drumul. Vorbește în numele proscrișilor, al renegaților și al celor care pun mai presus de orice puritatea ideologică. Este un fost lider socialist înlăturat de partidul său, directorul unui mic ziar de opoziție, un agitator politic neobosit. Ca un animal, simte că se apropie schimbarea. Este Benito Mussolini. M. Fiul secolului descrie ascensiunea fascismului din perspectiva fondatorului său. Bogată în detalii și presărată cu documente și surse autentice, este o operă impecabilă de ficțiune istorică, cu o rezonanță dramatică în epoca noastră.„O relatare istorică magistrală, o carte extraordinară și stimulatoare. Un portret al lui Benito Mussolini cu atât mai precis și mai bine reliefat cu cât este concret și riguros. O lucrare îndrăzneață, fluidă, impresionantă. O poveste genială.”Le Figaro„O realizare literară incontestabilă. Scurati examinează minuțios istoria într-o proză de excelentă calitate, bogată în aluzii literare...”El Paìs„Panoramică și polifonică, lucrarea lui Scurati dezvăluie experiențele celor temători și ale celor care stârnesc teamă, retorica revoluționarilor și cea a reacționarilor... o multitudine de fragmente care alcătuiesc un mozaic imens.”New Statesman„Seamănă cu un thriller politic... surprinzător de modern. O lectură obligatorie.”Die Zeit