Subscribe to The Spectator and get 12 weeks of Britain's most incisive politics coverage,

unrivaled books and arts reviews, and so much more, all for just £12.

Not only that, but we'll also send you a £20 Amazon gift card absolutely free.

As a subscriber, you'll also be able to listen to all our other podcasts, ad-free.

Go to www.w.sp to www.com.com.com.com

U.K. forward slash voucher to claim this offer now. Terms apply.

Hello and welcome to the Spectator's Book Club podcast. I'm Sam Leith, the literary editor of The Spectator, and I'm joined this week by the distinguished historian Caroline Moorhead, whose new book is a Sicilian man, Leonardo Shasha, the rise of the mafia and the struggle for Italy's soul.

Caroline, welcome.

I suppose I want to start by asking you about the title,

because it seems his Sicilianness seems to be extremely important

to your understanding of Shasha.

Why so?

The title was changed a few times because originally I wanted to call it of Shasha. Why so? The title was changed a few times

because originally I wanted to call it a man alone

because Shasha had a sort of thing about men alone,

men who defied authority and corruption on the mafia.

But my publishers are very keen on using a word Sicilian,

thinking it was more of a turn on, more interesting.

And actually, I think they're probably right. I mean, there is something still really interesting

about Sicily.

Josh himself, I mean, he is for those of our readers who aren't familiar with his work, he was born in, was it,

1929?

...