A Short History of the World in 50 Tyrants

by Ben Gazur

Explore the tyrants who have shaped the course of history. All power corrupts, but absolute power can turn people into absolute monsters. The true stories behind the men and women who led tyrannies around the world. This is history... but not as you know it. 

Leading readers through all of world history, Ben Gazur looks at how tyrants and their regimes have shaped the course of humanity from the earliest times right up until the modern day. From the first Ancient Greek tyrants to those who still dominate nations today, dictators have always been pulling the strings. 

In 50 bite-sized chapters spanning thousands of years, A Short History of the World in 50 Tyrants examines their rise to power, how they stayed there, and how they were overthrown, investigating their lives and crimes. Readers will learn  



Catherine the Great seized the throne from her own husband 
Adolf Hitler created a cult of personality to assume complete control 
Julius Caesar met his end under a rain of stabs on the senate floor. 






Follow the whims, eccentricities, and evil acts of dictators across the millennia, such as the deadly search for immortality by the first Chinese Emperor, the wily machinations of the Emperor Augustus, and the crushing brutality of Pol Pot’s rule.

Genres: History, Nonfiction

Kindle Edition

Expected publication July 14, 2026

About the author

Ben Gazur holds a PhD in Biochemistry from the University of Edinburgh. Giving up the glitz and glamour of the lab he became a freelance writer who has written widely on history and science for the likes of the BBC, All About History, and the Guardian newspaper. His first book was a biography of the philosopher Epicurus.

Reviews

[Ken Sampson · Rating 4 out of 5]

[26 Feb 2026] A short, but interesting and informative book. It bounces along at pace with each mini-biography being 3 or 4 pages. It gives you the edited highlights of the awfulness of each tyrant from various historical periods. There is no in-depth analysis or context - I'm guessing some might argue that what some emperors/rulers did was no different to what all people did at the time and that their actions would not have been seen as extraordinary or unacceptable, a measure of tyrants in later years.

It contains horrific descriptions of inhumane treatment and violence, but in a slightly sanitised way. Easy to pick up and put down. Those people who created political underpinning for tyrants - like Marx do get let off.

[Thomas · Rating 1 out of 5]

Absolute trash that left me feeling like I know less after having read it.
Every man was described as clearly horrible and his achievements were glossed over, every woman was the most yass qween ever to have slayyed criticisms of which were downplayed as having been written by hateful men who just can't stand to see a strong independent woman do her thing.
As an example, Leopold of Belgium having allegedly halved the population of the Congo is described as an unspeakable monstrosity, but Ranavalona I of Madagascar's rule resulting in the deaths of half of the population of her own country is mentioned as just a fact with no emotional weight assigned to it while most of her entry is focused on giving her a balanced portrayal as someone who despite her mental instability kept evil, evil westerners out and performed modernization.
Augustus has an entry as a tyrant and is described in a way that would make you think he was some two bit regional Machiavellian whose only accomplishment is having gotten power and kept it until death, while actually tyrannical Roman emperors are conspicuously absent.
The entries are also so short and vague that they feel like second hand retellings of already condensed versions of wikipedia articles.
I regret my purchase.

[Michelle Frias · Rating 3 out of 5]

So overall i find it an interesting book. I would say it has some errors and a rather interesting way to navigate the stories (i would call it fun facts more than history because it talks a lot about myths on the start of the tyrants). Anyway, i still think it has some value and I don't regret buying it.

[Ed · Rating 4 out of 5]

good

Generally this is a well written , informative and interesting little book . There were I noticed a couple of errors and it’s not really a history of the world but good all the same .

[Riley · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's a good book! I really enjoyed it but I must say that this hit me at the wrong time. I really just wanted to get on to read the Ayoade book I got for Christmas. Maybe will pick this up again at some point.

[Shivam · Rating 4 out of 5]

A bit basic with a few inaccuracies and it reads like an encyclopaedia, but still enjoyable and it’s nice to see a Western book acknowledge the atrocities the Mughal’s forced into India’s native population.

[Derek McRonald · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating insight to the mind and similar behaviour of Tyrants throughout history. Nothing more to add really than the book pretty much lived up to expectations

[Adam Pearson · Rating 2 out of 5]

🚽 just seemed to fill time, not very detailed. Boring

[Zeyno · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book serves as a solid starting point for anyone interested in the darker side of leadership. I’m bumping it up to 4 stars because, while it felt too short for such a massive subject, it works perfectly as a fast-paced introductory guide. Because it covers 50 different figures in under 300 pages, it functions more like an essential highlight reel of history's most notorious regimes.

There is a general consensus that it offers a fascinating look into the minds and behaviors of tyrants throughout history. While some noted a few minor errors, they still felt the book lived up to my expectations as an informative and engaging read.

If you are looking for a quick, high-level summary of history’s most infamous figures, this is a great pick. It might not have the deep, interconnected analysis but it’s an accessible primer for your history shelf.

[Christian Macdonald · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting reading about some names in History I had heard before.

[Ray Smillie · Rating 2 out of 5]

One of my classic impulse buys. Ooh, that looks interesting. Only if interesting means the same as turgid. Next stop, a charity shop.