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Over tirannie: geïllustreerde editie. Twintig lessen uit de twintigste eeuw
De meeste mensen gaan ervan uit dat onze democratie sterk is en onze overheidsinstellingen stabiel genoeg om antidemocratische aanvallen te weerstaan. Maar dit is een vergissing die in de westerse geschiedenis veel vaker is gemaakt. Nog niet eens zo lang geleden zagen onze voorouders hun regeringen zwichten voor fascisme, nazisme en communisme: bewegingen waarin één leider of één partij uitdrukking gaf aan de stem van het volk en beloofde de burgers te beschermen tegen bedreigingen van buitenaf.
Ten onrechte vertrouwden ook zij erop dat de democratie zou overleven. Zijn wij verstandiger dan zij waren? Ook in de huidige tijd lijkt het voortbestaan van de liberale democratie op het spel te staan. Niet eerder was de geschiedenis van de vorige eeuw zo actueel.
Hoe kunnen wij als individu het begin van een totalitair regime herkennen? Hoe kunnen we ons daartegen verzetten? In Over tirannie beschrijft historicus Timothy Snyder twintig strategieën die burgers kunnen gebruiken om de democratie te beschermen tegen een autoritaire overheid, uitgewerkt met concrete voorbeelden uit de geschiedenis. Over tirannie is schitterend geïllustreerd door kunstenaar Nora Krug, auteur van Heimat. Terug naar het land van herkomst, die met haar zeer inventieve kunststijl extra leven, kleur en kracht blaast in Snyders betoog.
Ten onrechte vertrouwden ook zij erop dat de democratie zou overleven. Zijn wij verstandiger dan zij waren? Ook in de huidige tijd lijkt het voortbestaan van de liberale democratie op het spel te staan. Niet eerder was de geschiedenis van de vorige eeuw zo actueel.
Hoe kunnen wij als individu het begin van een totalitair regime herkennen? Hoe kunnen we ons daartegen verzetten? In Over tirannie beschrijft historicus Timothy Snyder twintig strategieën die burgers kunnen gebruiken om de democratie te beschermen tegen een autoritaire overheid, uitgewerkt met concrete voorbeelden uit de geschiedenis. Over tirannie is schitterend geïllustreerd door kunstenaar Nora Krug, auteur van Heimat. Terug naar het land van herkomst, die met haar zeer inventieve kunststijl extra leven, kleur en kracht blaast in Snyders betoog.
128 pages, Paperback
Published February 15, 2022
About the author
Timothy Snyder
62 books5,795 followersTimothy Snyder is Housum Professor of History at Yale University and a permanent fellow at the Institute for Human Sciences. He received his doctorate from the University of Oxford in 1997, where he was a British Marshall Scholar. He has held fellowships in Paris, Vienna, and Warsaw, and an Academy Scholarship at Harvard.
His most recent book is Black Earth: The Holocaust as History and Warning, published in September 2015 by Crown Books. He is author also of Bloodlands: Europe Between Hitler and Stalin (2010), a history of Nazi and Soviet mass killing on the lands between Berlin and Moscow. A New York Times bestseller and a book of the year according to The Atlantic, The Independent, The Financial Times, the Telegraph, and the New Statesman, it has won twelve awards including the Emerson Prize in the Humanities, a Literature Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, the Leipzig Award for European Understanding, and the Hannah Arendt Prize in Political Thought.
His other award-winning publications include Nationalism, Marxism, and Modern Central Europe: A Biography of Kazimierz Kelles-Krauz (1998); The Reconstruction of Nations: Poland, Ukraine, Lithuania, Belarus, 1569-1999 (2003); Sketches from a Secret War: A Polish Artist's Mission to Liberate Soviet Ukraine (2005); The Red Prince: The Secret Lives of A Habsburg Archduke (2008), and Bloodlands: Europe Between Hitler and Stalin (2010).
Snyder helped Tony Judt to compose a thematic history of political ideas and intellectuals in politics, Thinking the Twentieth Century (2012). He is also the co-editor of Stalin and Europe: Terror, War, Domination and Wall Around the West: State Power and Immigration Controls in Europe and North America (2001).
Snyder was the recipient of an inaugural Andrew Carnegie Fellowship in 2015. He is a member of the Committee on Conscience of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum and sits on the advisory council of the Yivo Institute for Jewish Research Research.
He teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in modern East European political history.
His most recent book is Black Earth: The Holocaust as History and Warning, published in September 2015 by Crown Books. He is author also of Bloodlands: Europe Between Hitler and Stalin (2010), a history of Nazi and Soviet mass killing on the lands between Berlin and Moscow. A New York Times bestseller and a book of the year according to The Atlantic, The Independent, The Financial Times, the Telegraph, and the New Statesman, it has won twelve awards including the Emerson Prize in the Humanities, a Literature Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, the Leipzig Award for European Understanding, and the Hannah Arendt Prize in Political Thought.
His other award-winning publications include Nationalism, Marxism, and Modern Central Europe: A Biography of Kazimierz Kelles-Krauz (1998); The Reconstruction of Nations: Poland, Ukraine, Lithuania, Belarus, 1569-1999 (2003); Sketches from a Secret War: A Polish Artist's Mission to Liberate Soviet Ukraine (2005); The Red Prince: The Secret Lives of A Habsburg Archduke (2008), and Bloodlands: Europe Between Hitler and Stalin (2010).
Snyder helped Tony Judt to compose a thematic history of political ideas and intellectuals in politics, Thinking the Twentieth Century (2012). He is also the co-editor of Stalin and Europe: Terror, War, Domination and Wall Around the West: State Power and Immigration Controls in Europe and North America (2001).
Snyder was the recipient of an inaugural Andrew Carnegie Fellowship in 2015. He is a member of the Committee on Conscience of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum and sits on the advisory council of the Yivo Institute for Jewish Research Research.
He teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in modern East European political history.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,036 reviews
May 17, 2021
If I'm a reader with any sort of "influence," I can say with near certainty that the book I've influenced others to pick up the most is Timothy Snyder's 2017 publication, On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century.
Snyder is a professor at Yale and a historian of fascism, and On Tyranny is a 126-page guide for surviving and resisting America’s turn towards authoritarianism. I read it cover-to-cover twice in one sitting and then did something I almost never do - posted about it on my personal social media pages. While the book is unabashedly opposed to the 45th president of the United States (never mentioned by name), I have seen firsthand how its lessons have resonated with my friends on both sides of the aisle.
The lessons are:
1. Do not obey in advance.
2. Defend institutions.
3. Beware the one-party state.
4. Take responsibility for the face of the world.
5. Remember professional ethics.
6. Be wary of paramilitaries.
7. Be reflective if you must be armed.
8. Stand out.
9. Be kind to our language.
10. Believe in truth.
11. Investigate. DO NOT BLINDLY POST MEMES AND GRAPHICS AND OTHER FALSE CRAP ALL OVER THE INTERNET WITHOUT RESEARCHING THEIR SOURCES AND VALIDITY FIRST!!!!!!!
12. Make eye contact and small talk.
13. Practice corporeal politics.
14. Establish a private life.
15. Contribute to good causes.
16. Learn from peers in other countries.
17. Listen for dangerous words.
18. Be calm when the unthinkable arrives.
19. Be a patriot.
20. Be as courageous as you can.
For reasons not entirely clear to me, On Tyranny has now been given the graphic edition treatment where the text is interspersed with collage-style illustrations and photos. Art is of course subjective, but the style presented here struck me as a little rough and, for lack of a better word, odd. I still absolutely recommend the lessons being conveyed, though I'm not sure this spoonful of sugar will help the medicine go down any easier than the original text.
On Tyranny (2017) = 5 stars
Graphic Edition update (2021) = 3 stars
= 4 stars
My thanks to Clarkson Potter/Ten Speed Press for the opportunity to review an advance edition via NetGalley. On Tyranny Graphic Edition is slated for US publication on October 5, 2021.
Blog: www.confettibookshelf.com
IG: @confettibookshelf
Snyder is a professor at Yale and a historian of fascism, and On Tyranny is a 126-page guide for surviving and resisting America’s turn towards authoritarianism. I read it cover-to-cover twice in one sitting and then did something I almost never do - posted about it on my personal social media pages. While the book is unabashedly opposed to the 45th president of the United States (never mentioned by name), I have seen firsthand how its lessons have resonated with my friends on both sides of the aisle.
The lessons are:
1. Do not obey in advance.
2. Defend institutions.
3. Beware the one-party state.
4. Take responsibility for the face of the world.
5. Remember professional ethics.
6. Be wary of paramilitaries.
7. Be reflective if you must be armed.
8. Stand out.
9. Be kind to our language.
10. Believe in truth.
11. Investigate. DO NOT BLINDLY POST MEMES AND GRAPHICS AND OTHER FALSE CRAP ALL OVER THE INTERNET WITHOUT RESEARCHING THEIR SOURCES AND VALIDITY FIRST!!!!!!!
12. Make eye contact and small talk.
13. Practice corporeal politics.
14. Establish a private life.
15. Contribute to good causes.
16. Learn from peers in other countries.
17. Listen for dangerous words.
18. Be calm when the unthinkable arrives.
19. Be a patriot.
20. Be as courageous as you can.
For reasons not entirely clear to me, On Tyranny has now been given the graphic edition treatment where the text is interspersed with collage-style illustrations and photos. Art is of course subjective, but the style presented here struck me as a little rough and, for lack of a better word, odd. I still absolutely recommend the lessons being conveyed, though I'm not sure this spoonful of sugar will help the medicine go down any easier than the original text.
On Tyranny (2017) = 5 stars
Graphic Edition update (2021) = 3 stars
= 4 stars
My thanks to Clarkson Potter/Ten Speed Press for the opportunity to review an advance edition via NetGalley. On Tyranny Graphic Edition is slated for US publication on October 5, 2021.
Blog: www.confettibookshelf.com
IG: @confettibookshelf
August 20, 2021
I reviewed Yale professor Timothy Snyder's original book and have given it to many people, as it is increasingly relevant. But the point for me is not just to read it and review it, but to get this in the hands of as many people as possible. So why not get Nora Krug to illustrate it, and make it into a comic book! Yes! I went on Free Comic Book Day to my bookstore with a lot of young people and a shortened version of it was being given out as a free comic book. I was delighted to see that I got one of the last comics. In other words, one of the favorite free comics to snag was this one; in other words, my leftie village went right for this one, yay, and hopefully will not let it gather dust on a shelf.
Here's the twenty lessons, but they are kind of flat without the explanations/justifications for them that he provides in the text, much of them informed by his historical study of fascism in the twentieth century. So yeah, read the original, if you can. It can't happen here? What are you even talking about?! Everyone throughout history says that kind of thing before they are crushed. The writers and artists and intellectuals thought Hitler and his thugs were a joke and refused to take them seriously. So:
1. Do not obey in advance.
2. Defend institutions.
3. Beware the one-party state.
4. Take responsibility for the world.
5. Remember professional ethics.
6. Be wary of paramilitaries.
7. Be reflective if you must be armed.
8. Stand out.
9. Be kind to our language.
10. Believe in truth.
11. Investigate.
12. Make eye contact and small talk.
13. Practice corporeal politics.
14. Establish a private life.
15. Contribute to good causes.
16. Learn from peers in other countries.
17. Listen for dangerous words.
18. Be calm when the unthinkable arrives.
19. Be a patriot.
20. Be as courageous as you can.
I loved Nora Krug's illustrations, which only enhance the text and make it more inviting, yay.
