ISBN Italian Futurism and the First World War book English 280 pages

Selena Daly’s work is the first comprehensive study of Futurism during the First World War period. In this book, she examines the cultural, political, and military engagement of the Futurists with the war effort, both on the battlefields and on the home front.Beginning with the outbreak of war in 1914, Italian Futurism and the First World War provides vivid accounts of Futurist experiences through an analysis of previously unpublished material, including letters, diaries, and military documents as well as newspapers, magazines, and popular novels. Her focus on Futurist protagonists such as Filippo Tommaso Marinetti, Umberto Boccioni, Emilio Settimelli, and lesser known figures such as Giuseppe Steiner and Ennio Valentinelli greatly extends our knowledge of the movement. Daly’s timely and detailed analysis challenges long-held assumptions about Futurist activity during the war and offers new insights for both the non-specialist and specialist alike.

Selena Daly is a lecturer in Italian Studies at University College Dublin

‘Highly recommended.’R.T. IngogliaChoice Magazine vol 54:07:2017‘Well researched and documented account of the Futurist involvement in the First World War… With a multitude of notes, and large bibliography Salena Daly’s book will surely become a standard work on the subject.’Jim BurnsNorthern Review of Books March 2017"Clearly written, cogently argued, and deeply researched, this book – essential reading for anyone interested in futurism and in the relationship between art and the broader social sphere – completely transforms our understanding of the Italian avant-garde movement’s relationship to war."Anthony White, University of MelbourneUniversity of Toronto Quarterly, vol 87 3, Summer 2018"Selena Daly has created an eminently readable and in depth work that is destined to be the definitive work on Futurism in Italy during the First World War."Willard Bohn, Distinguished Professor Emeritus of French and Italian, Illinois State University"Dr. Daly invites the reader to profoundly re-think the widely held assumptions about the relationship between Futurism and the war. Her book is a pleasure to read and an example of cultural history at its best."Luca Somigli, Professor of Italian Studies, University of Toronto