The Six-Legged Dog: Mattei and ENI: A Study in Power

The Six-Legged Dog: Mattei and ENI—A Study in Power by Dow Votaw is a fascinating investigation of one of postwar Europes most fascinating industrial empires, tracing the rise of Enrico Mattei and ENI's transformation into a global petroleum and energy power. It explores the company's apparatus of power, statutory mandate, management structure, concession agreements, and propaganda machine, and offers lessons on monopoly, nationalism, and the global struggle between private capital, public enterprise, and emerging nations.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 190 pages
Publication date: 27 August 2021
Publisher: University of California Press

The Six-Legged Dog: Mattei and ENI—A Study in Power by Dow Votaw is a comprehensive exploration of one of postwar Europe's most intriguing industrial empires. Votaw delves into the remarkable journey of Enrico Mattei, a partisan-turned-businessman who transformed Italy's state hydrocarbon agency (ENI) into a global petroleum and energy powerhouse. Through strategic methane pipeline projects in the Po Valley, assertive concession diplomacy in the Middle East and Africa, and even controversial barter deals with the Soviet Union, Mattei amassed influence that rivaled both governments and multinational oil majors. The book delves not only into how ENI addressed Italy's energy shortages but also how Mattei's six-legged dog became a fiery symbol of national pride, political controversy, and international disruption. Drawing on extensive interviews, ENI documents, and contemporary Italian political discourse, Votaw situates ENI within the broader context of public corporations, which are neither purely state agencies nor private enterprises but rather a distinct "third form" with significant autonomy. He examines ENI's apparatus of power, including its statutory mandate, management structure, concession agreements, and propaganda machine, which includes ownership of the daily newspaper Il Giorno. As much a study of modern power theory as it is of one man's career, The Six-Legged Dog offers valuable lessons on monopoly, nationalism, and the global struggle between private capital, public enterprise, and emerging nations. It remains a seminal account of how energy, politics, and personality shaped Italy's economic destiny. This title is part of UC Press's Voices Revived program, which commemorates the University of California Press's mission to seek out and cultivate the brightest minds and give them a voice, reach, and impact. Drawing on a backlist dating back to 1893, Voices Revived highlights the enduring relevance of UC Press's publishing program.

Weight: 300g
Dimension: 151 x 229 x 16 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780520319400