Here's the twenty lessons, but they are kind of flat without the explanations/justifications for them that he provides in the text, much of them informed by his historical study of fascism in the twentieth century. So yeah, read the original, if you can. It can't happen here? What are you even talking about?! Everyone throughout history says that kind of thing before they are crushed. The writers and artists and intellectuals thought Hitler and his thugs were a joke and refused to take them seriously. So:
1. Do not obey in advance.
2. Defend institutions.
3. Beware the one-party state.
4. Take responsibility for the world.
5. Remember professional ethics.
6. Be wary of paramilitaries.
7. Be reflective if you must be armed.
8. Stand out.
9. Be kind to our language.
10. Believe in truth.
11. Investigate.
12. Make eye contact and small talk.
13. Practice corporeal politics.
14. Establish a private life.
15. Contribute to good causes.
16. Learn from peers in other countries.
17. Listen for dangerous words.
18. Be calm when the unthinkable arrives.
19. Be a patriot.
20. Be as courageous as you can.
I loved Nora Krug's illustrations, which only enhance the text and make it more inviting, yay.
January 4, 2022
At first I was worried. How does this outstanding book have only 59 ratings on Goodreads? Then I saw this is a newer, graphic edition of historian Timothy Snyder's 2017 book of the same name. That one has 52,940 ratings.
Still not enough.
Twenty lessons from the 20th century on how democratic republics become authoritarian states? This needs 500,000 more readers. I mean, Snyder published it in March of 2017, only months into the Trump presidency, but our situation in the Once-United States is much worse now.
Reading this book at the dawn of 2022 makes it eerily contemporary. Both Hitler and Putin used free elections to get into power. Then they found ways to subvert free elections for good. That way they didn't have to go through with elections anymore. Free elections, that is. Not showcase, fraudulent ones.
Here in the States it's all happening in slow motion before our very eyes: Republican state houses are passing laws to restrict the voting rights of minorities (every tyrant's favorite scapegoats, as they are not part of the mythical -- and oh, so white -- past glory of whatever country it is that needs to be made "great" again). These same Trumpublicans are installing election officials with cronies who will not defend the election process but overturn results if they do not get the desired numbers.
The playbook is being used in many countries now: Brazil, Hungary, Russia, China, Poland, Belarus, the United States. Nationalism. "(Insert Name of Country Here) First." Trump even used the exact words of Stalin -- "enemies of the people" -- to refer to a free press that criticized rather than kowtowed to him.
And then there's that up is down, right is left, hot is cold thing. Projection. Gas lighting. The tyrant's truths are facts even though they are convenient lies designed to keep him in power and in ill-gotten money.
Snyder writes, "The old American idea that giving money to political campaigns is free speech means that the very rich have far more speech, and so in effect far more voting power, than other citizens. We believe that we have checks and balances, but have rarely faced a situation like the present when the less popular of the two parties suppresses voting, claims fraud when it loses elections, and controls the majority of statehouses. The party that exercises such control proposes few policies that are popular with the society at large, and several that are unpopular -- and thus must either fear democracy, or weaken it.
"Another early American proverb held that 'where annual elections end, tyranny begins.' Will we come to see one of our own elections much as Russians see the elections of 1990, or Czechs the elections of 1946, or Germans the elections of 1932?
"This, for now, depends on us."
It's the "for now" part that's ominous, which is why this book should be pressed into the hands of as many Americans (and World Citizens, as we're in this together if we don't want to see the 1930s all over again) as possible.
The 20 lessons, with added details in each chapter, are as follows:
Do not obey in advance.
Defend institutions.
Beware the one-party state.
Take responsibility for the face of the world.
Remember professional ethics.
Be wary of paramilitaries.
Be reflective if you must be armed.
Stand out.
Be kind to our language.
Believe in truth.
Investigate.
Make eye contact and small talk.
Practice corporeal politics.
Establish a private life.
Contribute to good causes.
Learn from peers in other countries.
Listen for dangerous words.
Be calm when the unthinkable arrives.
Be a patriot.
Be as courageous as you can.
What is patriotism? It is not the "man" who wraps himself in the flag and talks a good story. In fact, it's not a lot of things. Here's Snyder again:
"Let us begin with what patriotism is not. It is not patriotic to dodge the draft and to mock war heroes and their families. It is not patriotic to discriminate against active-duty members of the armed forces in one's companies, or to campaign to keep disabled veterans away from one's property. It is not patriotic to compare one's search for sexual partners in New York with military service in Vietnam that one has dodged. It is not patriotic to avoid paying taxes, especially when American working families do pay. It is not patriotic to ask those working, taxpaying American families to finance one's own presidential campaign, and then to spend their contributions in one's own companies. It is not patriotic to admire foreign dictators. It is not patriotic to cultivate a relationship with Muammar Gaddafi; or to say that Bashar al-Assad and Vladimir Putin are superior leaders. It is not patriotic to call upon foreign leaders to intervene in American presidential elections. It is not patriotic to cite Russian propaganda at rallies. It is not patriotic to share an advisor with Russian oligarchs. It is not patriotic to appoint advisors with financial interests in Russian companies. It is not patriotic to appoint a National Security Advisor who likes to be called 'General Misha,' nor to pardon him for his crimes. It is not patriotic when that pardoned official calls for martial law. It is not patriotic to refer to American soldiers as 'losers' and 'suckers.'
"It is not patriotic to take health care from families, nor to golf your way though a national epidemic in which half a million Americans die. It is not patriotic to try to sabotage an American election, nor to claim victory after defeat. It is not patriotic to try to end democracy.
"A nationalist encourages us to be our worst, and then tells us that we are the best. A nationalist might do all these things, but a nationalist is not a patriot."
Amen, brothers and sisters. Read this book in honor of Jan. 6th so you can think about it -- then act -- as you see clowns like Tucker Carlson, Donald Trump, and so many others try to rewrite history that is only a year old, turning truth upside down by claiming attacking one of the three branches of our government is "patriotic."
Read it, then take to the ramparts. If not you, then who? It's a question we all have to ask ourselves.
Still not enough.
Twenty lessons from the 20th century on how democratic republics become authoritarian states? This needs 500,000 more readers. I mean, Snyder published it in March of 2017, only months into the Trump presidency, but our situation in the Once-United States is much worse now.
Reading this book at the dawn of 2022 makes it eerily contemporary. Both Hitler and Putin used free elections to get into power. Then they found ways to subvert free elections for good. That way they didn't have to go through with elections anymore. Free elections, that is. Not showcase, fraudulent ones.
Here in the States it's all happening in slow motion before our very eyes: Republican state houses are passing laws to restrict the voting rights of minorities (every tyrant's favorite scapegoats, as they are not part of the mythical -- and oh, so white -- past glory of whatever country it is that needs to be made "great" again). These same Trumpublicans are installing election officials with cronies who will not defend the election process but overturn results if they do not get the desired numbers.
The playbook is being used in many countries now: Brazil, Hungary, Russia, China, Poland, Belarus, the United States. Nationalism. "(Insert Name of Country Here) First." Trump even used the exact words of Stalin -- "enemies of the people" -- to refer to a free press that criticized rather than kowtowed to him.
And then there's that up is down, right is left, hot is cold thing. Projection. Gas lighting. The tyrant's truths are facts even though they are convenient lies designed to keep him in power and in ill-gotten money.
Snyder writes, "The old American idea that giving money to political campaigns is free speech means that the very rich have far more speech, and so in effect far more voting power, than other citizens. We believe that we have checks and balances, but have rarely faced a situation like the present when the less popular of the two parties suppresses voting, claims fraud when it loses elections, and controls the majority of statehouses. The party that exercises such control proposes few policies that are popular with the society at large, and several that are unpopular -- and thus must either fear democracy, or weaken it.
"Another early American proverb held that 'where annual elections end, tyranny begins.' Will we come to see one of our own elections much as Russians see the elections of 1990, or Czechs the elections of 1946, or Germans the elections of 1932?
"This, for now, depends on us."
It's the "for now" part that's ominous, which is why this book should be pressed into the hands of as many Americans (and World Citizens, as we're in this together if we don't want to see the 1930s all over again) as possible.
The 20 lessons, with added details in each chapter, are as follows:
Do not obey in advance.
Defend institutions.
Beware the one-party state.
Take responsibility for the face of the world.
Remember professional ethics.
Be wary of paramilitaries.
Be reflective if you must be armed.
Stand out.
Be kind to our language.
Believe in truth.
Investigate.
Make eye contact and small talk.
Practice corporeal politics.
Establish a private life.
Contribute to good causes.
Learn from peers in other countries.
Listen for dangerous words.
Be calm when the unthinkable arrives.
Be a patriot.
Be as courageous as you can.
What is patriotism? It is not the "man" who wraps himself in the flag and talks a good story. In fact, it's not a lot of things. Here's Snyder again:
"Let us begin with what patriotism is not. It is not patriotic to dodge the draft and to mock war heroes and their families. It is not patriotic to discriminate against active-duty members of the armed forces in one's companies, or to campaign to keep disabled veterans away from one's property. It is not patriotic to compare one's search for sexual partners in New York with military service in Vietnam that one has dodged. It is not patriotic to avoid paying taxes, especially when American working families do pay. It is not patriotic to ask those working, taxpaying American families to finance one's own presidential campaign, and then to spend their contributions in one's own companies. It is not patriotic to admire foreign dictators. It is not patriotic to cultivate a relationship with Muammar Gaddafi; or to say that Bashar al-Assad and Vladimir Putin are superior leaders. It is not patriotic to call upon foreign leaders to intervene in American presidential elections. It is not patriotic to cite Russian propaganda at rallies. It is not patriotic to share an advisor with Russian oligarchs. It is not patriotic to appoint advisors with financial interests in Russian companies. It is not patriotic to appoint a National Security Advisor who likes to be called 'General Misha,' nor to pardon him for his crimes. It is not patriotic when that pardoned official calls for martial law. It is not patriotic to refer to American soldiers as 'losers' and 'suckers.'
"It is not patriotic to take health care from families, nor to golf your way though a national epidemic in which half a million Americans die. It is not patriotic to try to sabotage an American election, nor to claim victory after defeat. It is not patriotic to try to end democracy.
"A nationalist encourages us to be our worst, and then tells us that we are the best. A nationalist might do all these things, but a nationalist is not a patriot."
Amen, brothers and sisters. Read this book in honor of Jan. 6th so you can think about it -- then act -- as you see clowns like Tucker Carlson, Donald Trump, and so many others try to rewrite history that is only a year old, turning truth upside down by claiming attacking one of the three branches of our government is "patriotic."
Read it, then take to the ramparts. If not you, then who? It's a question we all have to ask ourselves.
July 4, 2024
An Independence Day read. Tim Snyder lays out, using historic reference (augmented w photos & drawings here) twenty important "lessons" from authoritarian, fascist and Nazi regimes to instruct, inspire & give a little hope to survive. Highly recommend, especially for young people inheriting this crazy ass world.
