Dear Tyrant

I was writing a book about fallen tyrants. Since my early days as a reporter for Italian newspapers, they have always interested me. What goes through the mind of someone who has had everything and lost it? How does a man grow old with his infamy? What does he tell his grandchildren about himself? What does he tell himself? But the first question, of course, is: how do I persuade them to see me? Ingratiation, unfortunately, is usually the key, but sometimes the courteous letter works and more often it doesn't. My most remarkable reply came from the former Panamanian dictator General Noriega.

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