Ruth Ben-Ghiat Books
Ruth Ben-Ghiat is a historian and professor of history and Italian studies at New York University. She specializes in authoritarianism, propaganda, and the politics of images, and is a frequent commentator on threats to democracy and the legacy of fascism.
Known for: Strongmen: Mussolini to the Present
Books by Ruth Ben-Ghiat
Strongmen: Mussolini to the Present
A study of authoritarian leaders from Mussolini to the present day, examining how strongmen rise to power, maintain control, and shape societies through propaganda, violence, and charisma. The book explores the patterns of authoritarian rule and the ways democracies can resist such figures.
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Historical Origins: Mussolini and the Birth of the Strongman Model
When Mussolini seized power in Italy in 1922, he inaugurated the modern template for authoritarian rule. His approach combined mass mobilization, media spectacle, and personal mythmaking into an invention that would echo throughout the twentieth century. Mussolini presented himself as Il Duce — the ...
From Strongmen: Mussolini to the Present
Adoption and Adaptation: Hitler, Franco, and the Expanding Doctrine of Control
Adolf Hitler followed Mussolini’s script closely but took it to its totalitarian extreme. In Nazi Germany, Mussolini’s aesthetic of power was fused with racial ideology and mass terror. Hitler admired Mussolini’s ability to fuse leader and state, yet he perfected the psychology of devotion. Through ...
From Strongmen: Mussolini to the Present
About Ruth Ben-Ghiat
Ruth Ben-Ghiat is a historian and professor of history and Italian studies at New York University. She specializes in authoritarianism, propaganda, and the politics of images, and is a frequent commentator on threats to democracy and the legacy of fascism.
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Ruth Ben-Ghiat is a historian and professor of history and Italian studies at New York University. She specializes in authoritarianism, propaganda, and the politics of images, and is a frequent commentator on threats to democracy and the legacy of fascism.
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