June 12, 2021
On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century (Graphic Edition) by Timothy Snyder and Nora Krug (Illustrations) is a very, very good account of a critical topic. Tyranny, a state humanity seems to find itself in a little too regularly.
Author Timothy Snyder is a Professor of History at Yale University, with that comes a certain amount of expertise. The artist, Nora Krug illustrates this beautifully as she keeps this snappy book visually engaging, I found the artwork here totally immersive.
The book takes us through the 20 lessons on Tyranny. These include the following topics:
• Do not obey in advance
• Beware the one-party state
• Be wary of paramilitaries
• Be kind to our language
• Remember professional ethics
The only issue I have with this clever book is the repeated barbs directed at the previous President of the USA. In my view, these are completely justified. The problem is, as soon as supporters of this buffoon catch on – they will label this as ‘fake news’ (I can’t believe I just typed those words), they will then switch on Fox News, ‘huff and puff’ and remain blind to its important messages. It practically makes this important work inaccessible to the target audience, the cohort who will get the most out of this are those who least need to grasp the important messages contain within.
However, this is a terrific and essential read – it should be mandatory reading in schools.
4 Stars
Many thanks to NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for my review.
Author Timothy Snyder is a Professor of History at Yale University, with that comes a certain amount of expertise. The artist, Nora Krug illustrates this beautifully as she keeps this snappy book visually engaging, I found the artwork here totally immersive.
The book takes us through the 20 lessons on Tyranny. These include the following topics:
• Do not obey in advance
• Beware the one-party state
• Be wary of paramilitaries
• Be kind to our language
• Remember professional ethics
The only issue I have with this clever book is the repeated barbs directed at the previous President of the USA. In my view, these are completely justified. The problem is, as soon as supporters of this buffoon catch on – they will label this as ‘fake news’ (I can’t believe I just typed those words), they will then switch on Fox News, ‘huff and puff’ and remain blind to its important messages. It practically makes this important work inaccessible to the target audience, the cohort who will get the most out of this are those who least need to grasp the important messages contain within.
However, this is a terrific and essential read – it should be mandatory reading in schools.
4 Stars
Many thanks to NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for my review.
March 31, 2022
The hero of a David Lodge novel says that you don't know when you make love for the last time, that you are making love for the last time.
Voting is like that.
This is essential reading for our time, and should be on the shelves of EVERY library in this country . . . especially SCHOOL libraries.
The entire book is quotable, but one chapter in particular stands out in my mind - what it means to be a patriot:
It is not patriotic to avoid paying taxes, especially when American working families do pay.
It is not patriotic to admire foreign dictators.
It is not patriotic to call upon foreign leaders to intervene in American presidential elections.
It is not patriotic to refer to American soldiers as "losers" and "suckers."
I'd like to add one of my own to the list:
It is not patriotic to take boxes full of top secret/classified documents to one's home with the intention of selling them to the highest bidder.
Please read this . . .
While you still can.
Voting is like that.
This is essential reading for our time, and should be on the shelves of EVERY library in this country . . . especially SCHOOL libraries.
The entire book is quotable, but one chapter in particular stands out in my mind - what it means to be a patriot:
It is not patriotic to avoid paying taxes, especially when American working families do pay.
It is not patriotic to admire foreign dictators.
It is not patriotic to call upon foreign leaders to intervene in American presidential elections.
It is not patriotic to refer to American soldiers as "losers" and "suckers."
I'd like to add one of my own to the list:
It is not patriotic to take boxes full of top secret/classified documents to one's home with the intention of selling them to the highest bidder.
Please read this . . .
While you still can.
May 30, 2021
Snyder's book is "only" a compact overview of mainly European history, but he applies the conclusions to today's America: So on the one hand, what he writes shouldn't come as a surprise, on the other hand, I'm a German and I suppose people outside Europe might not know all of this - plus, unfortunately, there are still people everywhere, including here in Europe, who, millions of dead bodies later, still did not get the memo. Snyder makes a compelling case and he presents his lessons in a captivating way - the only exception being the one about the digital world, because while he is certainly right that the internet is not a safe place in an authoritarian state, not having an internet presence and thus not feeding data to the machine is basically not an option in our world: How to solve this challenge is a real conundrum.
This graphic edition elevates Snyder's text to a whole new level, as Nora Krug is just a wonderful illustrator who manages to turn difficult topics into inspired artwork (see Belonging: A German Reckons with History and Home).
A beautiful, insightful book that certainly makes for a great gift as well.
This graphic edition elevates Snyder's text to a whole new level, as Nora Krug is just a wonderful illustrator who manages to turn difficult topics into inspired artwork (see Belonging: A German Reckons with History and Home).
A beautiful, insightful book that certainly makes for a great gift as well.
March 29, 2025
4.5 Stars!
"History does not repeat, but it does instruct."
On Friday I watched an interview with the author of another book about Fascism in which he said that he is leaving the U.S. Given the fact that this man literally wrote the book on Fascism you can understand why that's an unsettling development. He's very concerned about the path this country is on and he's worried about the safety of his family. I'm not ready for that book yet but...
I had been meaning to read On Tyranny since it was published but that interview really increased the urgency. The actual book has a holds list at my library so I'm gonna have to wait on that but I decided to pick up the graphic novel. I'm not a graphic novel girl but I do read them from time to time. I think this book in graphic novel form is a perfect way to get people who don't normally read nonfiction to get this very important information.
This is an enlightening and terrifying read. We are living through horrible times but we can't give up hope. My sister is researching places to live in case we have to flee our country that our ancestors built. I'm not leaving my country. My ancestors we abducted and forced to work in cotton fields. No racist dummies are going to force me out.
This is a must read. The fight isn't over the Nazis haven't won yet.
"History does not repeat, but it does instruct."
On Friday I watched an interview with the author of another book about Fascism in which he said that he is leaving the U.S. Given the fact that this man literally wrote the book on Fascism you can understand why that's an unsettling development. He's very concerned about the path this country is on and he's worried about the safety of his family. I'm not ready for that book yet but...
I had been meaning to read On Tyranny since it was published but that interview really increased the urgency. The actual book has a holds list at my library so I'm gonna have to wait on that but I decided to pick up the graphic novel. I'm not a graphic novel girl but I do read them from time to time. I think this book in graphic novel form is a perfect way to get people who don't normally read nonfiction to get this very important information.
This is an enlightening and terrifying read. We are living through horrible times but we can't give up hope. My sister is researching places to live in case we have to flee our country that our ancestors built. I'm not leaving my country. My ancestors we abducted and forced to work in cotton fields. No racist dummies are going to force me out.
This is a must read. The fight isn't over the Nazis haven't won yet.
September 8, 2022
On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century is a book that gives you exactly what its title suggest. Written by Timothy Snyder, an historian of 20th-century Europe, the book focuses on the concept of tyranny in the context of the modern United States politics (after the election of Donald Trump in 2016 – whilst weirdly omitting Trump's name at the same time), analysing what Snyder calls "America's turn towards authoritarianism". Explaining that "history does not repeat, but it does instruct," he analyses recent European history to identify conditions that can enable established democracies to transform into dictatorships.
I was never interested in the plain text version of this nonfiction text because it seemed very superficial. Snyder wasn't interested in diving deep into the concept of tyranny, rather he was interested in feeding an audience (that otherwise may or may not read much *coughs*) easily accessible "lessons" that in truth are pretty obvious and don't say much. Snyder's lesson include: "Do not obey in advance", "Beware the one-party state", "Be kind to our language" or "Contribute to good causes". Yeah, no shit sherlock. I didn't need you to tell me that.
Anyways, the only reason I picked up this book is the fact that the Landeszentrale für Politische Bildung here in Berlin has stocked the illustrated version in its library, and students, like myself, can pick it up for free. And one thing about me ... I'm not gonna say no to a free book, especially if it's illustrated by Nora Krug.
Nora Krug is one of my favorite illustrators. I fell in love with her art style, her unique layouts and designs, and the incorporation of photographs and historic documents into her graphic texts. Her graphic memoir Heimat: A German Family Album is one of my favorite books of all time. In the memoir, Krug deals with her own family's history and their involvement in World War II as well as Nazi Germany. It's raw, it's honest, it's revealing, it's interesting. Her illustrations match her words oh so perfectly.
Her illustrations haven't changed for On Tyranny. They're still gorgeous to look at, still unique, still interesting ... however, unfortunately, they don't match Snyder's text at all. The illustrations and the chosen photographs, postcards and documents come across as sooo random. The dissonance between text and art is baffling.
And I'm not even blaming Krug for that. Snyder's pamphlet is simply impossible to illustrate. It doesn't have any form of narrative. It's just short lessons where Snyder spews some facts, gives some historic background and that's it. There's literally nothing to illustrate intrinsically in the text. And so Krug is really grasping at straws here. I am baffled by the publisher's decision to have Snyder's pamphlet be illustrated in the first place.
Don't get me wrong, there's nothing "wrong" with Snyder's text. Sure, it's a bit superficial and doesn't bring much new information to the table, if you're even just a little bit familiar with European, especially German, history of the 20th century. But all in all, I can definitely see where Snyder pulls his lessons from and why they're so appealing to a (Democratic) US audience.
To me though, they're just pretty self-explanatory. And sometimes, unfortunately, written from a privileged perspective; for example, in his lesson "Learn from peers in other countries", Snyder talks about how everyone should search for friends in other countries, travel to other countries and make sure that they and their family all have travel passports... I think most of us would love to travel the world, and most people that don't have a passport (or visa) would love to have one... it just doesn't work that way if you a) haven't enough money or b) come from a country that makes it harder and/or impossible for you to travel abroad. Snyder's advice is useless in these cases.
The only thing I reaaally appreciated about Snyder's text is how many books he recommends. You guys know I'm a sucker for good nonfiction recs, so I thought I'd share Snyder's list with you:
• Václav Havel: Versuch, in der Wahrheit zu leben
• Victor Klemperer: LTI. Notizbuch eines Philologen
• George Orwell: Politics and the English Language
• Hannah Arendt: Elemente und Ursprünge totaler Herrschaft
• Albert Camus: Der Mensch in der Revolte
• Czesław Miłosz: Verführtes Denken
• Leszek Kołakowski: 'Bitte Vorwärts Zurücktreten!'
• Timothy Garton Ash: Ein Jahrhundert wird abgewählt
• Tony Judt: The Burden of Responsibility
• Christopher Browning: Ganz normale Männer
• Peter Pomerantsev: Nichts ist wahr und alles ist möglich
• Eugène Ionesco: Die Nashörner
All in all, the illustrated edition of On Tyranny didn't woo me. I understand its mainstream appeal in the US but if you're looking for an interesting analysis of 20th century European politics, you won't find it here.
“The mistake is to assume that rulers who came to power through institutions cannot change or destroy those very institutions—even when that is exactly what they have announced that they will do.”The short (128 pages) book is presented as a series of twenty instructions on how to combat the rise of tyranny, such as "Defend institutions", "Remember professional ethics", and "Believe in truth". Published in 2017 as a regular pamphlet, the book got an upgrade in 2021, when the illustrated editions with illustrations by renown artist Nora Krug came out.
