Since the end of the Cold War and the dissolution of the Italian Communist Party, the Italian poltical scene has been turned upside down. The Tagentopoli (Kickback City) scandals have led to the dramatic decline of the Christian Democrat and Socialist parties and assisted the rise of the likes of Silvio Berlusconi and the Northern League. The New Italian Republic provides a full survey of present day Italian politics. In the first section there are chapters on the old party system, while the second is concerned with the new party organisations such as the Democratic Party of the Left (PDS). The last section deals with the wider political issues that have arisen as a result of the recent changes and contains analyses of political corruption, organised crime, economic elites and the power of the media. The New Italian Republic will be essential reading for any student struggling to make sense of the contemporary Italian political landcscape. Artruro Parisi, University of Bologna, Stephen Hellman, York University, Toronto, Wolfgang Merkel, University of Heidelberg, Mark Donovan, University of Wales, Cardiff, Ala