On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century
by Timothy Snyder
View on Goodreads"Do not obey in advance" is one of Timothy Snyder's twenty lessons, and it captures the book's approach. He draws on how European democracies collapsed into fascism and communism in the twentieth century, on the premise that history doesn't repeat but does instruct, and turns that record into practical advice for citizens.
Core ideas
- Defend institutions: Courts and the press are among the institutions the lessons ask you to defend, alongside a separate call to remember professional ethics.
- Truth and nerve: Other lessons tell you to believe in truth, to stand out, and to stay calm when the unthinkable arrives.
- Deeper roots: He reads fascism and communism as responses to globalization and inequality, and reaches back to Greek and Roman history as well.
Published2017
Pages127
ISBN9780804190114
ReadSep 2023
