Besides throwing favourable light on the dictator himself, this account of Mussolini's relations with Britain shows that Italy was ready to become Britain's ally until Britain felt obliged to take a lead in economic sanctions against Italy for its invasion of Abyssinia in 1935. Mussolini despised Hitler and his anti-Semitism, yet felt surprised and antagonized by Britain's mobilization of the League of Nations over the Abyssinian affair. Thus, this book shows, Britain missed the opportunity to bring the Italians onto the Allied side, as it did again when Italy attempted to make a separate peace in 1943.