I was never interested in the plain text version of this nonfiction text because it seemed very superficial. Snyder wasn't interested in diving deep into the concept of tyranny, rather he was interested in feeding an audience (that otherwise may or may not read much *coughs*) easily accessible "lessons" that in truth are pretty obvious and don't say much. Snyder's lesson include: "Do not obey in advance", "Beware the one-party state", "Be kind to our language" or "Contribute to good causes". Yeah, no shit sherlock. I didn't need you to tell me that.
Anyways, the only reason I picked up this book is the fact that the Landeszentrale für Politische Bildung here in Berlin has stocked the illustrated version in its library, and students, like myself, can pick it up for free. And one thing about me ... I'm not gonna say no to a free book, especially if it's illustrated by Nora Krug.
Nora Krug is one of my favorite illustrators. I fell in love with her art style, her unique layouts and designs, and the incorporation of photographs and historic documents into her graphic texts. Her graphic memoir Heimat: A German Family Album is one of my favorite books of all time. In the memoir, Krug deals with her own family's history and their involvement in World War II as well as Nazi Germany. It's raw, it's honest, it's revealing, it's interesting. Her illustrations match her words oh so perfectly.
Her illustrations haven't changed for On Tyranny. They're still gorgeous to look at, still unique, still interesting ... however, unfortunately, they don't match Snyder's text at all. The illustrations and the chosen photographs, postcards and documents come across as sooo random. The dissonance between text and art is baffling.
And I'm not even blaming Krug for that. Snyder's pamphlet is simply impossible to illustrate. It doesn't have any form of narrative. It's just short lessons where Snyder spews some facts, gives some historic background and that's it. There's literally nothing to illustrate intrinsically in the text. And so Krug is really grasping at straws here. I am baffled by the publisher's decision to have Snyder's pamphlet be illustrated in the first place.
Don't get me wrong, there's nothing "wrong" with Snyder's text. Sure, it's a bit superficial and doesn't bring much new information to the table, if you're even just a little bit familiar with European, especially German, history of the 20th century. But all in all, I can definitely see where Snyder pulls his lessons from and why they're so appealing to a (Democratic) US audience.
To me though, they're just pretty self-explanatory. And sometimes, unfortunately, written from a privileged perspective; for example, in his lesson "Learn from peers in other countries", Snyder talks about how everyone should search for friends in other countries, travel to other countries and make sure that they and their family all have travel passports... I think most of us would love to travel the world, and most people that don't have a passport (or visa) would love to have one... it just doesn't work that way if you a) haven't enough money or b) come from a country that makes it harder and/or impossible for you to travel abroad. Snyder's advice is useless in these cases.
The only thing I reaaally appreciated about Snyder's text is how many books he recommends. You guys know I'm a sucker for good nonfiction recs, so I thought I'd share Snyder's list with you:
• Václav Havel: Versuch, in der Wahrheit zu leben
• Victor Klemperer: LTI. Notizbuch eines Philologen
• George Orwell: Politics and the English Language
• Hannah Arendt: Elemente und Ursprünge totaler Herrschaft
• Albert Camus: Der Mensch in der Revolte
• Czesław Miłosz: Verführtes Denken
• Leszek Kołakowski: 'Bitte Vorwärts Zurücktreten!'
• Timothy Garton Ash: Ein Jahrhundert wird abgewählt
• Tony Judt: The Burden of Responsibility
• Christopher Browning: Ganz normale Männer
• Peter Pomerantsev: Nichts ist wahr und alles ist möglich
• Eugène Ionesco: Die Nashörner
All in all, the illustrated edition of On Tyranny didn't woo me. I understand its mainstream appeal in the US but if you're looking for an interesting analysis of 20th century European politics, you won't find it here.
December 12, 2024
“A patriot, by contrast, wants the nation to live up to its ideals, which means asking us to be our best selves. A patriot must be concerned with the real world, which is the only place where his country can be loved and sustained.
A patriot has universal values, standards by which he judges his nation, always wishing it well—and wishing that it would do better.
A nationalist will say that “it can’t happen here”, which is the first step toward disaster. A patriot says that it could happen here, but that we will stop it.”
~ Timothy Snyder
Is anyone else feeling these subtle and not so subtle political shifts in the world as a constant buzzing in your ear? A sense of vertigo? A pressing on your chest?
I’ve realized recently that I have been mourning the death of something really, really precious, like the shedding of a skin that I desperately did not want to shed: the belief that I would be living the rest of my little human life in an age of progress. And I can clearly see now that this won’t happen for a while.
But as much as I would love to disappear into a cabin in the woods, I made another human.
It is my job to keep him safe and show him what is possible. I need to stay attentive and engaged in an age that will not be defined by progress, but by resistance. And decency.
So I guess it could only be this book, to bring me back into the now. Twenty lessons from the twentieth century. Historian Timothy Snyder’s clear-eyed wisdom shining its starry ghostly light into this darkening mess with a force that must be reckoned with. In a stunning graphic edition that adds the visual power of Nora Krug’s collages to the urgency of his most important message: do not obey in advance.
Be as courageous as you can.
A patriot has universal values, standards by which he judges his nation, always wishing it well—and wishing that it would do better.
A nationalist will say that “it can’t happen here”, which is the first step toward disaster. A patriot says that it could happen here, but that we will stop it.”
~ Timothy Snyder
Is anyone else feeling these subtle and not so subtle political shifts in the world as a constant buzzing in your ear? A sense of vertigo? A pressing on your chest?
I’ve realized recently that I have been mourning the death of something really, really precious, like the shedding of a skin that I desperately did not want to shed: the belief that I would be living the rest of my little human life in an age of progress. And I can clearly see now that this won’t happen for a while.
But as much as I would love to disappear into a cabin in the woods, I made another human.
It is my job to keep him safe and show him what is possible. I need to stay attentive and engaged in an age that will not be defined by progress, but by resistance. And decency.
So I guess it could only be this book, to bring me back into the now. Twenty lessons from the twentieth century. Historian Timothy Snyder’s clear-eyed wisdom shining its starry ghostly light into this darkening mess with a force that must be reckoned with. In a stunning graphic edition that adds the visual power of Nora Krug’s collages to the urgency of his most important message: do not obey in advance.
Be as courageous as you can.
November 19, 2021
I was hoping this was a graphic novel adaptation of On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century, but it turns out to be simply a(n) (poorly) illustrated edition. The text might be slightly revised, but seems the same for the most part, though here it is presented in hand lettering instead of being typeset.
Each page has an image created or found by Nora Krug. There are hand illustrations, collage stuff, and photographs and postcards purchased from flea markets. Some of the images apply to the text, but some are so tangential or without context (unless you read the end notes) as to appear totally random. I did not enjoy Kruge's art in Belonging: A German Reckons with History and Home and it does nothing here to make me like it more. I think the only thing it managed to do was make me irritable so I was less receptive to the text than the first time I read it.
My review of the original picture-free edition:
I'm all for any diatribe against Donald Trump (though he weirdly goes unnamed in the text of the book), even if it is a bit fragmented and, by necessity, so deeply steeped Godwin's Law. Written after the 2016 U.S. presidential election, it's chilling how close Snyder's predictions came to fruition in the 2020 election and the January 6, 2021, insurrection.
Each page has an image created or found by Nora Krug. There are hand illustrations, collage stuff, and photographs and postcards purchased from flea markets. Some of the images apply to the text, but some are so tangential or without context (unless you read the end notes) as to appear totally random. I did not enjoy Kruge's art in Belonging: A German Reckons with History and Home and it does nothing here to make me like it more. I think the only thing it managed to do was make me irritable so I was less receptive to the text than the first time I read it.
My review of the original picture-free edition:
I'm all for any diatribe against Donald Trump (though he weirdly goes unnamed in the text of the book), even if it is a bit fragmented and, by necessity, so deeply steeped Godwin's Law. Written after the 2016 U.S. presidential election, it's chilling how close Snyder's predictions came to fruition in the 2020 election and the January 6, 2021, insurrection.
October 26, 2024
Perhaps something that should have been required reading for all of us? I realize I'm taking an overtly political stance right before the 2024 election. The way I see it, this election is unlike any in my lifetime. Our entire Democratic Republic is under threat.
This is a quick read, and meant to be read alongside its companion with the same title, that has no illustrations.
Before reading a book such as this, I heavily research the author. It's important to take into consideration the source of anything we ingest, whether we're listening or reading.
I implore each of you to read this with as much of an open mind as you are able to bring to the table. It's smart. Well researched. My experience of Timothy Snyder in the past is this: he knows what's up. One hundred percent.
Read it, or don't. I absolutely loved this book. I meant to read it in 2017, but here we are. Here we are-- we've got an election in a few weeks, and a plethora of voters who don't read bipartisan journalism, don't challenge ideas posed by friends or family, don't listen to multiple news sources that are accredited.
We have a lot of voters who are proud to stand behind and defend a man who has absolutely no interest in the well-being of anyone but himself.
This candidate is talking about "the enemy within," leaving NATO, making false accusations about Haitian immigrants eating residents' cats and dogs, talking about putting an end to abortions that Democrats are "happy to perform in the 9th month of pregnancy, or even killing a living baby," making racist remarks, dancing to Guns N Roses and Pavarotti after one of his followers passes out at a rally, telling women he's "the father of IVF" (which had just been explained to him ten minutes before he made that statement), and talking about rounding up anyone he wants to get rid of (immigrants to journalists) and putting them in concentration camps and deportation camps (to be armed by The National Guard).
I loved this book. I'm going back to phone banking and fundraising, but I'm in rooting for our freedoms, our safety, our values of loving our neighbors and being of service. I'm hoping when we each vote (many have done so already), that we think about how important it is to back candidates who have integrity and honor-- as much of it as one can possibly find in a human being. Think about your daughters, your granddaughters, your mothers, your friends of color. Think about the fact that right now we have 6 Conservative Justices in the Supreme Court, out of 9. Think about the last two things that Supreme Court greenlighted, after it overturned Roe. Think about what that means for ALL of us, should anyone solipsistic and power hungry make it into office of Commander in Chief of The United States of America.
I realize this has been a rant.
Sorry, not sorry.
I keep thinking about our Constitution. I keep thinking about being a kid, and having the teachers ask us: "What do you want to be when you grow up?" You know? Do you remember that? I sure do.
I remember how not only did some kids want to be Superman, Batman, a fireman, a teacher, a professional wrestler, a figure skater, President of the United States. But they also would specify and say even more. Not just what they wanted to BE, but who they wanted to be "just like."
Some kids would say, "I want to be just like the President of the United States."
Yeah.
Just like...
⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
This is a quick read, and meant to be read alongside its companion with the same title, that has no illustrations.
Before reading a book such as this, I heavily research the author. It's important to take into consideration the source of anything we ingest, whether we're listening or reading.
I implore each of you to read this with as much of an open mind as you are able to bring to the table. It's smart. Well researched. My experience of Timothy Snyder in the past is this: he knows what's up. One hundred percent.
Read it, or don't. I absolutely loved this book. I meant to read it in 2017, but here we are. Here we are-- we've got an election in a few weeks, and a plethora of voters who don't read bipartisan journalism, don't challenge ideas posed by friends or family, don't listen to multiple news sources that are accredited.
