On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century Paperback – February 28, 2017

This book is different from the rest of Snyder's books and by far my favorite. It is written for everyone over the age of puberty. Short, sweet, succinct, and crystal clear. It is a warning. It is a call to action.I struggle with reading a book that's spot on about what ails this country but gives the average person no way forward. We can vote. We can speak out. We can call our representatives. Right. I've been alive nearly 60 yrs and so far, that's failed. I'm just an average suburban American with little power. I'm no longer that naïve 22 year old fresh out of college. I'm jaded. So what can I do? Buy a gun and wait for an attack by a horned suburban shaman in war paint or a wacky evangelical wielding a bible and an AK-47? No. I will not let them beat me.This book gives me actionable steps. And if you want to read more on the subject he touches on in this book, another of his books, "The Road to Unfreedom" expands greatly on this theme. But it's not so easy to read. THIS one is.The lessons in this book are taken from episodes in 20th century history. Some from revolutions. The episodes show how the average citizen can see the signs of eroding democracy or freedoms far before the end comes. And then, most importantly, he shows how that person can resist, based on how others successfully did so. Two examples I recall are Poland's Worker Revolution (Lec Walesa!) and the Czech Velvet Revolution.All 20 lessons are spectacular. All are doable for the average person. If you don't want to read this short book, listen to it. I've bought many copies of the book to hand out or simply leave around. I even give it to non-Americans because you never know when or where a tyrant will strike and then a cult will be born on top of it. The Hong Kong protestors made posters out of these lessons. The most memorable poster was "Do Not Obey in Advance". Google it. So these lessons are for everyone. (If only I could get a copy to my Moscovite friend.)Some of the most memorable takeaways in my own words:• Insist on facts. Believe in the truth. Support local writers and investigative journalists who report truth. Call out lies. Even if you think you are in the minority. One person breaking the status quo is all it takes. A Big Lie outlives its liar.• Get off the Internet. Get off TV. books. He gives a reading list. I read half of his list long ago and can attest to their fantastic content. One of the best is Nothing Is True and Everything is Possible.• Keep your passport current. If you don't have one, make it a priority to get one. Not for the obvious reason that you may need to escape soon (although that works too), but simply because traveling opens one's mind. See the world. Be curious. Connect with foreigners. Learn from them. Eastern Europe is a great place to start. I absolutely love it there. l've learned that other countries have their problems too and their locals have different ways of coping. Plus, who doesn't want a break from what feels like insanity here? It's all about perspective.• Talk to others. Make phone calls rather than text. Cultivate friendships. Learn who your neighbors are (yikes!). It will come in handy in a culture of denouncement. You know, just in case.• Respect our language. Don't use the latest political words or slogans. Invent your own or use the classic words. Euphemisms are meant to soften harsh realities. Keep reality real. No name-calling either. Say no to buzzwords.• Support institutions. History shows they are the first to go and it's an inside job. Just look at the SCOTUS if you need proof. Take a stand.• Denounce symbols of hate. Do not sit by quietly while one group begins to dehumanize another. It's the beginning of repression, oppression, and genocide at that point. Silence is complicity. Speak out loudly while you can. Protest. March. Think of the Nazis. It's dangerous, so think well ahead. Then dissent anyway.• Be calm when it happens. Tyrants thrive on chaos. In recent memory, it's been shown that ISIS waits for chaos to gain control (my recollections, not the author's). Hitler did the same. Hitler literally admitted to waiting for crises before striking. So be Zen. (I'm seriously doubting myself on this one. I'll be on a plane in no time flat.)There are many more but these come quickly to my mind. Dr. Timothy Snyder's "agenda" in this book is to show how we (and all peoples of this world) can DO something to save their democracy or at the very least, ourselves. He uses America as an example because in 2017 when this book was written, the country was led by a tyrant with a cult following, yet Canada, Germany, Poland, France, the UK - all at risk in 2024. Seriously. Where to migrate if it comes to that?!?! We have a chance to show the world we will not allow this democracy to become a theocracy run by oligarchs.

I can not say enough about this book. Whatever your political position, recognizing dangerous trends and events in our country is necessary to avoid an unwanted outcome. History is a good teacher and maybe our schools do not have the bandwidth to hit every topic that's important. We need to seek information we missed. Whatever your age, this book will show you how to recognize dangerous behavior, actions to fight that behavior and gives examples of events in history to understand how it comes about. All in a book short enough to practically memorize. And I am working on that.

From Yale professor & historian Dr. Timothy Snyder (who specializes in the history of central & Eastern Europe, the Soviet Union & the Holocaust), 20 key lessons for regular Americans to learn on tyranny from the 20th Century, digest, and hopefully remember when they matter most. Short, sweet, and to the point, On Tyranny is such for good reasons.For one, my twitter-fried brain has difficulty sitting still long enough to read long books the way I once did. I believe Snyder understands that has happened to many of my generation— those who use social media 24/7 & otherwise can’t be still.Second, accessibility. This is short enough to read during a long wait for a medical appointment, and any high school student should be able to understand it. No real background knowledge is necessary. Anyone could pick it up and go. And **busy, hardworking, everyday Americans need the opportunity to clearly see WHAT HAPPENED IN THE 20th CENTURY TO ALLOW TYRANNY so they can IDENTIFY RED FLAGS IN THE PRESENT DAY**—all without needing to keep up with the details of daily news or the ginned-up partisan bs of the cable entertainment news nighttime soap operas.Last, in the age of 24-hr news cycles and short attention spans, Snyder has managed to succinctly write 20 vital historical lessons in such a way that they are easy to remember. He does not appear concerned for his own ego, about appearing to be some superior intellectual. I don’t believe he wrote this $9.99 book (I got it for $7) for clout or money. He wrote it for us, for Americans. If I had the money, I’d buy copies to put in waiting rooms and hotel dressers alongside the Gideon Bible.So, yes. Timely and important… when it was published in 2017. You’ll read the occasional passage and think “well, that ship has sailed”—but this (larger) pocket-sized book is not about defeatism. There is still much to be learned. Still timely & highly relevant.

On Tyranny is a must-read, no doubt. It breaks down history’s lessons in a way that really makes you think about the world today. The twenty lessons hit hard and are super relevant, especially with everything going on now. Only reason it’s not a full 5 stars is some parts felt a bit heavy. Still, definitely worth the read!

Everyone should be reading this NOW. It should be mandatory high school and college - and town hall meetings etc. It is short, easy to read, to the point and well thought out. Easy examples. What’s not to get people?? Act now. I liked it when it first came out (trying to figure out the first trump) but this time around reading it is a call to arms.