The Reception of Paul Ginsborg’s History of Contemporary Italy

This chapter examines the critical reception received by Paul Ginsborg’s History of Contemporary Italy on its publication in Italy in 1989. It considers various debates and polemics which emerged around the book and analyses them in the light of various key themes—the Communist Party, reforms and reformism, the role of historians, narrative and analytical history, the 1980s. The chapter also focuses on Ginsborg’s replies to these debates and reflects on how they affected his future research and his role as an activist.