My Fault

January 1, 2014

This is the first published English edition of an insider's account of Benito Mussolini that was published serially in Argentina in Spanish in 1945. The intriguing Sarfatti (1880-1961) met Mussolini in 1911, becoming his mentor and his mistress, shaping his views as he rose to power. She was also Jewish and had to flee Italy in 1938 for South America, where she wrote this tell-all in English (now lost), having already published a biography of Mussolini in English (1925) and Italian (1926) that included none of the details in this book (e.g., about the man's syphilis). Now the obscure serialized memoir appears in one volume, edited by Sullivan, who coauthored a biography of Sarfatti, Il Duce's Other Woman. He provides extensive annotations to orient readers and to help judge the truth of some of Sarfatti's unverifiable statements. The title refers to Sarfatti's taking responsibility here for transforming Mussolini into a fascist and a confident and cultured man who could gain such power as he did. She states that she did not foresee his dictatorship. VERDICT This firsthand account of Mussolini would have caused a sensation in 1945 if widely dispersed. Now it adds texture to our understanding of the infamous leader, but it is not, on its own, a suitable introduction for readers without previous knowledge of him and of Italy's role before and during World War II.--Elizabeth Goldman, Perth & District Union P.L., Ont.

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