Since 1992, Italy has been rocked by the disintegration of its traditional ruling elite as dozens of leading politicians have been accused of corruption, extortion, and Mafia ties. The two linchpins of the former governing coalition, the Christian Democrats and the Socialists, have been shattered by scandal and humiliated at the polls, leaving a vacuum that new political forces, such as the Northern League, have rushed to fill.

Taking place against a backdrop of mounting economic worries and an internecine war between the state and the Mafia, these political convulsions could well be designated a revolution. This clear and balanced book provides both a historical account of the circumstances that led to la rivoluzione italiana and an explanation of why it took place after decades of complacency.