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Overview
On Tyranny, by Timothy Snyder, the Levin Professor of History at Yale University, is a nonfiction book first published in 2017
. Published with the subtitle Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century, the book consists of 20 lessons, each titled with a short, imperative statement. The lessons explain what tyranny looks like and how, in Snyder’s view, democracy in the United States is at risk of sliding into it. The lessons use examples from 20th-century Europe, specifically countries that were home to fascist or communist regimes. Later printings of the book contain updated comments from Snyder about events that occurred after 2017. Snyder is the author of several other books about politics and government and has been a frequent guest on news programs in recent years as the topic of tyranny and governmental overreach has generated more discussion. A bestseller since its publication, On Tyranny gained renewed attention before and after the election of 2024.Explore a full book summary & analysis, a discussion of the main ideas, and explanations of important quotes in On Tyranny.
