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Alexander Stille

アレクサンダー・スティル

Alexander Stille

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1957-01-01 （New York City）
Nationality
United States
Languages
English

Career

Occupations
author, journalist, professor
Active Years
1980-
Affiliations
Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism

Education

Yale University
Country: United States
Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism
Country: United States

Awards

Los Angeles Times Book Award (winner)
1992
Work: Benevolence and Betrayal: Five Italian Jewish Families Under Fascism
Organization: Los Angeles Times
Result: 受賞
Blake-Dodd Prize for Nonfiction
2014
Work: The Force of Things: A Marriage in War and Peace
Organization: American Academy of Arts and Letters
Result: 受賞
Guggenheim Fellowship
Organization: John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation
Result: 受給

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Benevolence and Betrayal: Five Italian Jewish Families Under Fascism

1991 non-fiction / history

Recounts the histories of several Italian Jewish families to explore the paradoxical nature of Jewish life under Italian fascism, mixing tolerance, betrayal, persecution, and rescue.

fascismJewish historymemory and identity

Excellent Cadavers: The Mafia and the Death of the First Italian Republic

1995 investigative journalism / contemporary history

An investigation into the Sicilian Mafia in the latter half of the 20th century, focusing on events that led to the 1990s crackdown and the decline of the First Italian Republic.

mafialaw and politicsviolence and society
Adaptations
  • [TV movie (fictionalized)] Excellent Cadavers (TV movie, 1999) (1999)
  • [documentary] Excellent Cadavers (documentary) / Marco Turco (2005)

The Future of the Past

2002 essays / cultural commentary

Considers how people relate to history across different contexts, examining the double-edged nature of technological change, preservation, and collective memory.

memory preservationtechnology and cultureheritage

The Sack of Rome: How a Beautiful European Country with a Fabled History and a Storied Culture Was Taken Over by a Man Named Silvio Berlusconi

2006 political commentary / non-fiction

Examines Silvio Berlusconi's rise from media mogul to prime minister and analyzes its impact on Italian politics, media, and culture.

populismpower of mediapolitical culture

The Force of Things: A Marriage in War and Peace

2013 memoir / non-fiction

A memoir and dual biography of his parents, exploring immigration, war, marriage, and the shaping of personal identities across history.

family historyimmigrant experienceindividual and history

The Sullivanians: Sex, Psychotherapy, and the Wild Life of an American Commune

2023 non-fiction / oral history

Chronicles the history of a radical psychotherapy group that evolved into an insular cult-like commune, drawing on interviews with former members and their children.

cultpsychotherapycommunal breakdown

Bibliography

  • Benevolence and Betrayal: Five Italian Jewish Families Under Fascism (1991)
  • Excellent Cadavers: The Mafia and the Death of the First Italian Republic (1995)
  • The Future of the Past (2002)
  • The Sack of Rome (2006)
  • The Force of Things: A Marriage in War and Peace (2013)
  • The Sullivanians (2023)

Adaptations

  • Excellent Cadavers TV movie (1999) and documentary (2005)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
investigative non-fictionnarrative reportagebridging scholarly research and popular exposition
Recurring Motifs
Italian politics and culturemafia and the justice systemmemory, preservation, and historyfamily and personal history

Legacy

Stille is known for his works on contemporary Italian history and international journalism. His meticulous research and contextualization have earned him recognition for combining scholarly rigor with readability for general audiences.

Academic Societies

  • American Academy of Arts and Letters (award-related)

Quotes

  • "A writer to watch."
    Source: The New York Times (review) (1991)
  • "The parts are often more interesting than the whole."
    Source: The New York Times (Michiko Kakutani review) (2013)

Trivia

  • His father, Michael U. Stille, was Russian-born and served as a longtime correspondent and editor for Milan's Corriere della Sera.
  • He holds the San Paolo Professorship of International Journalism at Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism.
  • Excellent Cadavers was adapted into a 1999 fictionalized TV movie and a 2005 documentary.