Books by Harry Hearder

A study of the life, career, beliefs and motives of Cavour, first prime minister of Italy. This was a position which he created, as it did not exist when his career began. Topics covered include the argument that Cavour was more interested in increasing Piedmont's power than in Italian unification.

Italy: A Short History is a concise but comprehensive account of Italian history from the Ice Age to the present day. It is intended for both students of Italian history and culture and the general reader, whether tourist, business-person or traveller, with an interest in Italian affairs. Harry Hearder places the main political developments in Italian history in their economic and social context, and shows how these related to the great moments of artistic and cultural endeavour. Amongst key events, he analyses the growth and decline of the Roman Empire, the remarkable cultural achievements of the Renaissance, Italian unification and the contradictions of the fascist dictatorship of Mussolini. Jonathan Morris brings the work up to the present day with an authoritative but colourful history of the corruption scandals that brought down the post-war Italian political system in the 1990s and the new political forces that have emerged in its place.

The struggles for power between individuals, parties and classes, and between the nations of Europe as a whole, are discussed within the context of a study of the administration and growth of European society.