Description: The First Fascist tells the story of Marquis de Morès, an architect of the Dreyfus Affair and a pioneer of blending populism, white supremacy, and open antisemitism. Through violent stunts and media savvy, Morès cultivated support for a union of social classes against perceived Jewish enemies, leaving a lasting legacy in Europe and beyond.
Brief description: Sergio Luzzatto is Emiliana Pasca Noether Chair in Modern Italian History at the University of Connecticut. A winner of the Cundill History Prize, he is the author of The Body of Il Duce and Primo Levi's Resistance, among other books.
Review Quotes: A beguiling portrait of Morès, balancing his fascinating exploits with an acute awareness of his danger. Luzzatto reminds us that, ideologically and culturally, Morès anticipates the tragedies of the 20th century, and also those of today. Behind his romantic bravado there lurked a wealthy narcissist with a talent for manipulation, and we've had enough of those.--Gerard DeGroot "The Times" (1/21/2026 12:00:00 AM)