For all its talk of liberty, the US government has practiced dehumanizing authoritarianism and mass murder since its founding. And since the rise of fascism in the early 20th century, it has never been self-evident that it cannot happen here.
#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.
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER - A graphic edition of historian Timothy Snyder's lessons for surviving and resisting America's arc toward authoritarianism, featuring the visual storytelling talents of renowned illustrator Nora Krug \"Nora Krug has visualized and rendered some of the most valuable lessons of the twentieth century, which will serve all citizens as we shape the future.\"--Shepard Fairey, artist and activist Timothy Snyder's New York Times bestseller On Tyranny uses the darkest moments in twentieth-century history, from Nazism to Communism, to teach twenty lessons on resisting modern-day authoritarianism. Among the twenty include a warning to be aware of how symbols used today could affect tomorrow (\"4: Take responsibility for the face of the world\"), an urgent reminder to research everything for yourself and to the fullest extent (\"11: Investigate\"), a point to use personalized and individualized speech rather than clichéd phrases for the sake of mass appeal (\"9: Be kind to our language\"), and more. In this graphic edition, Nora Krug draws from her highly inventive art style in Belonging--at once a graphic memoir, collage-style scrapbook, historical narrative, and trove of memories--to breathe new life, color, and power into Snyder's riveting historical references, turning a quick-read pocket guide of lessons into a visually striking rumination. In a time of great uncertainty and instability, this edition of On Tyranny emphasizes the importance of being active, conscious, and deliberate participants in resistance.
© Darrell Arnold– (Reprinted with Permission) In bite-sized chunks of two to eight (short) pages Timothy Snyder, the Levin Professor of History at Yale University, offers a practical guide to under…
Americans 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. Now is a good time to do so. From across the fearful twentieth century, here are twenty lessons about what it takes to oppose tyranny, adapted to the circumstances of today.
Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century
As I walked into my local library toward the new release shelf, this little book seemingly screamed, “Read ME!” Flipping to the back of the book cover I read these words: "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 facism, Nazism, or communism. Our one advantage is that we might learn from their experience." Hook, line, and sinker I judged the book by it's cover, added it to my stack, and a quick barcode scan later walked out into the warm evening with my new (to me) discovery. This book surprised me as it challenged my point of view. When I walked out of the library with "On Tyranny" I fully expected to read something that I completely agreed with and would absolutely love. In truth, at one point I almost did not finish reading it because on the surface Mr. Snyder and I seem see the world through diametrically opposed lenses. I did finish it, and I am glad that I did, because while I do not agree with some of the conclusions Mr. Snyder draws, he makes solid arguments and the truth of his 20 lessons can not be discredited. Die hard pro-Trump supporters that refuse to see any flaws in our current president would do well to avoid reading this book. Those of you who are willing to have your views scrutinized would do well to consider picking up this tiny tome and taking time to reflect. Mr. Snyder does little to hide his contempt for President Trump in this book. This is my only complaint with the book, and at the same time I give Mr. Snyder credit for standing true to his convictions, after all it is his book. Once past the initial shock of realizing that this book was written from a different world view than my own, I was able to dig in and get to the meat of the book. The 20 lessons put forth in "On Tyranny" deserve serious consideration. Lesson 10 states it best: “Believe in truth. To abandon fact is to abandon freedom." The facts of what happened in the 20 th Century can not be changed, but we can learn from them. No matter what side of the political aisle you fall on, truth is truth, and Mr. Snyder has put together a solid game plan on how to combat against Tyranny. I would recommend reading "On Tyranny". If forced to give it a star rating, I would give it a 3.5 out 5 stars, but mostly because I do not agree with the point of view Mr. Snyder has, not because I disagree with his points. I don't know if that is fair to him or not, but the book had the potential to be a wonderful, simple primer on combating Tyranny and unfortunately became a mild propaganda piece that will loose some validity once the current presidential term is over. The book is still worth reading for the lessons drawn from history. The book is short, easy to read, and worth the time spent. If you read it with an open mind you will learn some valuable lessons.
The Yale historian’s important book argues that we must learn from the horrors of the past if we want to protect our democracy
