Previously professor of Contemporary History at the University of Turin, he is an internationally renowned writer and journalist, with two honorary degrees from the University of Lucerne and the University of Turin. His research on the truth about the crimes committed by Italians in Africa led him to introduce the field of study on Italian colonialism, in which he remains the most outstanding exponent.
His vast output of historical studies and journalism on this theme includes the series Gli italiani in Africa orientale (Laterza 1976, 1979, 1982, 1984); the two volumes of Gli italiani in Libia (Laterza 1986, 1988); the monograph on the Ethiopian emperor Hailé Selassié (Fabbri 1983). Among his publications over the last decade: L’impero africano del fascismo. Nelle fotografie dell’Istituto Luce, with Nicola Labanca (Editori Riuniti 2002); La nostra Africa. Nel racconto di cinquanta italiani che l’hanno percorsa, esplorata e amata (Neri Pozza 2003); Italiani, brava gente? Un mito duro a morire, (Neri Pozza 2005). He has edited a book on the status of historical research, La storia negata. Il revisionismo e il suo uso politico (Neri Pozza 2009), and his interviews with leading figures of the 20th century are gathered in the text Da Mussolini a Gheddafi: quaranta incontri (Neri Pozza 2012).