The World Is Mine For The Taking

Letizia Battaglia (1935-2022) did not just photograph the Sicilian Mafia; she waged war on them. Picking up a camera in her forties, she became the first woman to document the brutal internal wars of the Cosa Nostra, producing images of such forensic and emotional power that they came to define the 'Years of Lead' in Italy. From the assassination of Piersanti Mattarella to the arrest of the 'Boss of Bosses,' Battaglia created what she called an 'archive of blood,' armed only with her camera and an unyielding gaze. Beyond being a memoir, 'The World Is Mine for the Taking' stands as a critical historical document. Through a series of intense, intimate conversations with journalist Sabrina Pisu, Battaglia recounts a life driven by defiance: her escape from a repressive marriage, her time as a Green Party politician fighting corruption, and her vital role in the prosecutions of senior Mafia figures- including the sensational discovery of photographic evidence linking Prime Minister Giulio Andreotti to the mob. Illustrated with a curated selection of her most iconic black-and-white photographs-capturing both the carnage of crime scenes and the 'invincible dreams' of Sicilian girls-this book offers a searing reflection on art, trauma, and the price of witnessing. It is an essential volume for readers of feminist history, photojournalism, and true crime.