Arnoldo Mondadori (1889-1971), the founder of the company started his publishing ventures in 1907. He published children's books, as well as a periodical for Italian troops abroad during World War I. In the 1920's he started publishing the works of various Italian poets, such as Gabriele D'Annunzio, Luigi Pirandello and Giovanni Pascoli. In 1929 he started publishing foreign authors such as Raymond Chandler, Dashiell Hammett and Georges Simenon.