On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons in Resistance

We are no wiser than those who witnessed the collapse of democracy across Europe and the rise of fascism, national socialism, and communism. But we have one advantage: we can learn from their experiences.

“Do not obey preemptively.” This is the first of twenty lessons in resistance with which Timothy Snyder prepares the citizens of the United States for what yesterday seemed unimaginable: a president who disfigures democracy and attempts to establish a right-wing tyranny. But populism and authoritarian leadership are on the rise, not only in the United States. In Europe, too, the threat of the right is drawing ever closer, as if the twentieth century and its bloody lessons never existed. Snyder’s historical lessons, which have garnered international attention, are a guide for anyone who wants to act now, not wait until it is too late. Lesson eight: “Make a statement.” This book does just that. You should too.