Along with its much vaunted progress in scientific and economic realms, the twentieth century has witnessed the rise of the most brutal and oppressive regimes in the history of humankind. Even with the collapse of Marxism, current instances of “ethnic cleansing” remind us that tyranny persists in our own age and shows no sign of abating. Daniel Chirot offers an important and timely study of modern tyrants, both revealing the forces that allow them to come to power and helping us to predict where they may arise in the future.
Daniel Chirot is Professor of International Studies and of Sociology at the Henry M. Jackson School of International Studies at the University of Washington.
"Chirot's insightful book looks squarely at radical evil ... and warns us of the array of new onslaughts against democratic values and governments that are to be expected from various quarters, most often in the name of some collective identity or self-styled expression of community."—Vladimir Tismaneanu, Journal of Democracy
"Chirot's classification scheme for understanding modern tyrannies makes this survey a valuable sourcebook on dictatorships.... A disquieting and ominous road map of the twentieth century's political horrors."—Publishers Weekly
"Chirot's approach is both useful and unusual, as it isn't driven by ideology.... His book should be of lasting value as a quick reference to many of the worst regimes of our century.... Chirot's conclusions ... [are] clearly stated and intelligent."—Peter A. Jay, The Washington Times
