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Rating: At a time when "the Battisti case" is dominating the front pages of all newspapers, along with reconstructions of the '70s that are not always faultless, even from a factual point of view, it seems useful to revisit this little book published by NdA Press in 2004 and credited to Valerio Evangelisti, Giuseppe Genna, and Wu Ming 1 aka Roberto Bui (authors who, in the opinion of this writer, need no introduction, but if in doubt, do not hesitate to Google their names).
The book was released back then almost as an instant book, in the wake of Battisti's arrest by the French police, and traces the steps of the human and judicial saga of Cesare Battisti, adopting a perspective that is certainly not orthodox concerning the positions of the Italian press and public opinion, yet not a priori aligned in favor of the writer (today) and armed struggle activist (yesterday) Cesare Battisti. Just take a look at the so-called "counter-information" websites (very often not informed at all) to realize that the authors’ position, although biased, is not absolutely blind and deaf but tries to motivate the theses and document a now hardly reconstructable story, both materially and substantially. The publication is complemented by a non-exhaustive but interesting bibliography.
Given the delicacy of the matter - apt to easily inflame the noblest souls and least acute minds, on both sides, mind you - it does not seem appropriate to formulate judgments or evaluations on the saga and on the motivations contained within the 160 pages of the publication, but only to provide the potential reader with a few not-so-secondary warnings:
The reading of this book preliminarily requires an above-average knowledge of that season of Italian history which, with a terrible metaphor, is called the "years of lead" and also of the "political" positions that manifested during that season; this independently of whether the reader feels ideally close to the positions (of the time) of Francesco Cossiga, Pierluigi Concutelli, Sergio Segio, or any Mr. Rossi.
Only in this way can the reading be fruitful.
If instead you know about that era "what's written in the newspapers," feel free to proceed anyway: you will find ample reasons for foolish exaltation to demand the release of "comrade Cesare," or, similarly, you will discover further reasons to be indignant and angry about these "continuous scandals and cover-ups" of a vulgar murderer.
Finally, it goes without saying that the book now suffers from the time elapsed since its publication, during which the story has continued to be shrouded in mists of disinformation and "coup de theatre" that seem staged, nevertheless, it remains an interesting deepening for those who wish to reconstruct one of the many threads that tie us to that now distant past.
Consistent with the positions of the publishing house, the volume is available for consultation and download online on this page
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