An English-language biography of Dom Mintoff that was seven years in the making has been officially launched.

Written by Fr Mark Montebello, The Tail that Wagged the Dog: The life and struggles of Dom Mintoff. 1916−2012 draws on archived documents, internal Labour Party records and prime sources to recount tell the story of Mintoff, arguably Malta’s best-known politician. 

“This is not a biography for Labourites only. Much less for Mintoffians alone,” Montebello said during the book launch at Castille Place, Valletta, in front of a monument of the former Labour leader and prime minister. 

“The book draws back from partisan politics. It is an analytical work which deals with the subject professionally.”

Montebello was selected to write the book by Labour Party-owned SKS Publishers, which chose him from a small group of candidates to write the biography. 

He was “left in total freedom to do his job without any interference. Furthermore, the Labour Party gave Fr. Montebello full access to all its internal archives and records,” SKS said in a statement announcing the book launch. 

The 640-page book will be available at Malta’s leading bookshops as from July 1, priced at €30, as well as online from the SKS Publishers website. The book can be purchased for a pre-publication price of €25 from SKS offices in Ħamrun between June 21 and 25. 

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