"Berlusconi swept to power in a landslide victory in May 2001. The wealthiest person in his country, he controls a vast business empire spanning private and state TV, advertising, football and finance. He is on trial for bribing judges, has faced accusations of false accounting and bribing tax inspectors - and has even changed the law to protect himself. Yet he remains a key figure on the European stage and a charismatic, glamorous figure to millions of Italian voters. Here, for the first time, is the shocking story of his rise to power in full." "As one of the first investigative journalists to publicly question Berlusconi's fitness for government, Economist writer David Lane sparked a furore in Italy. Now, drawing on years of research, on unique documents and material, including interviews with magistrates and a former President (previously unpublished in England or in Italy), he reveals the truth about Berlusconi's life and career: his dubiously acquired wealth and secret offshore companies; his shadowy business associates; his extreme right-wing contacts and lingering sympathy for the high days of Italian fascism; his manipulation of the legal system; and the staggering conflicts of interest that enable him to exploit his money and media to silence all opposition."--BOOK JACKET.