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    On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century
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    On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century
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    On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century
    Audiobook1 hour

    On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century

    Published by Penguin Random House Audio

    4.5/5

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    Currently unavailable

    About this audiobook

    #1 New York Times Bestseller

    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.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherPenguin Random House Audio
    Release dateFeb 28, 2017
    ISBN9780525500902
    Unavailable
    On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century

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    Reviews for On Tyranny

    4.5/5

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    • 5/5
      On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century by Timothy Snyder is a masterpiece of what is happening now and this was written before the orange tornado. This book was based on past history and what to expect from tyranny...and boy does it match today perfect. This is one book each and every American needs to read. It is a short but power in its message. Wonderful!
    • 5/5
      Literally everyone needs to read this book.
    • 5/5
      Book source ~ LibraryI don’t normally read non-fiction, but I found this on someone else’s book list/post/blog (sorry I can’t remember which or who) and felt it extremely relevant in these dangerous times. Because they are dangerous. It’s unreal to me that Hitler isn’t that far back in our history, a mere blip in the entirety of Earth’s history, and yet it seems as if we are making the same exact mistakes that Germany and others did back in the 30s & 40s. Totally unreal. I’m not sure if having the internet and access to social media is good or bad, but I’m leaning towards good so that those fighting for democracy can reach more people. But the vast amount of disinformation out there being shared with and by people who don’t know what the fuck they’re talking about, not to mention those who do not have the best interests of the many in mind, is needless to say, alarming.Our government is corrupt. It’s been corrupt for decades now and the only good thing to come out of Trump’s presidency is that more and more people have finally woken up to the fact we’re getting royally screwed by the people who are supposed to be working for us. US. The citizens of the United States of America. Because, I’m just going to say it, Americans have gotten lazy as fuck. Me included. Combined with loss of funding for essentials such as education we’re also raising Americans who are dumb as fuck. Yes, I said it. Lazy and dumb. Just what our government wants us to be so they can keep lining their and their buddies pockets with more money than they could ever spend in 3 lifetimes. I’m going to put this out there, it may sound crazy, but I don’t care. I think Russia wants to be the new Roman Empire, taking over the majority of the world. They seem to be playing the long game and sustaining themselves by eating the elephant one bite at a time. And we’re stupid enough to let it happen. Shame on us. But it hasn’t happened yet and we really need to make sure the lessons from the past follow us into the future. Short memories will get us killed. I recommend this book to everyone.
    • 5/5
      Ideas to apply to your daily life
    • 3/5
      Timothy Snyder's short book is a useful read in that it covers a lot of ground very quickly, but also links to further reading in many places. But if you're looking for an in-depth examination of the state of politics, of corruption, of government control - you might need to look elsewhere. Snyder scratches the surface, but stops there, expecting the reader to continue on by themselves. This book then is like a sign pointing us in the right direction - be good, be patriotic (but understand what that rightly means), and be critical.
    • 5/5
      Short book, well worth reading in the present circumstances. One of the key lessons: don’t comply in advance (which sadly I couldn’t help but compare to Sheryl Sandburg’s “don’t leave before you leave”)—don’t do things because you expect they will be required or approved by the powerful.
    • 4/5
      This is a must read, a very quick read.....but one designed to make you think. And it does. Fascinating.....scarey.......and thought provoking book about the politics of politics, as it is today. Very stimulating.
    • 4/5
      Not so much a book as a long essay; a treatise, if you will, on modern day resistence to totalitarianism with an especially American point of view. The first few "lessons" grab the reader by the scruff and speak with no uncertainty about things that many may rather look away from or deny altogether. As the lessons progress, however, the intensity dies down somewhat and the language loses some of its laser focus, while never really losing its ability to benefit. However, as important as many of the prior lessons are, this author/historian makes probably his most important points at the very end with a lesson for both major groups in the "resistance". One should read it all for oneself, but, for me, the last lesson is the most important, for, if it is heeded, it naturally makes the reader aware of all the others and prepared to act on those lessons with gusto.
    • 5/5
