Fighting Tyranny: From Dictatorship to Democracy & The Anti-Coup

by Gene Sharp, Bruce Jenkins

Fighting Tyranny combines two of Gene Sharp's books in a single pocket-sized volume - From Dictatorship to Democracy and The Anti-Coup . At a time when governments around the world are becoming increasingly authoritarian and aggressive towards their citizens, this book offers ideas and nonviolent methods of action to defend or establish democratic systems.
From Dictatorship to Democracy - A conceptual Framework for Liberation is a practical exploration of the techniques of nonviolent struggle against totalitarian regimes. This book has been used successfully by activists from all sides of the political spectrum, by grassroots activists and state-backed colour revolutionaries alike, to overthrow governments and effect political change.
The Anti-Coup - co-authored with Bruce Jenkins - examines the possibilities of nonviolent defence against coups d'état . Coups may happen to a functioning democracy, or in the power vacuum that occurs after a government has been ousted. The Anti-Coup describes methods to block coups and putsch attempts which can be used by citizens and governments.

240 pages, Paperback

Published December 1, 2021

About the author

Gene Sharp was an American political scientist. He was the founder of the Albert Einstein Institution, a non-profit organization dedicated to advancing the study of nonviolent action, and professor of political science at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth. He was known for his extensive writings on nonviolent struggle, which have influenced numerous anti-government resistance movements around the world.
Sharp received the 2008 Int’l Peace Abbey Courage of Conscience Award for his lifelong commitment to the defense of freedom, democracy, and the reduction of political violence through scholarly analysis of the power of nonviolent action. Unofficial sources have claimed that Sharp was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2015, and had previously been nominated three times, in 2009, 2012 and 2013. Sharp was widely considered the favorite for the 2012 award. In 2011, he was awarded the El-Hibri Peace Education Prize. In 2012, he was a recipient of the Right Livelihood Award for "developing and articulating the core principles and strategies of nonviolent resistance and supporting their practical implementation in conflict areas around the world".