Excellent Cadavers

The Mafia and the Death of the First Italian Republic

Alexander Stille author

Format:Paperback

Publisher:Vintage Publishing

Published:6th Jun '96

£12.99

Available to order, but very limited on stock - if we have issues obtaining a copy, we will let you know.

Excellent Cadavers cover

A true crime classic: the brutal account of the battle to destroy the modern-day mafia

Giovanni Falcone and Paolo Borsellino set out to destroy the Mafia. In 1992, aware that the magistrates didn't have the support of the Italian government, the Mafia assassinated them. The public outcry demanded their work was completed, which led to the toppling of crucial political alliances.

Excellent Cadavers (a term used in Sicily to distinguish the assassination of prominent government officials from the hundreds of common criminals killed in the course of routine mafia business) tells of the remarkable investigation spearheaded by Giovanni Falcone and Paolo Borsellino, the two Sicilian prosecutors who in the 1980s took the war against the Mafia further than anyone had ever dared.

In 1992, aware that the two magistrates were without the complete support of the Italian government, the Mafia assassinated them. In death they were hailed as national heroes; the massive public outcry demanded their investigations be completed. The outcome: the toppling of crucial alliances that had forged political rule in Italy since WWII and the criminal indictment of Italy's most prominent leaders.

A fascinating and horrifying book -- Denis Mack Smith * New York Times *
As good as non-fiction books get: it is crammed with detail and analysis, but reads like a novel -- Marc Babej * Guardian *
The very best on the modern mafia - brilliantly and thoughtfully telling a complex and messy tale... The characterisation and the twists of the plot have the deft touch of a novelist -- Robert Fox * Sunday Telegraph *
Totally absorbing and distinctly chilling -- Barry Unsworth * Evening Standard, Books of the Year *
Diligently researched and fluently written -- Diego Gambetta * Independent *

ISBN: 9780099594918

Dimensions: 198mm x 129mm x 28mm

Weight: 330g

480 pages