      This first came to my attention when Ellen read and reviewed it last year, and then when Joanne reviewed it this year, it reminded me and pushed me over the edge to get to it. Here Snyder presents twenty lessons to live by if we want to preserve democracy. It's well done and informative without being repetitive. I think they should give a copy of this to every high schooler as they reach voting age. Our Constitution only works when we empower it by exercising our rights as citizens - it's easy to lose sight of that as so much of our lives can be lived from home. We have learned to make things come to us instead of our going to them, and it has made us lazy and passive. We need to get our there and be present and make our voices be counted. This should be required reading.
    • 4/5
      A pithy little volume of advice on how, maybe, to avoid the descent into darkness. From "Do Not Obey in Advance" to "Be as Courageous as You Can", Snyder offers simple, practical observations on what we all can and must do to prevent tyranny from sneaking in and becoming the norm. It should come as no surprise that he advocates being careful with language, responsible with facts and vigilant about your rights and privacy. Everyone ought to carry a copy of this in their back pocket.
    • 5/5
      Timothy Snyder is an internationally-recognised expert on tyranny. His previous books have included studies of both right-wing and left-wing tyrannical regimes, focussing on Stalinism and Nazism. So when he writes a book that is, at its core, about Donald Trump, it is time to worry. "Post-truth is pre-fascism," he writes, in one of many passages that seem to cast the US as a society in a pre-fascist stage. Most of the 20 "lessons" are quite good, though some are banal (give money to good causes), but the main lesson seems to be this: study history. He's right.
    • 5/5
      We can not assume that democracy will survive in America or that the system of checks and balances created by our Constitution will save us from threats from both citizens determined to tear down the system and foreign nations determined to destabilize it. This book is an introduction to both the threats and possible defenses. Personally, I am not hopeful that anything will save us from ignorance, stupidity and the worst characteristics of ourselves.
    • 5/5
      This little book packs a punch. If you’re feeling uneasy about the state of the world, this may not alleviate your fears, but it may better prepare you for thoughtful action to prevent making the same mistakes committed during the previous century. The only reason I call this a "coffee table book" is because if it's on your coffee table, you will see it every day, you will think about its message every day, and it will be the starting point of many conversations with people who come to visit. If I had a few hundred dollars, I'd buy copy after copy to hand out to people who want to know why resistance is necessary.
    • 5/5
      "...Aristotle warned that inequality brought instability, while Plato believed that demagogues exploited free speech to install themselves as tyrants.... We might be tempted to think that our democratic heritage automatically protects us from such threats. This is a misguided reflex." I want everyone to read this tiny book. I have thought about ordering ten or more copies and planting them in the Little Free Libraries in our neighborhood and other locations where all manner of folk might pick it up and read it. Drawing on the lessons of the last century, most notably those imbedded in the rise of the Soviet Community regime and the Third Reich of Hitler, Snyder outlines twenty actions -- or stances -- we can implement today to help prevent our country from veering off course toward a totalitarian state. Wise and pithy, the author is most ardently urging Americans to stay centered and clear about our values and our current freedom. Democracies can fail. Democracies have failed. Snyder compelling argues that ours is vulnerable and that the choices of ordinary citizens can impact the trajectory of history. One of my favorites is Lesson 9: Be kind to our language. "Avoid pronouncing the phrases everyone else does. Think up your own way of speaking, even if only to convey that thing you think everyone is saying. Make an effort to separate yourself from the internet. Read books." Highly recommended, regardless of your political perspective. Bring your best critical mind to the reading and engage with Snyder's points. It's a worthwhile exercise.
    • 5/5
      Learning History to Act Wisely Professor Timothy Snyder is a scholar of the Holocaust and of European’s Twentieth Century history. In this short book he points twenty lessons one can learn considering modern political history in the West. The aim, it seems to me, is to identify and combat tyranny, understand as “the usurpation of power by a single individual or group, or the circumvention of law by rulers for their own benefit”. The lessons are extremely practical and can be applied with easiness. Their careful consideration is vital to enhance political action and advance democracy. The book main point rest in the importance of history to liberty. History, the author said, “allows us to see patterns and make judgments” and then identify the dangers surrounding liberty nowadays.
    • 4/5
      This is an excellent (and short) book about twenty lessons about tyranny in the twentieth century, particularly Europe (both Nazi and Communist), and, of course, how it applies to today's events - which is very timely, might I add.My grandmother grew up in Nazi Germany, at least until she was sent out of the country. She lost two parents, three brothers, and a sister to the Nazis - she is the only surviving member of her immediate family. How did this ever happen, I wondered frequently as I grew up. How in the world could people be so hateful towards those they perceive as outsiders? How could truth, and justice, and mercy take such backseats to hatred, and fear, and prejudice? I see how every day now; I no longer have to wonder. Recommended.
