R.J.B. Bosworth on Mussolini, Gitta Sereny tells of attending a Hitler rally, Donna Leon talks about her Venetian detective and Hugo Vickers talks about Princess Andrew.

Prince Andrew has been in the news. In this episode Hugo Vickers discusses  his biography of Alice, Princess Andrew of Greece mother of the Duke of Edinburgh:

Donna Leon tells the story of her novel “Wilful Behaviour “ set in Venice:

R.J.B. Bosworth recounts his research into the life of Mussolini and Gitta Sereny remembers Germany in the 1930s as told in her book “The German Trauma”

We have seen the power of the political rally to stir followers. Gitta Sereny actually attended a Hitler rally.

With the spectre of authoritarianism on the rise again this is frighteningly relevant.

Lessons from history.