Memoirs of an Italian Terrorist
Published in Italian two decades ago, this tract reveals what a terrorist's life underground is like. Translator Shugaar believes "Giorgio" is genuine and prefaces the memoir with context about the bombings and assassinations that convulsed Italy in the late 1970s. The oddest element of Giorgio's story is the absence of ideological vehemence: a few perfunctory excoriations of capitalism are all that is present in a screed primarily devoted to his boredom, irritation, and loneliness. Apparently a university dropout, Giorgio participated in leftist demonstrations, jumped a police officer, and stole his gun, which brought him a recruiting pitch from a terrorist group, possibly the Red Brigades. Giorgio stays vague on this vital detail and, as a security measure, fuzzes up his clandestine life, but he plainly participated in murders. Although not as concrete as true-crime readers prefer, the psychological aspects of Giorgio's story may attract those interested in getting inside the head of a terrorist.Gilbert TaylorCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved