The archipelago: Italy since 1945

In 'The Archipelago', Foot chronicles Italy's tumultuous history from the post-war to the present.

He examines both the corrupt and celebrated sides of the country: from the silent assimilation of fascists into society after 1945 to the troubling reign of Silvio Berlusconi and from the artistic peak of neorealist cinema to the celebration of Italy's 150th birthday in 2011.

While often portrayed as a failed state on the margins of Europe, Italy has instead been at the centre of innovation and change - a political laboratory.