Il Duce ad nauseam

Being a high-class biographer has its costs as well as benefits. To be found dubiously contemplating no fewer than 40 bound volumes of the complete works of Benito Mussolini last week was Paul Preston, who plans to follow his much-praised life of Franco with a biography of Il Duce. "I'll have to reorganise my library to find space for them," said Professor Preston who can look forward to ploughing through the lot - including four novels. Unpleasant as Franco may have been, at least he did not write much.