The Sack of Rome: How a Beautiful European Country with a Fabled History and a Storied Culture Was Taken Over by a Man Named Silvio Berlusconi

A profile of modern Italy as reflected by the leadership decisions of Silvio Berlusconi traces the president's career and influence, contending that his wealth, power, and ties to corruption have resulted in a dangerous new form of political populism and victimized everyday citizens. 35,000 first printing.

Alexander Stille is the author of The Future of the Past, Excellent Cadavers: The Mafia and the Death of the First Italian Republic, and Benevolence and Betrayal: Five Italian Jewish Families Under Fascism, which won the Los Angeles Times Book Award. He is a frequent contributor to The New Yorker, The New York Review of Books, The New York Times Magazine, and other publications.