Che Guevara once observed that ‘the only hero the world has ever needed is Giuseppe Garibaldi.’ Italy’s greatest national hero, Garibaldi is the man most responsible for creating the modern, unified country we know today. In Via Garibaldi, Jim Holden tells his incredible story by means of a journey to cities and towns that were central to Garibaldi’s life. The path across Italy follows his actions in chronological order, recounting his immense courage amid bloody battles, his often turbulent private affairs, and the clashes with authority that put him in jail several times.

The story, however, begins in London, to which he travelled 160 years ago and was feted by an astonishing half a million people in the streets around Trafalgar Square. Via Garibaldi is for history lovers, travellers, Italophiles, and anyone who relishes an adventure story. It is also an excellent travel companion for people visiting the Repubblica Italiana.