From some biographies you only start to understand the meaning after reading a few chapters. The cover of the biography also helps to understand why the life of a man was important. In this case, it is no secret that the Count Ciano developed a (writing) habit that proved priceless for understanding the development of the (pre) World War II.
The story could begin better than revealing this fact in the prologue; Edda, the (favorite) daughter of el Duce, escapes to Switzerland with the five diaries covering the war years. It is meant to be a flashback. The first chapter starts fourteen years earlier.
Moseley writes about the family life and the engagement of the daughter in the context of the developments in Europe and Italy. Mussolini is still admired, also by the US (although not by all…).
But soon the atrocities become visible, not only to the reader of the biography, for example the use of poisoned gas in the war against Ethiopia which was promoted by Ciano. El duce was at first not in favor of colonial exercises like those of other nations, but was triggered by the bad economic situation for which the invasion could be helpful.
The biography is about the “double life” of Ciano – Mussolini’s shadow, but it is of course also about Mussolini: “Ciano was not only the product of his father-in-law…
The atrocities start soon both in the book (chapter II – from diplomat to bomber pilot) as in his real life as son-in-law. Also this biography is a story of change, it is not that you will get sympathy for the protagonist, but something is changing in the relation with his father-in-law… “who also destroyed him”…
(The book includes some photos in which one of them reveals the very end of Mussolini himself)
A must-read for anyone who is interested in the combination of psychology, intrigues and personal development (Ciano becomes the youngest foreign minister in Europe of that time at age 32) and of course: history. Part of the latter, the history of the Spanish civil war in which Ciano and El Duce had a stake … and why Spain didn’t enter World War II… But that’s just another topic (1)
“Mussolini’s Shadow, The Double Life of Count Galeazzo Ciano” a biography by Ray Moseley: /Mussolinis-Shadow-Double-Count-Galeazzo/dp/0300079176
(1) – /Franco-Hitler-Spain-Germany-World/dp/0300122829
Hans Bool
Galeazzo Ciano
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