We have a lot of voters who are proud to stand behind and defend a man who has absolutely no interest in the well-being of anyone but himself.
This candidate is talking about "the enemy within," leaving NATO, making false accusations about Haitian immigrants eating residents' cats and dogs, talking about putting an end to abortions that Democrats are "happy to perform in the 9th month of pregnancy, or even killing a living baby," making racist remarks, dancing to Guns N Roses and Pavarotti after one of his followers passes out at a rally, telling women he's "the father of IVF" (which had just been explained to him ten minutes before he made that statement), and talking about rounding up anyone he wants to get rid of (immigrants to journalists) and putting them in concentration camps and deportation camps (to be armed by The National Guard).
I loved this book. I'm going back to phone banking and fundraising, but I'm in rooting for our freedoms, our safety, our values of loving our neighbors and being of service. I'm hoping when we each vote (many have done so already), that we think about how important it is to back candidates who have integrity and honor-- as much of it as one can possibly find in a human being. Think about your daughters, your granddaughters, your mothers, your friends of color. Think about the fact that right now we have 6 Conservative Justices in the Supreme Court, out of 9. Think about the last two things that Supreme Court greenlighted, after it overturned Roe. Think about what that means for ALL of us, should anyone solipsistic and power hungry make it into office of Commander in Chief of The United States of America.
I realize this has been a rant.
Sorry, not sorry.
I keep thinking about our Constitution. I keep thinking about being a kid, and having the teachers ask us: "What do you want to be when you grow up?" You know? Do you remember that? I sure do.
I remember how not only did some kids want to be Superman, Batman, a fireman, a teacher, a professional wrestler, a figure skater, President of the United States. But they also would specify and say even more. Not just what they wanted to BE, but who they wanted to be "just like."
Some kids would say, "I want to be just like the President of the United States."
Yeah.
Just like...
⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
February 22, 2026
4.2* - Geen wandeling doorheen het park, dit boek, maar wel een noodzakelijk boek. Lezen dus, de lessen onthouden en toepassen. Wel blij dat ik de geïllustreerde versie las, met illustraties van Nora Krug; een illustratieloze versie lijkt mij nogal taai. Door de tijd te nemen ook de illustraties van Krug grondig te bekijken en lezen, blijft de boodschap van Snyder beter hangen. Aanrader dus, meer dan geschikt voor schoolbibliotheken!
(Wel geen idee waarom Snyder consequent de naam Trump niet gebruikt. Beetje vreemd, maar dat is dan ook maar detailkritiek.)
(Wel geen idee waarom Snyder consequent de naam Trump niet gebruikt. Beetje vreemd, maar dat is dan ook maar detailkritiek.)
April 29, 2022
Šaunus komiksinis istoriko Timothy Snyder knygos On Tyranny ("Apie tironiją") variantas. Iliustruotas, beje, Noros Krug. Neseniai Lietuvoje buvo išleistas jos komiksas "Heimat: vokietė apmąsto istoriją ir kilmę".
Būtent komikso variantą labai rekomenduočiau paaugliams. Gerai būtų įtraukti į mokykline programą.
Būtent komikso variantą labai rekomenduočiau paaugliams. Gerai būtų įtraukti į mokykline programą.
July 13, 2026
Dies ist ein wahrlich deprimierendes Buch. Ein amerikanischer Historiker gibt Lektionen für uns Normalmenschen, die uns für den Widerstand gegen die Tyrannei wappnen sollen.
Was für ein zynisches Menschenbild muss man haben, wenn man glaubt, nur durch plakatives Aneinanderreihen von Allgemeinplätzen, ein großes Publikum erreichen und belehren zu können.
Inhaltlich ist das Buch vollkommen in Ordnung und natürlich ist die Ideologie, die er vertritt, unantastbar, aber während Harari und Peterson mit ihren als Bestseller ausgerichteten Lektionen (12 Rules for Life: An Antidote to Chaos,21 Lessons for the 21st Century) ein Mindestmaß an Respekt für die Intelligenz (und die Bildung) des Lesers aufbringen, ist hier davon keine Spur.
Das erste Kapitel mahnt, man solle sich nicht in vorauseilendem Gehorsam üben. Dazu bringt er das Beispiel SS und Österreich, aber dann führt er das Milgram-Experiment an, in dem Menschen autoritätsgläubig Schocks verteilen. Das hat erstens nichts mit vorauseilend zu tun, denn die Teilnehmer tun genau das, was ihnen gesagt wird, und zweitens kommen in der Beschreibung in einem Absatz fünf Erläuterungen in Klammern hinzu: so glaubten sie zumindest 2x, scheinbar 2x, zumindest glaubten sie das 1x. Offenbar hält der Autor den Leser für zu blöd, das Gesagte ohne diese Erläuterungen zu erfassen. (Abgesehen davon sind die Hintergründe des Experiments etwas komplexer als der Autor suggeriert.)
Tyrannei im 20. Jahrhundert, das bedeutet Faschismus, Nationalsozialismus, Kommunismus, sowie Putin- und Trump-Tyrannei, alles munter durcheinander. Und die Lösung? Kein Internet benutzen und Bücher lesen. Bravo.
Was mich aber ganz und gar gegen dieses Buch einnimmt, ist, dass der Name Trump kein einziges Mal erwähnt wird (dagegen Clinton und Putin und selbst Steve Bannon schon). Es heißt immer ein amerikanischer Präsident. Für jemanden, der eine Lektion Sei freundlich zu unserer Sprache nennt, finde ich das infam. Den Namen eines Mannes nicht zu nennen, den man (sicher mit guten Gründen) für einen Feind der Demokratie hält, ist ein Paradebeispiel aus der Trickkiste der tyrannischen Propaganda.
(Ich habe das Buch als Geschenk eines Freundes erhalten, der das Buch ganz toll fand. So, do not take my word for it.)
Was für ein zynisches Menschenbild muss man haben, wenn man glaubt, nur durch plakatives Aneinanderreihen von Allgemeinplätzen, ein großes Publikum erreichen und belehren zu können.
Inhaltlich ist das Buch vollkommen in Ordnung und natürlich ist die Ideologie, die er vertritt, unantastbar, aber während Harari und Peterson mit ihren als Bestseller ausgerichteten Lektionen (12 Rules for Life: An Antidote to Chaos,21 Lessons for the 21st Century) ein Mindestmaß an Respekt für die Intelligenz (und die Bildung) des Lesers aufbringen, ist hier davon keine Spur.
Das erste Kapitel mahnt, man solle sich nicht in vorauseilendem Gehorsam üben. Dazu bringt er das Beispiel SS und Österreich, aber dann führt er das Milgram-Experiment an, in dem Menschen autoritätsgläubig Schocks verteilen. Das hat erstens nichts mit vorauseilend zu tun, denn die Teilnehmer tun genau das, was ihnen gesagt wird, und zweitens kommen in der Beschreibung in einem Absatz fünf Erläuterungen in Klammern hinzu: so glaubten sie zumindest 2x, scheinbar 2x, zumindest glaubten sie das 1x. Offenbar hält der Autor den Leser für zu blöd, das Gesagte ohne diese Erläuterungen zu erfassen. (Abgesehen davon sind die Hintergründe des Experiments etwas komplexer als der Autor suggeriert.)
Tyrannei im 20. Jahrhundert, das bedeutet Faschismus, Nationalsozialismus, Kommunismus, sowie Putin- und Trump-Tyrannei, alles munter durcheinander. Und die Lösung? Kein Internet benutzen und Bücher lesen. Bravo.
Was mich aber ganz und gar gegen dieses Buch einnimmt, ist, dass der Name Trump kein einziges Mal erwähnt wird (dagegen Clinton und Putin und selbst Steve Bannon schon). Es heißt immer ein amerikanischer Präsident. Für jemanden, der eine Lektion Sei freundlich zu unserer Sprache nennt, finde ich das infam. Den Namen eines Mannes nicht zu nennen, den man (sicher mit guten Gründen) für einen Feind der Demokratie hält, ist ein Paradebeispiel aus der Trickkiste der tyrannischen Propaganda.
(Ich habe das Buch als Geschenk eines Freundes erhalten, der das Buch ganz toll fand. So, do not take my word for it.)
December 23, 2021
“Americans today are no wiser than the Europeans who saw democracy yield to fascism, Nazism, or communism in the twentieth century. Our one advantage is that we might learn from their experience. Now is a good time to do so.” -Timothy Snyder, from On Tyranny
In this graphic novel, author Timothy Snyder who is a history professor at Yale has adapted his book of essays from 2017, into an illustrated edition aided by the artist Nora Krug. Obviously distraught over Trump’s presidency (although he refuses to name him in the book), he shares twenty lessons, that are meant to be a call to arms.
He ties the horrors of corrupt governments from the past as a warning and as a guide to resistance. Each of his lessons is expanded upon with examples of governments that fooled, bamboozled, or forced their citizens into subservience. Best read in small chunks, it will give readers a chance to think about his valid points.
Krug’s work is subversive and fragmentary- she combines several mediums of art into a unique collage of images on each page. Her watercolor and pencil art reminds me of Eastern European folk art (which is a nod that many of the governments mentioned are from that region), and she combines that with photographs and scrapbook-type mementos. It all adds to Snyder’s message of fighting oppression, and yes, tyranny. This was a sobering read as we close out the year, but a thoughtful one that is well worth your time.
This review can also be found on my blog: https://graphicnovelty2.com/2021/12/2...
In this graphic novel, author Timothy Snyder who is a history professor at Yale has adapted his book of essays from 2017, into an illustrated edition aided by the artist Nora Krug. Obviously distraught over Trump’s presidency (although he refuses to name him in the book), he shares twenty lessons, that are meant to be a call to arms.
He ties the horrors of corrupt governments from the past as a warning and as a guide to resistance. Each of his lessons is expanded upon with examples of governments that fooled, bamboozled, or forced their citizens into subservience. Best read in small chunks, it will give readers a chance to think about his valid points.
Krug’s work is subversive and fragmentary- she combines several mediums of art into a unique collage of images on each page. Her watercolor and pencil art reminds me of Eastern European folk art (which is a nod that many of the governments mentioned are from that region), and she combines that with photographs and scrapbook-type mementos. It all adds to Snyder’s message of fighting oppression, and yes, tyranny. This was a sobering read as we close out the year, but a thoughtful one that is well worth your time.
This review can also be found on my blog: https://graphicnovelty2.com/2021/12/2...
January 12, 2026
I've wanted to read On Tyranny for years and yet I never want to pick it up. When I found out about this graphic edition, I thought it might be an easier way to take in the content. And I was right! As far as I can tell, the content is the same as the original book. This just includes illustrations that accompany Snyder's points.
While there is good advice, I was hoping for something more in-depth with cited sources—the lack likely would have been even more glaring had I read the original. It was disconcerting to read about Churchill in such glowing terms given his bigotry and the missteps in his career. While this was published in 2017, it was disconcerting to see JK Rowling's Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows held up as an "account of tyranny and resistance". Yikes. Lastly, it seems he wasn't allowed to use Trump's name and doesn't that say everything?
