This paper discusses the book Norberto Bobbio. Gli anni padovani, edited by Giuseppe Zaccaria and Baldassare Pastore, where the early years of Norberto Bobbio's theory are analyzed. In the book, a particular stress is put on the 1940-1948 period: the so-called «forgotten» Bobbio. Many contributors to the book focus on his intellectual and moral courage during the last years of the fascist dictatorship. The main thesis of the reviewed book is that the «Paduan» years are fundamental for a complete understanding of the legacy of Bobbio's life and work.