<li>A detailed study of Italy's long-ignored tank force <li>Explores the intersection of technology, war, and society in Mussolini's Italy <li>Second only to Germany in number of tank divisions, first to create an armored corps <p>Though overshadowed by Germany's more famous Afrika Korps, Italian tanks formed a large part of the Axis armored force that the Allies confronted--and ultimately defeated--in North Africa in the early years of World War II. Those tanks were the product of two decades of debate and development as the Italian military struggled to produce a modern, mechanized army in the aftermath of World War I. For a time, Italy stood near the front of the world's tank forces--but once war came, Mussolini's iron arm failed as an effective military force. This is the story of its rise and fall.