On Tyranny Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century by Timothy Snyder
Non-Fiction
Three Words:
Insightful, Terrifying, Validating
Review:
This book was sent to me by a good friend just when I needed to read it the most (I referred to her in my “Politics Aside” post… shout out to you, Dana!) This was an incredibly fast read. However, I must be honest here- I am not sure if the speed in which I read the book was due to its length and organization or my need in the moment to have what I already knew as a lover of history and government reinforced and laid out before me in a simplistic, nonpartisan way. Snyder never once mentions Trump’s name, but does mention “our President,” thus, through the process of elimination and looking at when the book came out, duh… it is Trump he is focusing on. With that being said, I found Snyder’s overall message to be incredibly nonpartisan as many of the lessons he highlights are things that politicians on both sides of the aisle are guilty of (this utterly definitive division we are encountering after all, has sadly been brewing for far longer than many of us like to admit). This book was less of a dissertation on the definition of tyranny, and more of a manual on how to defend democracy from tyrannical threats. Some of the lessons felt too simplistic to me at times, however, I believe this because I am quite familiar with the historical references the author utilized as examples. Some of the lessons, on the other hand, were brilliant because of their simplicity and relation to today’s world.
Summary:
A few of my highlighted tidbits (because it does not have a typical plot- it is quite literally twenty lessons laid out, and yes, I actually highlighted):
“History can familiarize, and it can warn.” p. 11
“Do not speak of ‘our institutions’ unless you make them yours by acting on their behalf. Institutions do not protect themselves.” p. 22
“We see ourselves as a city on the hill, a stronghold of democracy, looking out for threats that come from abroad… human nature is such that American democracy must be defended from Americans who would exploit its freedoms to bring about its end.” p. 27
“It is easy to follow along. It can feel strange to do or say something different. But without unease, there is no freedom.” p. 51
“Once truth had become oracular rather than factual, evidence was irrelevant. After the war a worker told Klemperer ‘understanding is useless, you have to have faith. I believe in the fuhrer.’” p. 69
“History permits us to be responsible: not for everything, but for something.” p.125
Honestly, I had to limit myself to these quotes because there are a plethora of ideas in this book that really spoke to me and made me think on a different level; about my country, about our leaders, about myself. I HIGHLY recommend this book, for all American citizens taking up space on every inch of the political spectrum.
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