"As debates on the definition of neorealism will undoubtedly continue, Leavitt’s historicizing of neorealism is an essential contribution that will greatly enable our understanding of the enduring place of neorealism in Italian culture."

"This is an intelligent, well-written, and very well-documented study. It certainly will be an important point of reference in future discussions of the neorealist movement. Leavitt stakes out a vast research program that can easily stretch over an entire career. This auspicious and ambitious beginning is intrepidly undertaken, and it leaves me awaiting future studies by him."

"Leavitt shows a wide breadth of knowledge in archival material and demonstrates how one can revisit a movement so widely studied as neorealism without incurring in tautologies or clichés. With a wonderful apparatus of notes and bibliography, this study will definitely be a perfect tool to problematize the ‘Neorealism label’ for students as for scholars and to accept less dogmatically Italian postwar production across the arts."

"Leavitt’s extensive research, his accessible and moving style, and the careful delineation of his arguments are exceptional. Since he claims there is still much to say about neorealism, we can wait eagerly to see where this work will take him."

"The meticulous research that Leavitt has carried out makes this text a cornerstone of scholarship on neorealism: the reconstruction of the cultural debates that accompanied the development of the various neorealisms across the arts offers a new and stimulating approach, which will necessarily generate new critical readings of fundamental works of the Italian twentieth century."

"Italian Neorealism. A Cultural History extends and enriches the conversation on Neorealism in ways that are deeply illuminating and refreshing. I am sure that this study will also inspire young scholars to think about the archive of neorealism in new ways and to approach it, generously, as a vibrant and far-from-exhausted shared conversation."

"Leavitt’s meticulously researched and carefully argued study will become a major point of reference for future work on neorealism."

"Riding an exciting new wave in cultural historiography, Leavitt’s book on Italian neo-realism sets an important standard for historical research within film studies. It should be compulsory reading for emerging scholars in search of innovative approaches to film studies worldwide."

"Leavitt explores the neorealist socio-political, cultural and aesthetic environment with the precision of a surgeon, without losing the poetics that artistic representation inexorably carries with it. In this sense, if a historian must discover what people thought and rethink it again for himself, thanks to Leavitt, the public will be able to comprehend certain zones that had remained grey areas around the cultural history of Italian neorealism."

"I wholeheartedly recommend this rich and carefully researched book to anyone interested in the history of Italian neorealism and its legacy, which goes far beyond Italian cinema and culture. Readers will find plenty there to learn, discuss, and even disagree with."