When thinking about history’s most tyrannical and oppressive regimes, most American citizens tend to take an attitude of “it couldn’t happen here.” In this slim tome, author Timothy Snyder, uses the lessons we should have learned over the prior century to show us that not only could it very easily happen here, it very nearly already has. Each of the 20 chapters here begins with a brief “lesson”, giving the reader a simple sign to look out for or action to take to avoid allowing the nation to slip into fascism, followed by a few pages of examples showing how easily that has happened in the past. These examples primarily focus on Hitler and Nazi Germany with only occasional mention of other tyrants, but given just how much we know about the Third Reich, that was probably to be expected. The parallels between these earlier events and much of recent American history are absolutely chilling, and make it abundantly clear just how perilously democracy has been hanging on. This is absolutely essential reading. ★★★★★ – Sean Farrell
When thinking about history’s most tyrannical and oppressive regimes, most American citizens tend to take an attitude of “it couldn’t happen here.” In this slim tome, author Timothy Snyder, uses the lessons we should have learned over the prior century to show us that not only could it very easily happen here, it very nearly already has. Each of the 20 chapters here begins with a brief “lesson”, giving the reader a simple sign to look out for or action to take to avoid allowing the nation to slip into fascism, followed by a few pages of examples showing how easily that has happened in the past. These examples primarily focus on Hitler and Nazi Germany with only occasional mention of other tyrants, but given just how much we know about the Third Reich, that was probably to be expected. The parallels between these earlier events and much of recent American history are absolutely chilling, and make it abundantly clear just how perilously democracy has been hanging on. This is absolutely essential reading. ★★★★★ – Sean Farrell
