Lucy Riall is a professor of history at the European University Institute in Florence. Her work focuses on modern European history, particularly Italy. She explores themes such as social history, political history, and cultural history. Riall concentrates on how historical events manifest in the lives of ordinary people and shape their identities.
The Risorgimento is considered to be the defining moment in Italy's history, the period where Italy became a nation and entered the modern world. Lucy Riall provides a provocative and pioneering examination of the historical debates surrounding this complex and controversial period, incorporating new research on national identity.
Giuseppe Garibaldi, the Italian revolutionary leader and popular hero, was among the best-known figures of the nineteenth century. This book seeks to examine his life and the making of his cult, to assess its impact, and understand its surprising success.