The intimate account of a former Commander General of the Carabinieri grappling with issues of State security. Giovanni Nistri presents Ho servito lo Stato (Neri Pozza) at GO together with Simone Innocenti.

Il libro:

An intimate account by someone who chose to be a servant of the State without cloaking himself in heroism, simply placing himself at the service of the community—from his years at the Academy to the highest point of his career as Commander General of the Arma dei Carabinieri, while earning three university degrees and several master’s qualifications along the way.

When the redevelopment of ancient Pompeii entered a critical phase, the task fell to him—after four years as head of the Command for the Protection of Cultural Heritage—to take responsibility and restore vitality to one of the most visited archaeological sites in the world. During his mandate, he faced situations of particular difficulty, without provoking scandal or adopting extremist positions.

Yet the most compelling narrative is that of the everyday life of a military officer who, when confronted with even serious issues concerning State security, sought solutions through philosophy, literature, music, and cinema. These passionate pages recount the lives of men and women, truths and carefully crafted parables, values, emotions and behaviours, and failures from which to learn.

It is a life marked by constant transfers across the Italian peninsula, lived in contact with people of ill intent as well as saints and murderers. And there is also the death of young carabinieri, brutally killed in the line of duty, and the tears shed alongside their families at funerals—always with the certainty that power must never be abused and that truth is never black or white, but rather a blend of infinite shades.

I will consider myself satisfied if, at the final word of the final page, I have succeeded in describing without pretense significant aspects of my experience and, even more so, the spirit with which I sought to confront the related responsibilities. This does not mean that I always fulfilled them adequately, but it does testify to the constant effort invested in trying. To serve the Arma means to be a meaningful part of that constellation of values we call the Homeland—a term too often neglected, for a whole series of reasons.

L'autore:

Giovanni Nistri is a Lieutenant General of the Carabinieri, of which he served as Commander General from 2018 to 2021. He holds degrees in Law, Political Science, and Internal and External Security Sciences. He has taught Cultural Heritage Security at LUMSA University in Rome.

From 2014 to 2016, he served as Director General of the Great Pompeii Project, funded by the European Union to secure the archaeological site and redevelop the surrounding UNESCO Buffer Zone. The author of essays on public communication, cultural heritage protection, and cognitive warfare/disinformation, he is a member of the Board of Directors of the University of Rome Tor Vergata.