Anglo-Italian relations played a major role in shaping how Britain and Italy participated in World War I. This book reconstructed how the idea of a ‘special partnership’ between the two countries came to fruition in Italian and, to a lesser degree, British elites. This was a largely artificial concept based on history and cultural heritage, and was not complemented by a deeper mutual understanding, as revealed by the persistent stereotypes that characterised the perception the two peoples had of each other and that marred their relations, especially in British eyes. Italy was the most solicitous in emphasising Anglo-Italian traditional friendship because it needed a stronger partner to deter its European competitors, whereas Britain was more interested in ensuring the European balance of power and safeguarding its imperial interests.