In the lineup of 2 0th-century "bad guys," Adolf Hitler usually comes out on top, with Joseph Stalin running a close second. Behind them, Francisco Franco often appears and, farther down, Benito Mussolini.

Now, with the publication of her latest work of nonfiction, A Bold and Dangerous Family: The Remarkable Story of an Italian Mother, Her Two Sons, and Their Fight Against Fascism,British journalist and historian Caroline Moorehead hopes to shake up the list a little.