While there is good advice, I was hoping for something more in-depth with cited sources—the lack likely would have been even more glaring had I read the original. It was disconcerting to read about Churchill in such glowing terms given his bigotry and the missteps in his career. While this was published in 2017, it was disconcerting to see JK Rowling's Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows held up as an "account of tyranny and resistance". Yikes. Lastly, it seems he wasn't allowed to use Trump's name and doesn't that say everything?
April 7, 2022
Неплохая книга, вот только читать ее нужно не мне и даже не американцам, для которых она изначально была написана, а сами угадайте кому.
Вообще, единственный настоящий минус этого произведения - слишком большой упор на Трампе и подчеркнутое обращение исключительно к американцам. Потому что тема-то универсальная, интернациональная и вне времени. Особенно хорошо это видно вот прямо сейчас.
Вообще, единственный настоящий минус этого произведения - слишком большой упор на Трампе и подчеркнутое обращение исключительно к американцам. Потому что тема-то универсальная, интернациональная и вне времени. Особенно хорошо это видно вот прямо сейчас.
November 17, 2024
DNF ~50% because of readability (design) issues, as well as frustratingly surface-level and idealistic content.
I will start with my issues with the artistic design of this graphic novel:
This is a hard book to read from a design standpoint. For example, the text is sometimes cut in weird ways to fit around the illustrations, which led to me skipping portions or misreading sentences because the layout of the text’s flow was not logical or intuitive. One page had a multi-colored background to give a hypnotic feeling, and it left me nauseous to try to read. On another page I had to physically turn the book upside down to read a paragraph.
Not only are graphic novels an interesting and beautiful art form, but for me (and I’m sure other people!) they’re also an accessibility accommodation. Due to my neurodiversity, I struggle to stay focused on books without pictures. The illustrations of graphic novels help me stay tethered to a story or topic, and they keep me interested and engaged. I can better follow a story when there are illustrations to demonstrate what is happening. The text/font size is also often larger in graphic novels, and many times in a sans-serif font that is easier to read. I am not overwhelmed by pages of lengthy paragraphs or confusing dialogue that isn’t tagged well.
So when the text in a graphic novel or graphic adaptation becomes difficult to read due to design choices on the part of the artist, and especially if combined with content that is dull, incorrect, or surface-level, I’m less likely to keep reading. Which means I miss out on cool or interesting stories and ideas, or even on an opportunity to develop my own views and opinions further.
This book (and Nora Krug’s graphic memoir, which I also did not finish) is frustrating because the visual aspect of the book has taken over the actual message and meaning trying to be conveyed by the text. I’m a bit glad the content was also shit.
And now for the content:
It’s almost always an issue when your book about tyranny begins by extolling the virtues of the founding fathers of the United States—these white men who argued over the personhood and humanity of enslaved people and who ended up only giving rights to white, property-owning men. The founding fathers were not great or wise or scrappy, despite what popular musicals may claim. In the US they are often treated as divinity, with their writings and the government system they created without any fault, but these were in fact pretty flawed humans who were just as greedy and power-hungry as the state they fought to leave.
And I think the above is indicative of the bulk of this book: There’s a patriotic bent to the whole thing, and a very naive, Democratic view of things like the power of the individual voting in presidential elections. In fact, individualism is later praised in the book, rather the power of the collective and communities, but I suppose those two words get too close to the big C word every Democrat and Republican is afraid of.
And that’s another issue that I don’t know is due to a sloppy adaptation or is present in the original work as well: There’s very little explanation of things like “fascism” and “communism;” these terms are used with an assumption that the reader already understands them. Problem is, these are huge concepts that are often mistaught and misunderstood, so every reader will approach this book with a different interpretation of them. There’s no baseline of understanding created. I also found it weird that, at least in the beginning portions of the book, there’s a lot of focus on Nazi Germany with occasional one-sentence “oh, and the communist USSR did this, too.” Either explain what you mean or else cut the USSR mentions.
What else? I’ve already touched on the deification of the founding fathers and the praise of individualism. I think also blaming increasing wealth differences on “globalization” is pretty problematic. Are you sure it’s not the free hand of the market (ie capitalism) finding that labor is cheaper in countries with fewer regulations? China, etc didn’t “steal” labor from the US, but rather US companies moved their factories to China because it’s significantly cheaper. That’s capitalism, baby.
There also started to be a weird indirect discussion of Trump and the type of rhetoric and models he uses, and how those compare to fascist examples in the past (I will note that I understand the original version of this book came out directly after Trump’s first election in 2016). Why not call him out directly? Why mince words? I thought that’s what resistances do, they call people out and stand their ground? But also, Trump isn’t the only issue in the US. Maybe it wasn’t apparent to many in ~2016, but the US’s two-party system is both just composed of fascists, only one side is louder about it than the other. Why did Kamala lose in 2024? It wasn’t misogynoir, because those people were gonna vote for Trump anyway; it was her right-leaning policies, such as her attempts to pander to Republicans by promising to work with them, her support for the gen0cide in Palestine, and her refusal to vocally support marginalized groups such as trans folks.
The author also acted like fascists are lawless and random, rather than utilizing legal systems, rules, and current forces such as cops to then legitimize the things they do. Nazi concentration camps weren’t lawless places; they were within the law that the Nazis changed, and they were full of order. It was laws and orders for the sake of violence and oppression, yes, but there was still order in those places. Fascism doesn’t necessarily break systems, it often works within in them and corrupts them from the inside.
Lastly, in terms of content, let’s stop using the G-slur for the Romani people and words like “the handicapped” when we mean “disabled people.” Be precise with your language and don’t resort to dehumanizing terms.
I will start with my issues with the artistic design of this graphic novel:
This is a hard book to read from a design standpoint. For example, the text is sometimes cut in weird ways to fit around the illustrations, which led to me skipping portions or misreading sentences because the layout of the text’s flow was not logical or intuitive. One page had a multi-colored background to give a hypnotic feeling, and it left me nauseous to try to read. On another page I had to physically turn the book upside down to read a paragraph.
Not only are graphic novels an interesting and beautiful art form, but for me (and I’m sure other people!) they’re also an accessibility accommodation. Due to my neurodiversity, I struggle to stay focused on books without pictures. The illustrations of graphic novels help me stay tethered to a story or topic, and they keep me interested and engaged. I can better follow a story when there are illustrations to demonstrate what is happening. The text/font size is also often larger in graphic novels, and many times in a sans-serif font that is easier to read. I am not overwhelmed by pages of lengthy paragraphs or confusing dialogue that isn’t tagged well.
So when the text in a graphic novel or graphic adaptation becomes difficult to read due to design choices on the part of the artist, and especially if combined with content that is dull, incorrect, or surface-level, I’m less likely to keep reading. Which means I miss out on cool or interesting stories and ideas, or even on an opportunity to develop my own views and opinions further.
This book (and Nora Krug’s graphic memoir, which I also did not finish) is frustrating because the visual aspect of the book has taken over the actual message and meaning trying to be conveyed by the text. I’m a bit glad the content was also shit.
And now for the content:
It’s almost always an issue when your book about tyranny begins by extolling the virtues of the founding fathers of the United States—these white men who argued over the personhood and humanity of enslaved people and who ended up only giving rights to white, property-owning men. The founding fathers were not great or wise or scrappy, despite what popular musicals may claim. In the US they are often treated as divinity, with their writings and the government system they created without any fault, but these were in fact pretty flawed humans who were just as greedy and power-hungry as the state they fought to leave.
And I think the above is indicative of the bulk of this book: There’s a patriotic bent to the whole thing, and a very naive, Democratic view of things like the power of the individual voting in presidential elections. In fact, individualism is later praised in the book, rather the power of the collective and communities, but I suppose those two words get too close to the big C word every Democrat and Republican is afraid of.
And that’s another issue that I don’t know is due to a sloppy adaptation or is present in the original work as well: There’s very little explanation of things like “fascism” and “communism;” these terms are used with an assumption that the reader already understands them. Problem is, these are huge concepts that are often mistaught and misunderstood, so every reader will approach this book with a different interpretation of them. There’s no baseline of understanding created. I also found it weird that, at least in the beginning portions of the book, there’s a lot of focus on Nazi Germany with occasional one-sentence “oh, and the communist USSR did this, too.” Either explain what you mean or else cut the USSR mentions.
What else? I’ve already touched on the deification of the founding fathers and the praise of individualism. I think also blaming increasing wealth differences on “globalization” is pretty problematic. Are you sure it’s not the free hand of the market (ie capitalism) finding that labor is cheaper in countries with fewer regulations? China, etc didn’t “steal” labor from the US, but rather US companies moved their factories to China because it’s significantly cheaper. That’s capitalism, baby.
There also started to be a weird indirect discussion of Trump and the type of rhetoric and models he uses, and how those compare to fascist examples in the past (I will note that I understand the original version of this book came out directly after Trump’s first election in 2016). Why not call him out directly? Why mince words? I thought that’s what resistances do, they call people out and stand their ground? But also, Trump isn’t the only issue in the US. Maybe it wasn’t apparent to many in ~2016, but the US’s two-party system is both just composed of fascists, only one side is louder about it than the other. Why did Kamala lose in 2024? It wasn’t misogynoir, because those people were gonna vote for Trump anyway; it was her right-leaning policies, such as her attempts to pander to Republicans by promising to work with them, her support for the gen0cide in Palestine, and her refusal to vocally support marginalized groups such as trans folks.
The author also acted like fascists are lawless and random, rather than utilizing legal systems, rules, and current forces such as cops to then legitimize the things they do. Nazi concentration camps weren’t lawless places; they were within the law that the Nazis changed, and they were full of order. It was laws and orders for the sake of violence and oppression, yes, but there was still order in those places. Fascism doesn’t necessarily break systems, it often works within in them and corrupts them from the inside.
Lastly, in terms of content, let’s stop using the G-slur for the Romani people and words like “the handicapped” when we mean “disabled people.” Be precise with your language and don’t resort to dehumanizing terms.
December 14, 2021
We live in strange times. A while ago the world’s largest democracy had decided it’s had enough and began a steady devolution. That devolution is still ongoing despite what seems like a temporary return to sanity and the dark years of 2016 to 2020 were not a mere one off, but a prelude of what’s to come. This isn’t some bizarre conspiracy theory – this is a political reality with facts easily verifiable by any respectable publication. State by state a country that undeniably was once (a long time ago) great is becoming decidedly less so by dismantling basic democratic rights, rewriting local election-related laws and altering policies to promote the dissemination of disinformation with the goal of changing the country into something…something ugly and scary. Something like tyranny.
And this picture book aims to tell you how to avoid that. By drawing parallels to other tyrannies of the past century, be it fascism or communism, it tries to teach a lesson of learning about the past to avoid repeating it. It’s well written, passionate, and informed…but ultimately, it’s about as effective as a picture book against something like an overall bookburning mentality. It’s so very well-meaning, it has that Greta-Thunberg-save-the-world energy, but one must have impressive stores of optimism to draw upon to look at the world as it is now, read this book and go “oh, yeah, sure, let’s just do this, this and that and it’ll all be ok.”
Sure, there were times it worked in the past, but then so did communism and fascism…for years, people went along with those ideas too. It’s still important to read books like these, because it’s important to stay informed, at least know right from wrong. If only to then stand back and watch the wrong win, because it tends to do that, basic math…there are simply more stupid people out there than smart, it’s easier to be the worst version of oneself (especially when encourages by authorities at large) than try to be your best, etc.
