About the Author:
Wiley Feinstein is Associate Professor of Italian at Loyola University Chicago and co-director of the Loyola University Undergraduate Summer Program in Rome. He has also offered courses in Loyola's Jewish Studies program. He is the author of Humility's Deceit: Calvino Reading Ariosto Reading Calvino, a playful conversation with both authors. He is co-editor of An African Harlequin in Milan: Marco Martinelli Performs Goldoni. In addition, he has published articles on Boccaccio, Leone De' Sommi, and Primo Levi.

This study examines the persecution of Italian Jews during the Fascist period in relation to the Italian cultural tradition. It argues that Holocaust historians have failed to confront the cultural content of the Italin campaign against the Jews and have incorrectly labeled Fascist-era anti-Semitism a betrayal of Italian civilization. In opposition to this thesis, the work argues that the persecution stems directly from beliefs deeply embedded in Italian culture, precisely the kind of beliefs shared by significant Fascist-era cultural figures such as Giovanni Papini, Ardengo Soffici, and Agostino Gemelli.