Mario Del Pero (Sciences Po), Book Tour 2026

This April, Villa Albertine and the Sciences Po American Foundation are delighted to welcome Mario Del Pero, Professor of International History at Sciences Po, for a book tour across the U.S. West Coast, from April 11 to April 17.

His schedule for the week will take him from the Bay Area to the Pacific NorthWest, where he will present his work on American foreign policy at several esteemed universities at the occasion of the publication of his two recent books: In the Shadow of the Vatican: Texan Evangelical Missionaries in Cold War Italy (Cambridge University Press, 2026) and Buio Americano. Gli Stati Uniti e il mondo nell’era Trump (Il Mulino, 2025).

A PhD holder in history from the University of Milan, Mario Del Pero joined the Sciences Po Centre for History in 2013, where he continues his research on the Cold War, Kissinger’s diplomacy and legacy, as well as American neoconservatism. As Director of Doctoral Studies in History, he has been a visiting professor at prestigious research institutions such as the Graduate Institute in Geneva, Columbia University, and NYU. He is also a Senior Research Fellow at the Istituto per gli Studi di Politica Internazionale (ISPI) in Milan.

Mario Del Pero is a regular columnist for the Italian daily newspapers Il Domani and Il Giornale di Brescia. His opinion pieces have appeared in major international outlets, including The Washington Post, Le Monde, The Guardian, Le Figaro, and Los Angeles Times. He regularly comments on U.S. and international politics for Italian and Swiss television and radio broadcasters.

Find the detailed schedule here:

• April 11: “US – French relation: an academic history”, San Francisco Night of Ideas, SFPL, 7 :30 p.m.
• April 13: Stanford University, Hoover Institution, 12:00 p.m.
• April 14: “Past and future of the Transatlantic Alliance, a historical perspective”, UC Berkeley, Institute for European Studies, Philosophy Hall, 12:00 p.m.
• April 15: “Donald Trump and Europe: Just Another Transatlantic Crisis?”, Santa Clara University, St. Clare Room, 3:30 – 5:30 p.m.
• April 16: Tech Policy Lab, University of Washington. Topic and time to be confirmed, check back soon for more information!
• April 17: “Sovereignty by means of sovereignty. Some reflections on Italy’s experience during the Cold War”, REECAS Northwest 2026, JSIS, The Ellison Center, Hub 334, 2 p.m.

Mario Del Pero’s work:

In the Shadow of the Vatican: Texan Evangelical Missionaries in Cold War Italy (Cambridge University Press, 2026) 

What led a group of missionaries from a small, non-denominational church in Lubbock, Texas, to launch an ambitious anti-Catholic crusade in post–World War II Italy? How aware were they of the fierce reaction their efforts would provoke from the Vatican and the Italian authorities? And how did their seemingly marginal story intersect with the larger history of the Cold War and U.S.–Italian relations? Applying microhistorical lenses and methodologies to the global history of the Cold War and drawing on research conducted in more than twenty archives across seven countries, award-winning historian Mario Del Pero addresses these questions, discussing his recent book, In the Shadow of the Vatican (Cambridge University Press). In doing so, he reflects on the significance of a “history of the small” that was anything but a small history. 

‘Deeply researched and theoretically sophisticated, this book is transnational history at its best. Del Pero tells a fascinating ‘small’ story that throws light on Cold War politics, anti-Catholic sentiment, diplomatic history, and US-European relations. It is a great read and a quite valuable contribution by one of the very best historians of the US in the world.’ – Melani McAlister – Professor of American Studies and International Affairs, George Washington University 

Buio Americano. Gli Stati Uniti e il mondo nell’era Trump (Il Mulino, 2025)

(American Darkness, The United States and the World in the Age of Trump) 

The world once again finds itself having to deal with Donald Trump. His rise to power is not only the result of an election but stems from an identity crisis that no one has really addressed and is now reflected in his every action. The author is one of the most authoritative experts in American history, and in this book he analyses what is happening in the U.S.: how this presidency operates, the substantial failure of liberal and progressive alternatives, the role of economic oligarchies, and the precarious state of American democracy’s health. The Trump administration calls history into question along a variety of dimensions: identity, polarisation, isolationism, political dysfunction, economic crisis, inequality, and racial divisions. In this context, Trump is not only a product of American politics but also a symptom and accelerator of a decline and anguish that his country seems unwilling to acknowledge.