Yes, this is an infinitely more pessimistic misanthropic view than the book takes, but it might be a more realistic one too. On Tyranny is important, but naive.
In other thoughts…the book got very interesting and very effective art done by Krug, who specializes in mixing different art mediums to create a sort of docudrama style. She’d done it before in her own (well worth a read) memoir and now again here. From found materials and old photos, to folded paper and to original drawings it’s a strange mix that works very well for this book. And it is well written and it trades in fact, which might be jarring to the world so steeped in lies, but there it is. The main message here seems to be that standing by and hoping for the best might not be the best option and a system of established values can be dismantled if it isn’t vigorously maintained. After all, one can never really know when the election is THE last free and just election. And just because the country may be young enough and brash enough to think itself exempt from the past, from the historical mistakes of others, doesn’t really make it so. Read. Learn lessons. Think thoughts. Mic drop. Silence.
And this picture book aims to tell you how to avoid that. By drawing parallels to other tyrannies of the past century, be it fascism or communism, it tries to teach a lesson of learning about the past to avoid repeating it. It’s well written, passionate, and informed…but ultimately, it’s about as effective as a picture book against something like an overall bookburning mentality. It’s so very well-meaning, it has that Greta-Thunberg-save-the-world energy, but one must have impressive stores of optimism to draw upon to look at the world as it is now, read this book and go “oh, yeah, sure, let’s just do this, this and that and it’ll all be ok.”
Sure, there were times it worked in the past, but then so did communism and fascism…for years, people went along with those ideas too. It’s still important to read books like these, because it’s important to stay informed, at least know right from wrong. If only to then stand back and watch the wrong win, because it tends to do that, basic math…there are simply more stupid people out there than smart, it’s easier to be the worst version of oneself (especially when encourages by authorities at large) than try to be your best, etc.
Yes, this is an infinitely more pessimistic misanthropic view than the book takes, but it might be a more realistic one too. On Tyranny is important, but naive.
In other thoughts…the book got very interesting and very effective art done by Krug, who specializes in mixing different art mediums to create a sort of docudrama style. She’d done it before in her own (well worth a read) memoir and now again here. From found materials and old photos, to folded paper and to original drawings it’s a strange mix that works very well for this book. And it is well written and it trades in fact, which might be jarring to the world so steeped in lies, but there it is. The main message here seems to be that standing by and hoping for the best might not be the best option and a system of established values can be dismantled if it isn’t vigorously maintained. After all, one can never really know when the election is THE last free and just election. And just because the country may be young enough and brash enough to think itself exempt from the past, from the historical mistakes of others, doesn’t really make it so. Read. Learn lessons. Think thoughts. Mic drop. Silence.
December 22, 2021
Au! Ben pas op blz 12 en ik wil het boek nu al weggooien. Nee, dat komt niet door de vormgever Nora Krug, maar wel door de ongelooflijk kort-door-de-bochte beschrijving van het Milgram-experiment door Thimothy Snyder. Voor een betere, want uitgebreidere en (mede daardoor) genuanceerdere, beschrijving zie bv Wikipedia (Engelstalig) en dan met name het onderdeel Alternative interpretations, maar vooral ook het deel Applicability to the Holocaust.
Veel, zo niet alles wordt goedgemaakt door de hoofdstukken daarna. De beste afbeelding vond ik onderstaande in Hoofdstuk 16 Learn from peers in other countries.
Het inhoudelijk beste en misschien ook wel meest pragmatische hoofdstuk is 14 Establish a private life dat en passant uitlegt waarom iedereen, ook politici, recht heeft op geheimen en het NIET uit verband/context rukken van uitspraken. En al helemaal niet door de pers.
Veel, zo niet alles wordt goedgemaakt door de hoofdstukken daarna. De beste afbeelding vond ik onderstaande in Hoofdstuk 16 Learn from peers in other countries.
Het inhoudelijk beste en misschien ook wel meest pragmatische hoofdstuk is 14 Establish a private life dat en passant uitlegt waarom iedereen, ook politici, recht heeft op geheimen en het NIET uit verband/context rukken van uitspraken. En al helemaal niet door de pers.
March 17, 2024
i was kinda disappointed in this. this essay mainly pointed towards trump as the relevant facist of today. it referenced the horrors of the 20th century in europe, how people became compliant to totalitarianism and how america should look within itself for emergences of facism too. but snyder only wrote about "a certain president"'s role in it, when politicans have always been lying and manipulating the people since the beginning of america's creation.
i would have liked snyder to delve deeper into the systemic issues america has, and how american leaders have always had facist tendencies, and how that rhetoric evolved into the trump campaign. i just wish this essay went deeper into analysis of american history, and spotlighted the countless genocides that happened before and alongside the holocaust outside of the eastern european countries (genocides that were not in the name of communism).
i guess observing the nazi regime & trump administration is the easiest comparison to make with trump's blatant ignorant quotes, but i felt like the essay conveyed this idea that trump is the only problem, that voting for someone else will fix it! when that's not really the case.
also i felt it was irresponsible for the author to not define what communism and facism meant, instead implying they were the same thing.
however the book's illustrations were gorgeous! i did also really like this one lesson snyder wrote, emphasizing the impact of everyday goodness:
i would have liked snyder to delve deeper into the systemic issues america has, and how american leaders have always had facist tendencies, and how that rhetoric evolved into the trump campaign. i just wish this essay went deeper into analysis of american history, and spotlighted the countless genocides that happened before and alongside the holocaust outside of the eastern european countries (genocides that were not in the name of communism).
i guess observing the nazi regime & trump administration is the easiest comparison to make with trump's blatant ignorant quotes, but i felt like the essay conveyed this idea that trump is the only problem, that voting for someone else will fix it! when that's not really the case.
also i felt it was irresponsible for the author to not define what communism and facism meant, instead implying they were the same thing.
however the book's illustrations were gorgeous! i did also really like this one lesson snyder wrote, emphasizing the impact of everyday goodness:
"12: Make eye contact and small talk.
[...] Tyrannical regimes arose at different times and places in the Europe of the twentieth century, but memoirs of their victims all share a single tender moment. Whether the recollections is of fascist Italy in the 1920s, of Nazi Germany of the 1930s, ... or of the purges in communist eastern Europe in the 1940s and '50s, people who were living in fear of repression remembered how their neighbors treated them. A smile, a handshake, or a word of greeting-- banal gestures in a normal situation -- took a great significance.
When friends, colleagues and acquaintances looked away or cross the street to avoid contact, fear grew. You might not be sure, today or tomorrow, who feels threatened in the United States. But if you affirm everyone, you can be sure that certain people will feel better. In the most dangerous of times, those who escape and survive generally know people whom they can trust. Having old friends is the politics of last resort. And making new ones is the first step towards change."
March 1, 2022
I would like to begin this review by saying: This book must be read by everyone who knows how to read. Do yourselves a favour and read this book, a primer about history, its failures, and how together we can overcome what we are going through right now.
Snyder speaks of tyranny and its root – where does it come from? Why does it exist? What can we do to overcome it? And while doing so, we have twenty lessons to learn, some which we already know.
The book is extremely American leaning and perhaps because the author is from there – however it is sadly applicable to all other nations that have faced some form of tyranny or are doing so right now. I could see so much of India in this book and what is going on right now in our country because it being a one-party state.
I was shaken to the core while reading this book because it hit home so hard. Snyder speaks of the Nazi brutality, of Putin and how he came to power, of how tyrannical structures methodically rise, and at the same time he also shows us what we can do to overcome all of that. Right from protecting our right to speech to safeguarding institutions, to listening for dangerous words and not using them, to ensuring we look out for each other, it is all in this book and more.
The writing is simple. Not once does Snyder takes sides but tells it the way it is. The writing is lucid, full of examples from history and its follies. All of these twenty lessons make so much sense separately and as whole, for us to work on step by step. These go hand in hand with the most stark, disturbing, and brilliant illustrations by Nora Krug.
For those who say the personal and the political are separate, need to take a long hard look at the state of affairs not only in their own country but around the world to understand how intertwined the two are and one needs the other to coexist. Therefore, the individuals have so much power to rise and take charge.
On Tyranny speaks to all of us – the ones who support the tyrants as well. It shows us what we perhaps already know and choose to ignore most of the time. The question is how long? How long will we ignore the ways of the tyrant and totalitarianism? When will we raise our voices in unison and know the strength we have?
As the last lesson, “Be as courageous as you can” says: “If none of us is prepared to die for freedom, then all of us will die under tyranny”.
Snyder speaks of tyranny and its root – where does it come from? Why does it exist? What can we do to overcome it? And while doing so, we have twenty lessons to learn, some which we already know.
The book is extremely American leaning and perhaps because the author is from there – however it is sadly applicable to all other nations that have faced some form of tyranny or are doing so right now. I could see so much of India in this book and what is going on right now in our country because it being a one-party state.
I was shaken to the core while reading this book because it hit home so hard. Snyder speaks of the Nazi brutality, of Putin and how he came to power, of how tyrannical structures methodically rise, and at the same time he also shows us what we can do to overcome all of that. Right from protecting our right to speech to safeguarding institutions, to listening for dangerous words and not using them, to ensuring we look out for each other, it is all in this book and more.
The writing is simple. Not once does Snyder takes sides but tells it the way it is. The writing is lucid, full of examples from history and its follies. All of these twenty lessons make so much sense separately and as whole, for us to work on step by step. These go hand in hand with the most stark, disturbing, and brilliant illustrations by Nora Krug.
For those who say the personal and the political are separate, need to take a long hard look at the state of affairs not only in their own country but around the world to understand how intertwined the two are and one needs the other to coexist. Therefore, the individuals have so much power to rise and take charge.
On Tyranny speaks to all of us – the ones who support the tyrants as well. It shows us what we perhaps already know and choose to ignore most of the time. The question is how long? How long will we ignore the ways of the tyrant and totalitarianism? When will we raise our voices in unison and know the strength we have?
As the last lesson, “Be as courageous as you can” says: “If none of us is prepared to die for freedom, then all of us will die under tyranny”.
April 29, 2026
Vi lever i en omvälvande tid. Och ju mer jag ser och läser desto tydligare blir det att jag har stora kunskapsluckor. Jag är rädd för världen och jag är rädd för människor som kan leva sin vardag som vanligt utan att verka ha en tanke på att människor lider och dör på de vidrigaste sätten. Jag är rädd för att jag gör för lite och för att det jag gör inte gör någon skillnad. Jag är rädd för att jag (och alla) distraheras av våra bekväma liv istället för att bekämpa krafterna som leder till folkmord, klimatkatastrofer, AIs övertagande av allt mänskligt och den ekonomiska elit som suger ut alla andra. Så här är jag, med den här boken i handen, en illustrerad version av Om Tyranni: tjugo lärdomar från tjugonde århundradet.
Här är de lärdomar jag särskilt plockar med mig.
1. Lyd inte i förväg: Nästan alla auktoritära regimer får sin makt utan tvång. I tider som dessa tänker man framåt på vad en repressiv stat kan kräva, och sedan går man med på det utan att bli tillfrågad. En medborgare som anpassar sig på detta sätt visar makten vad den kan göra.
