Garibaldi：Invention of a Hero

GiuseppeGaribaldi,theItalianrevolutionaryleaderandpopularhero,wasamongthebest-knownfiguresofthenineteenthcentury.Thisbookseekstoexaminehislifeandthemakingofhiscult,toassessitsimpact,andunderstanditssurprisingsuccess.Forthirtyyears,GaribaldiwasinvolvedineverycombativeeventinItaly.Hisgreatestmomentcamein1860,whenhedefendedarevolutioninSicilyandprovokedthecollapseoftheBourbonmonarchy,theoverthrowofpapalpowerincentralItaly,andthecreationoftheItaliannationstate.Itmadehimaglobalicon,representingstrength,bravery,manliness,saintliness,andaspiritofadventure.Handsome,flamboyant,andsexuallyattractive,hewasworshipedinlifeandbecameacultfigureafterhisdeathin1882.LucyRiallshowsthattheemergingcultofGaribaldiwasinitiallyconceivedbyrevolutionariesintentonoverthrowingthestatusquo,thatitwasalsotheresultofacollaborativeeffortinvolvingwriters,artists,actors,andpublishers,andthatitbecamegenuinelyandenduringlypopularamongabroadpublic.ThebookdemonstratesthatGaribaldiplayedanintegralpartinfashioningandpromotinghimselfasanewkindof'charismatic'politicalhero.ItanalyzesthewaytheGaribaldimythhasbeenharnessedbothtolegitimizeandtochallengenationalpoliticalstructures.AnditidentifieselementsofGaribaldi'spoliticalstyleappropriatedbypoliticalleadersaroundtheworld,includingMussoliniandCheGuevara.