Novelist, playwright, and poet Gabriele D'Annunzio (1863-1938) shocked and dazzled early twentieth-century Europe with his sexual exploits, military feats, and political escapades. More than any other figure since the unification of Italy, he casts a shadow forward to the present day. His relationships with the worlds of Italian culture, theatre, and politics were unique, fiery, and always controversial. His literary achievements have influenced generations of Italian writers. This is the most authoritative biography of the man in any language. (view table of contents)

Product Description: Professor Woodhouse delivered his inaugural lecture on 25 October 1990 before the University of Oxford, in the presence of the President of Italy. His lecture discusses the changes in the social and political order in Italy following France's invasion of 1499...read more