Uncertainty about the future of the government and strong anti-political sentiment dominated Italian politics in 2007. Following a government crisis in February, rooted in the question of Italy's role in Afghanistan, Prime Minister Romano Prodi was able to re-establish his coalition, but in the spring it suffered a clear setback in local elections amidst a climate of growing unpopularity. Initial chapters in this volume analyse these events as well as some important initiatives aimed, in different ways, at containing public disaffection towards the political class: the establishment of the Democratic Party, the electoral referendum campaign, and Silvio Berlusconi's announcement of the birth of a new, center-right political party. As demonstrated in following chapters, the government did still manage to achieve a degree of success during the year in combating tax evasion and reducing the budget deficit as a result of increased tax revenue and more effective control of public expenditure. A number of redistributive goals were achieved in this way, as the volume's examination of government social policy makes clear. Final chapters complete the picture of the state of Italian society in a year characterized by a fragile government facing a number challenging issues subject to veto: the liberalization program and the uncompleted introduction of fiscal federalism, the ever-challenging management of the national health system, the role of the Bank of Italy, the relationship with the Catholic Church and the legislation on de facto couples, crime and security.

Mark Donovan teaches Politics in the School of European Studies, Cardiff University where he has specialized in the study of Italian politics. His most recent publication is a co-edited special issue of Modern Italy (November 2008) on "The Centre in Italian Politics."

Paolo Onofri teaches Economics at the University of Bologna. His most recent publications with Il Mulino include: I mercati finanziari internazionali. Nino Andreatta e la politica economica (2006).

This book examines comparatively how the writing of history by individuals and groups, historians, politicians and journalists has been used to "legitimate" the nation-state agianst socialist, communist and catholic internationalism in the modern era. Covering the whole of Western Europe, the book includes discussion of:
* history as legitimation in post-revolutionary France
* unity and confederation in the Italian Risorgimento
* German historians as critics of Prussian conservatism
* right-wing history writing in France between the wars
* British historiography from Macauley to Trevelyan
* the search for national identity in the reunified Germany.

eBook available with sample pages: HB:0415164265

With the country on the brink of financial collapse, billionaire and high tech entrepreneur Dave Henson breaks an old personal oath to himself to remain apolitical as he attempts a daring and dangerous mission to save the country. Dave, along with a small group of engineers at his company NSurv, and his old friend and news reporter Dana Cogswell, decide to use NSurv's bio-nano sensor technology to bring a whole new level of transparency between the federal government and the public. In the process they discover and reveal a sinister plot by the President and his administration to secretly drain and transfer the country's wealth and power to foreign entities. While Dave and his team covertly work to change the country's political and economic direction by exposing the corruption in Washington D.C., the President announces his new plans to end global climate change and restore the country's economy. However the President's plans run sinisterly deeper, and include the required use of personal tracking sensors to be installed in every automobile and product sold in the country. If the President's plans become law, Dave is convinced it will destroy the country and provide the government with unfettered surveillance of the public. Dave's team quickly finds itself intertwined in a deadly war with the President and his allies. As the NSurv team works to capture and report the ultimate story to topple the administration and save the country, the President and his allies stop at nothing to protect their self interests and to capture NSurv's new surveillance technology. Risking life and limb, and a rekindled relationship with Dana, Dave remains undeterred while he leads his team forward in accomplishing their mission. Mentally torn, Dave inevitably has to ask the most from Dana. His request, and her decision on how much to sacrifice of herself, tests their new found relationship and holds the key to their ultimate success.

Several years ago, on a break between theatrical gigs in Alabama, Mark traveled to Italy and fell in love with the people, food and culture. Armed with just enough courage, minimal Italian language skills, and a certain proficiency in the kitchen, he enrolled in a full-immersion cooking and language program. He would travel to Viterbo, Italy and live with an Italian family. His teachers were beyond his wildest dreams-he learned to cook from the grandmother, or Nonna, of the family, who prepared every meal in a bustling, busy household, as women in her family have done for generations. Her daughter, Alessandra, taught him the language with patience and precision. Besides culinary secrets and prepositions, they opened their lives to him, and made him a real part of their extensive family. Though the book contains authentic, delicious family recipes Nonna shared with Mark, Beyond the Pasta delves into food memoir subject matter not found in a typical cookbook. It was the day-to-day shopping with Nonna, exploring the countryside and le gelaterie, where he truly developed his language skills, and a new, more joyful and uniquely Italian way of looking at the world.