La ragazza del secolo scorso

By Rossana Rossanda

2005

First Published

3.55

Average Rating

392

Number of Pages

11H58M

Audio Length

In this much-lauded memoir, acclaimed for its blend of literary elegance and political passion, Rossana Rossanda, a legendary figure on the Italian left, reflects on a life of radical commitment.Active as a communist militant in the Italian Resistance against fascism during World War Two, Rossanda rose rapidly in its aftermath, becoming editor of the Communist Party weekly paper and a member of parliament. Initially a party loyalist, she was critical of the party s conservatism in the face of new radical movements and moved into opposition during the late 1960s. The breach widened after she and others publicly opposed the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia, and were expelled in 1969. She went on to help found the influential paper il manifesto, which remains the most critical daily in Berlusconi s Italy.Her unique experience enables her to reconstruct that period with flair and authority. She paints a revealing picture of fascism, communism, post-war reconstruction and the revolts that shook Europe in the 1960s. In The Comrade from Milan, one of the most influential intellectuals of the European Left relives the storms of the twentieth century. Both cool-headed and precise, Rossanda provides a rare insight into what it once meant to be politically engaged.

Avg Rating

3.55

Number of Ratings

256

5 STARS

19%

4 STARS

35%

3 STARS

32%

2 STARS

11%

1 STARS

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Author

Rossana Rossanda

Author · 5 books

Rossanda was born in Pula (Croatia), then part of Italy. She studied in Milan and was a pupil of philosopher Antonio Banfi. At a very young age, she took part in the Italian resistance and, after the end of World War II, she entered the Italian Communist Party (PCI). After a short period, secretary Palmiro Togliatti named her responsible of culture in the party. She was elected for the first time in the Italian Chamber of Deputies in 1963. In 1968 she published a small essay, entitled L'anno degli studenti ("The Year of the students"), in which she declared her support to the youth movement. Rossanda was part of a minority inside PCI that was against the Soviet Union, and, together with Luigi Pintor, Valentino Parlato and Lucio Magri founded the party and newspaper il manifesto. This caused her expulsion from the Communist Party after its XII National Congress held in Bologna. At the 1972 elections, Il Manifesto obtained only the 0,8% of the votes. It therefore merged with the Proletarian Unity Party, forming the Proletarian Unity Party for Communism. She later abandoned party politics but kept her role as director of il manifesto. Rossanda is currently is a member of the editorial board of Sin Permiso.