A History of Modern Italy addresses the question of how Italy's modern history--from its prolonged process of nation-building in the nineteenth century to the crises of the last two decades--has produced a paradoxical blend of hyper-modernity and traditionalism that sets the country apart in the broader context of Western Europe.

Author Anthony L. Cardoza explores how Italians have experienced seismic shifts in their social and economic landscape over the past two centuries, while simultaneously maintaining older cultural norms, social practices, and political methods. The book's narrative of modern Italy incorporates and blends the research findings and methodological insights of the new quantitative and cultural historical scholarship of the past twenty-five years. In doing so, the book chronicles the regime changes that have taken the country from a liberal monarchy, through a fascist dictatorship, to a democratic republic while also delving into the economic and social history of the nation through these periods.