LONDON: A history of the Italian poet Gabriele D'Annunzio, who tried to set up a fascist state in Italy in the early 20th century and was an influence on the dictator Benito Mussolini, won Britain's Samuel Johnson Prize for Non-Fiction on Monday.

It was awarded the 20,000 pound ($32,000) Samuel Johnson Prize.

Martin Rees, who chaired the judging panel, praised author Lucy Hughes-Hallett's ''intricate crafting'' of the narrative and said readers will be transfixed by her portrayal of ''repellent egotist'' D'Annunzio.

''Her original experimentation with form transcends the conventions of biography,'' Rees said. Hughes-Hallett has written two other books: ''Cleopatra: Histories, Dreams and Distortions'' and ''Heroes: Saviours, Traitors and Supermen.''

For the Samuel Johnson Prize, she beat out other finalists including Charles Moore's ''Margaret Thatcher: The Authorized Biography;'' Charlotte Higgins' portrait of ancient Britain, ''Under Another Sky;'' and ''A Sting in the Tale'' by bee conservationist Dave Goulson. ''Empires of the Dead,'' a history of World War I cemeteries by David Crane, and William Dalrymple's 19th-century Afghan saga ''Return of the King'' also were on the shortlist. Rees noted that the strength and variety of the other shortlisted works had given the judges a difficult task.

The Samuel Johnson Prize recognizes English-language books from any country in the areas of current affairs, history, politics, science, sport, travel, biography, autobiography and the arts.