In the wake of the collapse of the Soviet Union and its Communist satellites, the Italian Communist Party began a heated two-year struggle over its identity and future. David I. Kertzer tells the riveting story of how Italy's second largest political party, transformed itself into the new Democratic Party of the Left. Kertzer illuminates not only the specifics of party in-fighting but also the importance of ritual, symbolism, and the redefinition of history in modern politics.