    • 4/5
      Best for: People who see what is happening in the U.S. and want some quick tips on how to fight back.In a nutshell: The subtitle says it all. Twenty lessons the guide our fight against the encroaching tyranny.Line that sticks with me: “When exactly was the ‘again’ in the president’s slogan ‘Make America great again’? Hint: It is the same ‘again’ that we find in ‘Never again.’” (p 123)Why I chose it: I was in a bookstore on Tuesday and saw this on a table. It looked like a book I could read quickly, and I was (and still am) really struggling with the best way for me personally to address what is happening in the U.S.Review: Author Timothy Snyder is an expert on tyranny. His field of study is Eastern Europe history. And, according to Wikipedia, he and I went to the same school (LSE shout out!). What I’m saying is, he seems to know what he’s talking about. And he uses his knowledge to share twenty quick tips (backed up by 1-4 pages of support) of what to look for, what to do, and how to handle ourselves as we face this administration and the current state of the nation.A sampling of the tips: “Do not obey in advance.” “Believe in truth.” “Investigate.” “Establish a private life.” “Be calm when the unthinkable arrives.” Some of them are obvious to me ( “Be wary of paramilitaries.”); others were not as much (”Make eye contact and small talk.”). There were only a couple of times that I found myself raising my eyebrows - one when the tip seems to suggest that people who aren’t in the streets aren’t doing real work, and one that suggests that patriots agree to fight in wars. I think he believes the former; the latter may just have been the result of poor language choices.This book doesn’t have all the answers, but it provides a good reference point for when I find myself reacting, but not sure if I want to react that way.
    • 5/5
      This is a short book with a lot of wisdom.It expounds on history with twenty short but gripping lessons on what an individual could have done during such events as the rise of Hitler and fascism, and what a person can do today to ensure our democracy stays strong. The good news is that the remedies are often quite straightforward and include such ideas as adhering to professional standards, being aware of movement toward a one party state and awareness and listening for dangerous words. It's not that these lessons or remedies are easy; standing up against a crowd takes quite a bit of courage; but the people who believe in such principals must stand firm.I plan to have an extra copy of this book on hand to share – I know it's one I'll want to give to others.
    • 4/5
      ON TYRANNY forwards many positive words to stem the rise of tyranny in America.What is finally missing is a Call to Action that goes beyond his ideas into a concrete sequential Plan of Action.Link to websites which promise Unity in a quest for change would be a start.Actions: 1. A united movement to place all our Income Taxes safely into an interest bearing Escrow Fund.We will thus cease to support Tyranny.2. Generate a daily updated online listing of all companies, corporations, and products whichsend money to the people who are financing this government. Then, organize a systematic boycott.3. ???? More ideas...
    • 5/5
      Rating: 5* of fiveNot for its perfection of style but for its perfection of wisdom and its amazing timeliness. As I write this today, 24 March 2018, I saw the face of our future president in Emma Gonzalez as she stood silent, focused, determined, at a march made by young people to demand their lives be protected from ammosexual assholes. She spoke for six minutes and twenty seconds in total, the same amount of time that it took one piece of shit human being to slaughter seventeen of her classmates. I believe that her speech...the few words, the long silence...will be the spark of the youth revolution our country so very badly needs. I am hopeful that Emma Gonzalez will be, by her very adamantine sense of self and her charismatic gravitas, the voice that alerts her compatriots to Author Snyder's clarion call to clarity:The politics of inevitability is a self-induced intellectual coma.The most unbelievably high stakes are at risk in the November 2018 elections. Buy this book not for yourself but for your hopes of a reasonably happy future for the United States of America, buy it in quantity and give it to everyone you know and/or can find who is under 25, and talk to them about why you're giving them this short, clear, concise, and urgently necessary book.Your life, my life, the life of a truly great nation, depends on them showing up at the ballot box on 6 November 2018. This is neither hyperbole nor alarmism. It is simply the truth. Looking away from the horrors of the current kakistocracy's rise to any position of power higher than hall monitor at the local middle school will only ensure the brutal and vicious agenda of these lowlife scumbags and their horrifying cadres of disgustingly venal and/or stupid supporters will succeed.
    • 5/5
      This should be required reading for all Americans. The author skillfully outlines twenty lessons from throughout the twentieth century that have great resonance for the world today. Democracy is not a given, but can be lost when tyrants gain control.
    • 4/5
      20 short essays all alluding to our inept current president. Mildly obtuse, but generally on target.
    • 5/5