4. Ta ansvar för hur världen ser ut: Dagens symboler föder morgondagens verklighet. Lägg märke till hakkorsen och de andra hatemblemen. Vänd inte bort blicken och vänja dig vid dem. Riv ner dem med dina egna händer och statuera exempel.
8. Skilj sig från mängden: Någon måste. Det är lätt att göra som alla andra. Det kan kännas besvärande att göra eller säga något som sticker av. Men utan det obehaget finns ingen frihet. (...)
9. Var aktsam om språket: Använd inte ord och fraser som ligger i var mans mun. Fundera ut ett eget sätt att formulera dig, om så bara för att ge ditt personliga uttryck för vad alla tycker och tänker. Gör ett allvarligt försök att hålla dig borta från internet. Läs böcker.
13. Arbeta aktivt i politiken: Makten vill att du ska förslappas där du sitter i din bekväma fåtölj och att dina känslor ska tunnas ut på skärmen. (...) Skaffa dig nya vänner och demonstrera med dem.
20. Var så modig du kan: Om ingen av oss är redo att dö för friheten kommer vi alla att dö under tyranni.
Det här är en fantastisk bok som jag gärna skulle äga så att jag kan läsa och begrunda flera gånger. Att det är en förkortad och illustrerad version gör den tillgänglig för de flesta vilket är fantastiskt. Men säkerligen finns mycket mer att lära sig från originalversionen.
Här är de lärdomar jag särskilt plockar med mig.
1. Lyd inte i förväg: Nästan alla auktoritära regimer får sin makt utan tvång. I tider som dessa tänker man framåt på vad en repressiv stat kan kräva, och sedan går man med på det utan att bli tillfrågad. En medborgare som anpassar sig på detta sätt visar makten vad den kan göra.
4. Ta ansvar för hur världen ser ut: Dagens symboler föder morgondagens verklighet. Lägg märke till hakkorsen och de andra hatemblemen. Vänd inte bort blicken och vänja dig vid dem. Riv ner dem med dina egna händer och statuera exempel.
8. Skilj sig från mängden: Någon måste. Det är lätt att göra som alla andra. Det kan kännas besvärande att göra eller säga något som sticker av. Men utan det obehaget finns ingen frihet. (...)
9. Var aktsam om språket: Använd inte ord och fraser som ligger i var mans mun. Fundera ut ett eget sätt att formulera dig, om så bara för att ge ditt personliga uttryck för vad alla tycker och tänker. Gör ett allvarligt försök att hålla dig borta från internet. Läs böcker.
13. Arbeta aktivt i politiken: Makten vill att du ska förslappas där du sitter i din bekväma fåtölj och att dina känslor ska tunnas ut på skärmen. (...) Skaffa dig nya vänner och demonstrera med dem.
20. Var så modig du kan: Om ingen av oss är redo att dö för friheten kommer vi alla att dö under tyranni.
Det här är en fantastisk bok som jag gärna skulle äga så att jag kan läsa och begrunda flera gånger. Att det är en förkortad och illustrerad version gör den tillgänglig för de flesta vilket är fantastiskt. Men säkerligen finns mycket mer att lära sig från originalversionen.
November 14, 2022
Skaičiau ir vis galvojau, kaip būtų buvę smagų turėt tokį komiksą, kai mokiausi mokykloje. Nes čia vienas iš tų reikalų, kurį rekomenduojama perskaityti kone visiems – net jei ir nesužinosit daug naujo, net jei pasaulio neapvers, „Apie tironiją“ yra puikus priminimas. Kad istorija kartojasi, o mes leidžiame tam nutikti. Kad neužtenka sėdėt rankų sudėjus. Ir kad net mažiausi veiksmai gali turėti didelę įtaką.
Dėmesio centre čia atsiduria Amerika ir D. Trumpas, bet skaitant dabar, karo Ukrainoje kontekste, dauguma dalykų kelia tik dar didesnę baimę nei tada, kai buvo autoriaus parašyti. Iš pirmo žvilgsnio kūrinys pirmiausia skirtas amerikiečiams, jie dažnai raginami, į juos kreipiamasi ir akivaizdžiai bandoma pažadinti, bet net ir stebėjus tą siaubingą periodą Amerikos istorijoje iš šono čia pasisemsit tikrai nemažai. Autorius viską sudėlioja pakankamai paprastai, primena net pačias elementariausias, bet kartais užmirštamas pamokas, tokias kaip knygų skaitymas ir informacijos atsirinkimas, ir tam tikra prasme suteikia vilties, kad net ir mes, niekuo neišsiskiriantys žmonės, galime daug pakeisti vien pradėdami nuo to, kaip apie tam tikras problemas mąstome.
Noros Krug iliustracijos pakylėja šį trumpą tekstą į dar aukštesnį lygmenį – stilius be galo unikalus, aptikau daug netikėtų vaizdinių, kurie ilgam įsirėš atminty. Labai gražus ir kokybiškas leidimas, kurį, tikiu, būtų labai smagu gauti dovanų arba pasidovanoti sau, kaip tam tikrą pažadinimą iš to sąstingio, kai jautiesi bejėgis viskam aplinkui griūnant.
Dėmesio centre čia atsiduria Amerika ir D. Trumpas, bet skaitant dabar, karo Ukrainoje kontekste, dauguma dalykų kelia tik dar didesnę baimę nei tada, kai buvo autoriaus parašyti. Iš pirmo žvilgsnio kūrinys pirmiausia skirtas amerikiečiams, jie dažnai raginami, į juos kreipiamasi ir akivaizdžiai bandoma pažadinti, bet net ir stebėjus tą siaubingą periodą Amerikos istorijoje iš šono čia pasisemsit tikrai nemažai. Autorius viską sudėlioja pakankamai paprastai, primena net pačias elementariausias, bet kartais užmirštamas pamokas, tokias kaip knygų skaitymas ir informacijos atsirinkimas, ir tam tikra prasme suteikia vilties, kad net ir mes, niekuo neišsiskiriantys žmonės, galime daug pakeisti vien pradėdami nuo to, kaip apie tam tikras problemas mąstome.
Noros Krug iliustracijos pakylėja šį trumpą tekstą į dar aukštesnį lygmenį – stilius be galo unikalus, aptikau daug netikėtų vaizdinių, kurie ilgam įsirėš atminty. Labai gražus ir kokybiškas leidimas, kurį, tikiu, būtų labai smagu gauti dovanų arba pasidovanoti sau, kaip tam tikrą pažadinimą iš to sąstingio, kai jautiesi bejėgis viskam aplinkui griūnant.
June 25, 2021
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a review from NetGalley.
I have been meaning to read the original version of this text, but I'm actually glad I ended up reading this graphic novel edition as I felt that the illustrations really added to it. On Tyranny is a book of "lessons for surviving and resisting America's arc toward authoritarianism" that has only become more relevant since the original's publication in 2017. Referencing historical European descents into authoritarianism, Snyder provides rules to resisting the same fate in America, accompanied by Krug's stunning visual art. This is not a traditional graphic novel as much as an illustrated text, but I wouldn't count that as a negative as much as something to know to expect when reading it.
Although this was hard to read at times because of the gnawing anxiety that I feel at the future of our country, I think this is important reading and I think Snyder offers reasonable and strong suggestions for (most) people resisting tyranny. I may not have agreed with everything in the book but I still think it is a strong work that has been enhanced with Krug's visuals.
I have been meaning to read the original version of this text, but I'm actually glad I ended up reading this graphic novel edition as I felt that the illustrations really added to it. On Tyranny is a book of "lessons for surviving and resisting America's arc toward authoritarianism" that has only become more relevant since the original's publication in 2017. Referencing historical European descents into authoritarianism, Snyder provides rules to resisting the same fate in America, accompanied by Krug's stunning visual art. This is not a traditional graphic novel as much as an illustrated text, but I wouldn't count that as a negative as much as something to know to expect when reading it.
Although this was hard to read at times because of the gnawing anxiety that I feel at the future of our country, I think this is important reading and I think Snyder offers reasonable and strong suggestions for (most) people resisting tyranny. I may not have agreed with everything in the book but I still think it is a strong work that has been enhanced with Krug's visuals.
December 20, 2021
On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century, Graphic Edition, Timothy Snyder, illustrated by Nora Krug, 2021, 127pp., ISBN 9781984859150
Snyder focuses on Nazi and Communist regimes, not on the tyranny the U.S. has imposed on the global South.
1 Do not obey in advance -- 8
2 Defend institutions -- 13
3 Beware the one-party state -- 17
4 Take responsibility for the face of the world -- 24
5 Remember professional ethics -- 31
6 Be wary of paramilitaries -- 34
7 Be reflective if you must be armed -- 39
8 Stand out -- 43
9 Be kind to our language -- 51
10 Believe in truth -- 56
11 Investigate -- 64
12 Make eye contact and small talk -- 73
13 Practice corporeal politics -- 75
14 Establish a private life -- 79
15 Contribute to good causes -- 84
16 Learn from peers in other countries -- 87
17 Listen for dangerous words -- 91
18 Be calm when the unthinkable arrives -- 94
19 Be a patriot -- 103
20 Be as courageous as you can -- 107
Snyder focuses on Nazi and Communist regimes, not on the tyranny the U.S. has imposed on the global South.
1 Do not obey in advance -- 8
2 Defend institutions -- 13
3 Beware the one-party state -- 17
4 Take responsibility for the face of the world -- 24
5 Remember professional ethics -- 31
6 Be wary of paramilitaries -- 34
7 Be reflective if you must be armed -- 39
8 Stand out -- 43
9 Be kind to our language -- 51
10 Believe in truth -- 56
11 Investigate -- 64
12 Make eye contact and small talk -- 73
13 Practice corporeal politics -- 75
14 Establish a private life -- 79
15 Contribute to good causes -- 84
16 Learn from peers in other countries -- 87
17 Listen for dangerous words -- 91
18 Be calm when the unthinkable arrives -- 94
19 Be a patriot -- 103
20 Be as courageous as you can -- 107
June 12, 2023
Похвалити ілюстрації якось вже важко, після анонсу нової книги Нори Друк, тому я цей момент просто опущу.
Текст та його зміст мені сподобались. Тімоті просто, легко, тезисно пише про важливі, очевидні та банальні речі. Потреба у цьому є, бо чомусь історія людства та тиранів постійно йде по колу. Раз за разом люди та країни наступають на ті самі граблі. Саме тому я вважаю повторення та перечитування таких простих істин корисне.
Текст та його зміст мені сподобались. Тімоті просто, легко, тезисно пише про важливі, очевидні та банальні речі. Потреба у цьому є, бо чомусь історія людства та тиранів постійно йде по колу. Раз за разом люди та країни наступають на ті самі граблі. Саме тому я вважаю повторення та перечитування таких простих істин корисне.
October 27, 2024
I fjor leste jeg (og bokklubben) We Have Always Lived in the Castle i anledning Spooky Season. I dag har jeg lest om noe enda skumlere nemlig om tyranni. Det er skummelt det.
Nydelig illustrert
Nydelig illustrert
June 17, 2025
I have put all fun reading on pause to try and make sense of the current political disaster that is our government. This is a great read to help get a grasp of what's going on around us and steps we can take to try and make a difference.
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