The Italian Resistance is a new collection of famous and rare texts about one of the more controversial periods in modern Italian history.

The extracts, almost all of which are not otherwise readily available to British readers, are taken from a wide variety of different genres, including novels, memoirs, short stories, historical works and songs. Taking into account the significant changes in approach to, and interpretations of, the Resistance Movement, which have emerged since the early 1990s, The Italian Resistance includes works by, amongst others, Claudio Pavone, Italo Calvino, Gian Enrico Rusconi, Renata Vigano and Pietro Scoppola.

In a full introduction, Cooke places each work in context and stresses the contemporary significance of the Italian Resistance. This is a vibrant, multifaceted volume which sheds light on the past whilst illuminating the present in Italian history, cultural studies and current affairs.