The anatomy of fascism - Robert O Paxton

What is fascism? How can we define and comprehend it? Is it a political philosophy, a political movement, a way of life? What makes states and nations become fascist? Fascism was the major political innovation of the twentieth century and the source of much of its pain. This authoritative book, by one of America's most distinguished historians, shows that we cannot begin to understand fascism by attempting to define it in the abstract, but must look at it in action - at what it did, as much as what it said it was about.

In a magnificent analytical narrative, Paxton addresses the single most important question about fascism which has not until now been answered: why did Italy and Germany cultivate fascist movements which became elected governments while France and others did not? In searching for the solution, Paxton explores fascism in all its complexity.