On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century

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Synopsis

As a celebrated historian and an expert on fascism, Timothy Snyder is exceptionally well-versed in the events that enabled the rise of dictators like Hitler and Stalin. Drawing on these moments and others from twentieth century history, he has collected together twenty short lessons to help Americans learn from these experiences as our country begins to slide toward authoritarianism. On Tyranny provides a guide to resistance by presenting ideas on how ordinary people can preserve our democratic freedoms for future generations.

Review

On Tyranny is authored by Timothy Snyder, a historian and expert on fascism. In this short, pocket-sized, 126-page book, he offers twenty lessons from historical events of the twentieth century from which we can learn that have been adapted to our current circumstances. Each chapter gives practical advice on how we can take personal responsibility during a crisis of tyranny, and each step is designed to slow down the pace of the implementation of an authoritarian regime.

Mr. Snyder draws from, not only the most well-known example of fascism, the Nazi regime, but also communism and other tyrannical dictatorships throughout the twentieth century to make his points. I like that each thing he suggests is very doable even though some may take courage. In fact, I think I was already doing most of them without even realizing it and have been doing them for years, but it definitely doesn't hurt to be reminded of the steps we can take to overcome authoritarianism in order to preserve democracy. This book may be small and each of the chapters only a few pages long, but it packs a powerful punch, presenting a strong and succinct reminder that we aren't completely powerless in the face of tyranny. I highly recommend On Tyranny to everyone who wants to be part of the resistance in our current time.

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Timothy Snyder