Democracy vs. Autocracy / Authoritarianism / Fascism / Totalitarianism

Snyder weaves together the lives and ideas of philosophers, dissidents, and his own life, to think about what is freedom and what isn’t freedom, weaving through history and bringing us to today. With light stories laced with very heavy ideas, making it seem very natural and obvious, he pulls away a gauzy curtain to reveal what you always knew was there. Themes include: Sovereignty, Unpredictability, Mobility, Factuality, and Solidarity. The final chapter recaps and expands on the suggestions presented throughout the book to strengthen freedom. -tsg

Sweeps through American history highlighting attitudes, events, and the key players who led us from the founding and slavery to the Civil War to Reconstruction to Nixon and Reagan to today in regards to "Movement Conservativism." -tsg

Lays out and discusses, though the lens of misinformation and disinformation, events from 2016 to 2023 in U.S. politics. The final two chapters are filled with suggestions to strengthen democracy against the manipulation of bad actors using disinformation. -tsg

Written in Trump's 4th year of his 1st term, an unpacking of those 3-1/2 years. Although written before his 2nd non-sequential term, themes we see now, in the 1st year of his 2nd term, were present in the 1st: disdain for the press, Greenland, war on immigrants, military parades, and other themes that were laid out in Project 2025. -tsg

Fascist strategies examined include: "mythic past, propaganda, anti-intellectualism, unreality, hierarchy, victimhood, law and order, sexual anxiety, appeals to the heartland, and a dismantling of public welfare and unity." (p. xxix) -tsg

Examines how history is taught that helps prompt fascism.
You may also enjoy Lowen's 1995 "Lies My Teacher Told Me : Everything Your American History Textbook Got Wrong" in its various editions, including a graphic novel. -tsg

Get an overview of what fascism is, how it starts, and how it morphs depending on social conditions. Lots of 20th century history! Read the Introduction and Chapter 8 for a summary. -tsg

Also available as an ebook!

Covers the last 30 years or so of global politics to explain how leaders of autocracies and illiberal democracies come together, in what the author calls Autocracy, Inc., to support one another and work together to get rich and increase their power and influence.-tsg

The rise of Putin, the history of Ukraine, with backstories on a dissident, yet fascist, 20th century Russian philosopher and mythologized histories. The "politics of inevitability" and the "politics of eternity" are two traps explored. -tsg

Originally published in 1941.

Actionable items with historic context. -tsg

Actionable items with historic context. The illustrations are fantastic and powerful. -tsg

Includes an excellent overview of fascism as seen on the streets and how people respond and push back. -tsg

Open Access Link available

Open Access Link available

A classic with memeable references to understand and communicate the realities of misinformation, changing communal values, and manipulation for power. -tsg

A classic with memeable references to understand and communicate authoritarian, rewriting of history and collective memory, and absolute control over individuals. "Ministry of Truth," "Thought Police," and "Big Brother" are from this Orwellian world. -tsg

A deep dive into the imagery and world in Orwell's novel 1984 and how it relates to historical reality. -tsg

An absurdist play about the decent of society as individuals turn into Rhinoceroses. (Tip: understand something about the playwright Ionesco to get more out of the play. Referenced in Timothy Snyder's On Tyranny.) -tsg