      I would say this book ought to be required reading for anyone in the post-trump era, to remind us not only of what is REAL but of the lessons of history. Without directly citing my favourite Santayana quote ("Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it"), Snyder spells out in Twenty Lessons, exactly why this is so. This is a book to check back with from time to time. It's a book that should be the text book and manual for students, to prepare them for the future (both high school and university students). And, if you ask me, it's a book that ought to be read with care and caution by every politician, to (hopefully) help keep them accountable for their actions. Of course, if more citizens knew more history and heeded the signs all around them, the *text* might not be so necessary. And the cynic in me heaves a big sigh and says that, sadly, I think those who most need to read this, probably won't....I thought I would include a few quotes from the book but in truth, I can't decide which, as I marked so many. So, just read it. There is good advice and good common sense and worthy values on almost every page.
    • 4/5
      Short and to the point. It's an adequate summary of his very scholarly review of fascism in Black Earth.
    • 5/5
      A very short, yet incredibly important read. Snyder uses historical examples of the rise of tyranny from the 1930s, 1940s, 1950s, and the fall of Communism to make potential comparisons to the United States and Europe of today. While he does not necessarily come right out and say the rise of Trump is heading toward a state of tyranny (I don't believe he actually ever uses Trump's name), he does point out some scary parallels. I think the lesson of this book is for all of us, as citizens of the nation and of the world, to be aware of what is happening and to takes steps as individuals and members of society to prevent all forms of tyranny.
    • 3/5
      "On Tyranny" isn't a great book, but I don't think that the author wrote it because he wanted to produce a great work of non-fiction. This thing is a pamphlet in book form, a call to action, a wake up call for our troubled, unpredictable times. With that in mind, it's got its good points. Snyder emphasizes the roles that institutions and human connections play in resisting tyranny, and the examples he picks to support his arguments seem appropriate and might not be familiar to the average non-historian. He argues, obliquely, that the internet has damaged public discourse, and that actually getting together with other humans in meatspace is one way to repair this damage. He also includes what seems like a solid reading list for people who want to learn and do more, which I'll have to pursue.I actually found the most interesting part of the book to be the afterword, in which Snyder argues that "end of history" complacency about a democratic, technocratic, future is as dangerous -- indeed, the flip side -- of passivity in the face of a developing tyranny. His point is that bad governments don't just happen, they're allowed to happen. Given where American politics is right now, his message seems both important and timely.
    • 4/5
      I mostly found this depressing and a retread of advice I've already heard and have been taking since November (such as: read and financially support print journalism; have a valid passport; disengage from the internet more often; read "slow" texts, that is things that take time to absorb like books and long-form journalism; seek out and listen to the experiences and opinions of people from other countries; be critical and wary of alarmist language from "leaders"; speak up; support charities; support the institutions you value). It's incredibly important stuff, but I also wish there had been more to it, more specific advice and more (any) references* to other works of history or political science to back up Snyder's facts and to direct one to further reading. After talking to LW3, who reacted much more favorably to the book than I did, I'm willing to concede that I'm probably asking the book to do things it wasn't intended to do. For many Snyder's book will probably work just as it is meant to and will be a welcome source of advice. For me, it woke up the rattlers in my stomach without making me feel like there was much I could do about it. YMMV.*That is, citations. He does reference other works.
    • 3/5
      Ik begrijp dat heel veel mensen bijzonder enthousiast zijn over dit korte boekje, vanuit een verontwaardiging over wat er met de wereld aan de hand is, zeker sinds de Brexit en de verkiezing van Trump. Ik deel die verontwaardiging en ik kan alleen maar waardering opbrengen voor mensen als Snyder die die verontwaardiging proberen om te zetten in iets strijdbaars, iets constructief. Want dat is, - lijkt me -, de belangrijkste boodschap van Snyder: het zijn niet zomaar onpersoonlijke krachten die onze wereld meeslepen, je kan persoonlijk echt wel een verschil maken en zelf je kleine steentje bijdragen aan een betere wereld. Minder enthousiast ben ik over de voorbeelden die Snyder gebruikt om zijn stellingen kracht bij te zetten: voortdurend refereert hij aan het fascisme, nazisme en stalinisme, en ik begrijp dat wel, die fenomenen heeft hij grondig bestudeerd en beschreven in tal van knappe boeken. Maar het lijkt me dat die historische voorbeelden zo specifiek en overweldigend ideologisch gedreven waren, dat er misschien minder parallellen te trekken zijn met de huidige wereld. Had Snyder niet beter historische voorbeelden genomen van dictaturen zoals we die in bijvoorbeeld Latijns-Amerika of Azië hebben gekend in de 20ste eeuw?Tenslotte is dit boekje, misschien eerder een pamflet, geschreven vanuit een “sense of urgency”, en dat is ook aan de erg wisselende zorgvuldigheid van zijn betoog te merken; af en toe is het echt slordig haastwerk. En dat hij Trump nergens bij naam noemt (altijd “the candidate”, “the president”), maar iemand als Poetin wel, komt wel heel erg flauw over.
    • 5/5
      The book may be quite small, both in physical size and length, but it is, by far, one of the most important.
    • 5/5
      Very current yet reflective of the past. A wake up call to the present.