Lucy Riall is hoogleraar geschiedenis aan het Europees Universitair Instituut in Florence. Haar werk richt zich op de moderne Europese geschiedenis, met name Italië. Ze onderzoekt thema's als sociale geschiedenis, politieke geschiedenis en culturele geschiedenis. Riall richt zich op hoe historische gebeurtenissen zich manifesteren in het leven van gewone mensen en hun identiteit vormgeven.
Giuseppe Garibaldi, the Italian revolutionary leader and popular hero, was among the best-known figures of the nineteenth century. This book seeks to examine his life and the making of his cult, to assess its impact, and understand its surprising success.
The Risorgimento is considered to be the defining moment in Italy's history, the period where Italy became a nation and entered the modern world. Lucy Riall provides a provocative and pioneering examination of the historical debates surrounding this complex and controversial period, incorporating new research on national identity.