On Tyranny - Timothy Snyder

On Tyranny

By Timothy Snyder

  • Release Date: 2017-02-28
  • Genre: Political Science
Score: 4.5 (From 855 Ratings)

Description

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A “bracing” (Vox) guide for surviving and resisting America’s turn towards authoritarianism, from “a rising public intellectual unafraid to make bold connections between past and present” (The New York Times)

“Timothy Snyder reasons with unparalleled clarity, throwing the past and future into sharp relief. He has written the rare kind of book that can be read in one sitting but will keep you coming back to help regain your bearings.”—Masha Gessen

The Founding Fathers tried to protect us from the threat they knew, the tyranny that overcame ancient democracy. Today, our political order faces new threats, not unlike the totalitarianism of the twentieth century. We are no wiser than the Europeans who saw democracy yield to fascism, Nazism, or communism. Our one advantage is that we might learn from their experience.

On Tyranny is a call to arms and a guide to resistance, with invaluable ideas for how we can preserve our freedoms in the uncertain years to come.

Reviews

  • Probably the most important book you will read this year…

    By peggyb333
    You’ve probably heard about, read about, or learned about everything recounted in this book. But Snyder knits together the “then“ and “now“ into a narrative that takes on a whole different quality - a frightening quality - which shatters our closely held illusions about the security of our America and illuminates what we must confront today. Read it, and give a copy to all of your friends.
  • On Tyranny

    By rrrrrrrrrekkkkkkk
    Highest possible recommendation. Accurate historical context for what is going on in the world today
  • The 2025-29 Handbook

    By nalewis09
    This is an excellent comparison of current events in America against historical equivalents. Each chapter builds on the last to guide the reader from the primary building blocks of fascism, to the nuanced and insidious ways it infects democracy. I can’t say that reading this brought me any peace of mind, but it’s brought me a sense of understanding where things may go, and its sharpened my senses to these machinations of the second Trump administration.
  • A critical message

    By miltdavis
    On Tyranny is a fascinating and a well documented historical account of intentional efforts to establish authoritarian regimes. As the author states from the outset: history is instructive. I sent a copy to my granddaughter who is majoring in political science. Bravo, Dr. Snyder.
  • A great read and important lessons for its readers

    By ZeroNote is the rating.
    It’s an articulate analysis for the US and other democracies around the world to wake up to all of the danger signals which are eerily reminiscent of the worst chapters in history. If more of us recognize the underlying methodology between language and actions of during autocrats perhaps those who enable either by action or inaction will wake up to the reality of what’s at stake in the current geopolitical environment. The author pulls no punches. Perhaps if more people learn of the true origins of make america great again, america first, enemies of the people, fake news, and systematically repeated lies, and inanely insidious name calling, we might have some honest reflections on the precipice we face with the upcoming presidential election.
  • Galvanizing

    By southside indian
    Good advice for us all.
  • A must read

    By Trent G
    Be prepared to use the highlighter, this is a must read.
  • HillyBash

    By HillyBash
    Started off decent, but quickly lost interest once I kept noticing the incessant and quite apparent anti-trump rhetoric and “parallels” between Trump and Nazism and Hitler. It was a little much…and I truly went into this book from a completely neutral stance. Interestingly you could draw all of the same parallels in regards to President Biden now circa 2022.
  • Good

    By Aod762
    Not bad
  • A MUST read!!

    By Newuserme
    Those that can’t remember the past are condemned to repeat. We can’t take democracy for granted.

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