4.11 avg rating — 171 ratings

"Park Chung-hee took power in South Korea, and transformed the country into a thriving economy. Machiavellian to his core, he did everything he had to to remain in power.
"

3.84 avg rating — 385,564 ratings

"The classic political theory text on autocratic rule. "

4.32 avg rating — 12,640 ratings

"About the rise of Fascism in Germany and the political maneuvers used to gain total control. "

4.37 avg rating — 1,013 ratings

"On the war preparations both militarily, socially and politically that Austria-Hungary and Germany used during WWI. "

4.16 avg rating — 466 ratings

"On the dictator of Nationalist China, and later Taiwan. His life, political rise, and exile to Taiwan."

3.85 avg rating — 1,025 ratings

"On the rise of modern Japan. Covers the Tokugawa shogunate, the Meji restoration, and the rise of Nationalist Japan. Also looks at the economic centralization of the country up to the year 2000."

4.36 avg rating — 7,540 ratings

"The second book in Evans series. Covers the Nazi's in power, and their iron grip on most of German life at the time. Also looks at their slow expansion into Europe leading up to WWII."

3.86 avg rating — 204 ratings

"On Kaiser Wilhelm II, the last Emperor of Germany. His life, political functions and exile after WWI."

4.12 avg rating — 2,111 ratings

"A bit of an oddball on the list. This one is on the economic centralization that took place under Ben Bernanke as the Federal Reserve chairman in the United States. These actions have set precedent for other nations central banks, as they seek to gain control over economic and financial issues within their respective nation states. "

4.25 avg rating — 28,910 ratings

"On the ultimate autocrat. Napoleon took personal of almost every aspect of France at the time of his rule. This is an excellent book on his style of political control, his military victories and his ultimate defeat. "

4.05 avg rating — 944 ratings

"Frederick the Great is another enlightened autocrat. He ruled with an iron fist in Germany during the late 18th century, and was a model for Napoleon as well as many enlightened despots to come after him. "

4.08 avg rating — 9,831 ratings

"The Discourses is Machiavelli's look at Republicanism and the need for both public input and political centralization to properly control a state. Their is time for democracy, and time for autocracy, and every state needs to balance the two. "

really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 444 ratings

"The perfect Party administrator, Zhou Enlai was a key personality in the CCP and kept the bureaucracy working even through the tough times."

4.28 avg rating — 354,977 ratings

4.28 avg rating — 5,086 ratings

4.16 avg rating — 919 ratings

4.10 avg rating — 1,215 ratings

4.46 avg rating — 4,276 ratings

4.23 avg rating — 143 ratings

4.16 avg rating — 33,015 ratings

3.93 avg rating — 61 ratings

3.85 avg rating — 3,738 ratings

4.27 avg rating — 3,471 ratings

4.01 avg rating — 1,907 ratings

3.84 avg rating — 230 ratings