Diary 1937-1943

Rating:
Summary: Finally all of Ciano's surviving diary
Review: It is difficult to overstate the significance of Ciano's diary for the serious student of the period. Here are the musings of a man that started out as a willing and able Fascist, one who perpetrated crimes against humanity. His instigation of the Albanian affair, his strong push for the invasion of Greece, and support for Franco are well known examples of his dark and sinister machinations. Particularly throughout 1939 and early 1940, however, the diary reveals that his world view was slowly altered. Ciano's comments and observations about Hitler, Goering, von Ribbentrop and other key Nazi leaders are penetrating in their clarity. Ciano did everything he could to keep Italy out of the war. The fact that Mussolini allowed himself to be persuaded to do so until the collapse of France are telling indications that Ciano was effective. The diary entries reveal a man who was not particularly analytical, but relied on a penetrating intuition and a sharp intelligence. He was a keen judge of character. It is probable that Ciano had very little time to sanitize the diary given the time between his downfall and his execution. The diaries were smuggled out of Italy by his wife (Mussolini's daughter Edda)for the express purpose of getting them to the Allies for publication to damage the Nazi leadership. This is no carefully crafted tale written by the author for the exoneration of past sins. Rather these are the writings of a man in the heat of the moment who was at a crucial place in history. Anyone who reads this diary will be impressed by the lack of moral judgement, by the cynicism, and by the sheer monstrosity of the leaders who made the decisions that resulted in upwards of 60-million deaths. Ciano was a key player in this group and his thoughts reflect his environment. They reflect men (Ciano included) who were self-serving, always looking for the main chance, power hungry, and totally unconcerned with the consequences to others. Here is a glimpse of the quintessential Axis politician. The one thing the diary is not is an outpouring of the true inner feelings of the author. Instead this diary is a straight-forward, running political analysis of the issues and impressions of the most able diplomat functioning within the Axis hierarchy during the years 1937-1942. To be sure it is self-serving, but for all that Ciano's diary is generally authentic and remarkably candid. Ciano's accounting quite simply rings true. One aspect of this diary that is most interesting is that Ciano disclosed to Mussolini that he was keeping it, and Mussolini condoned his doing so. By all accounts when Hitler learned of it, he wanted Ciano's diary found and destroyed. Hitler's henchmen went to great lengths in their attempts to carry out his wishes. Anything that Hitler felt as strongly about as Ciano's diary is worthy of investigation. This book is highly recommended.

Rating:
Summary: Finally all of Ciano's surviving diary
Review: It is difficult to overstate the significance of Ciano's diary for the serious student of the period. Here are the musings of a man that started out as a willing and able Fascist, one who perpetrated crimes against humanity. His instigation of the Albanian affair, his strong push for the invasion of Greece, and support for Franco are well known examples of his dark and sinister machinations. Particularly throughout 1939 and early 1940, however, the diary reveals that his world view was slowly altered. Ciano's comments and observations about Hitler, Goering, von Ribbentrop and other key Nazi leaders are penetrating in their clarity. Ciano did everything he could to keep Italy out of the war. The fact that Mussolini allowed himself to be persuaded to do so until the collapse of France are telling indications that Ciano was effective. The diary entries reveal a man who was not particularly analytical, but relied on a penetrating intuition and a sharp intelligence. He was a keen judge of character. It is probable that Ciano had very little time to sanitize the diary given the time between his downfall and his execution. The diaries were smuggled out of Italy by his wife (Mussolini's daughter Edda)for the express purpose of getting them to the Allies for publication to damage the Nazi leadership. This is no carefully crafted tale written by the author for the exoneration of past sins. Rather these are the writings of a man in the heat of the moment who was at a crucial place in history. Anyone who reads this diary will be impressed by the lack of moral judgement, by the cynicism, and by the sheer monstrosity of the leaders who made the decisions that resulted in upwards of 60-million deaths. Ciano was a key player in this group and his thoughts reflect his environment. They reflect men (Ciano included) who were self-serving, always looking for the main chance, power hungry, and totally unconcerned with the consequences to others. Here is a glimpse of the quintessential Axis politician. The one thing the diary is not is an outpouring of the true inner feelings of the author. Instead this diary is a straight-forward, running political analysis of the issues and impressions of the most able diplomat functioning within the Axis hierarchy during the years 1937-1942. To be sure it is self-serving, but for all that Ciano's diary is generally authentic and remarkably candid. Ciano's accounting quite simply rings true. One aspect of this diary that is most interesting is that Ciano disclosed to Mussolini that he was keeping it, and Mussolini condoned his doing so. By all accounts when Hitler learned of it, he wanted Ciano's diary found and destroyed. Hitler's henchmen went to great lengths in their attempts to carry out his wishes. Anything that Hitler felt as strongly about as Ciano's diary is worthy of investigation. This book is highly recommended.