The Risorgimento and the Unification of Italy

The Risorgimento and the Unification of Italy introduces the reader to the relationship between the Italian national movement, achieved by the Risorgimento, and the Italian unification in 1860. Covering the literary, cultural, religious and political history of the period, Beales and Biagini show Italy struggled towards nation state status on all fronts. There are many new documents and all the most up to date research of the last 20 years has been incorporated. The long introduction and useful footnotes will be of assistance to those interested in Italian unification. For those interested in Italian or European history

`Of real assistance to those interested in Italian unification.¿ History

The new edition of this major work on nineteenth-century Italy has been thoroughly rewritten in the light of the scholarship of recent decades.

`The Risorgimento and the Unification of Italy¿ introduces the reader to the relationship between the Italian national movement, the Risorgimento, and the unification of Italy in 1859-71. In this new edition the rise of liberal and national attitudes in the various states of Italy is discussed in the context of the literary, cultural, religious and political history of Europe during the period.  New chapters have been included on the development of the Italian language and the role of women. Further new chapters cover the last stage of unification and describe how the new Kingdom of Italy established itself down to 1876.

`The Risorgimento and the Unification of Italy¿ combines an expanded selection of original documents with narrative in a clear structure in order to make this complex period accessible.

Derek Beales is Emeritus Professor of Modern History, University of Cambridge. Eugenio Biagini is Reader in Modern British and European History, University of Cambridge.