The Tailor of Ulm

The Tailor of Ulm:A History of Communism

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A fascinating analysis of the decline and fall of Western communism by a participant observer.

The Italian Communist Party was once one of the most powerful and vibrant parties of the West. In this detailed and probing work, Lucio Magri, one of the towering intellectual figures of the Italian left, assesses the causes for its demise. The PCI survived almost a century of Italian history, from its founding in 1921 to the partisan resistance, the turning point of Salerno in 1944 to the de-Stalinization of 1956, the long ’68 to the "historic compromise," and to the opportunity – missed forever – of democratic transformation.

With rigor and passion, The Tailor of Ulm merges an original and enlightening interpretation of Italian communism with the experience of a militant "heretic" into a riveting read – capable of broadening our insights into contemporary Italy and the twentieth-century communist experience.

Reviews

  • A highly intelligent, melancholy retrospect on the PCI’s eventual self-destruction.

    Eric HobsbawmLondon Review of Books
  • Magri’s assessments and ideas are invaluable to anyone seeking a deeper understanding of our recent history and for ways of overcoming the present global and systemic crisis.

    John GreenMorning Star
  • This beautifully written and meticulously researched volume should be of interest to scholars of communism, the European Left, Italy, and the Cold War. Recommended.

    Choice