Strongman: The Rise of Five Dictators and the Fall of Democracy

by Kenneth C. Davis

Overview

From the bestselling author of the Don’t Know Much About® books comes a dramatic account of the origins of democracy, the history of authoritarianism, and the reigns of five of history's deadliest dictators.

A Washington Post Best Book of the Year! A Bank Street College of Education Best Book of the Year! A YALSA 2021 Nonfiction Award Nominee!

What makes a country fall to a dictator? How do authoritarian leaders—strongmen—capable of killing millions acquire their power? How are they able to defeat the ideal of democracy? And what can we do to make sure it doesn’t happen again?

By profiling five of the most notoriously ruthless dictators in history—Adolf Hitler, Benito Mussolini, Joseph Stalin, Mao Zedong, and Saddam Hussein—Kenneth C. Davis seeks to answer these questions, examining the forces in these strongmen’s personal lives and historical periods that shaped the leaders they’d become.

Meticulously researched and complete with photographs, Strongman provides insight into the lives of five leaders who callously transformed the world and serves as an invaluable resource in an era when democracy itself seems in peril.

* "A fascinating, highly readable portrayal of infamous men that provides urgent lessons for democracy now." —Publishers Weekly, starred review

"Strongman is a book that is both deeply researched and deeply felt, both an alarming warning and a galvanizing call to action, both daunting and necessary to read and discuss." —Cynthia Levinson, author of Fault Lines in the Constitution

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781250853264
Publisher:	Square Fish
Publication date:	10/04/2022
Pages:	288
Sales rank:	192,982
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.70(d)
Age Range:	12 - 18 Years

About the Author

Kenneth C. Davis is the New York Times–bestselling author of America’s Hidden History and Don’t Know Much About® History, which gave rise to the Don’t Know Much About® series of books. He is also the author of the critically acclaimed In the Shadow of Liberty, an ALA Notable Book and a finalist for the YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction; More Deadly Than War, which was named a Washington Post Best Children’s Book of the Month; and Great Short Books: A Year of Reading—Briefly. A frequent media guest, Davis enjoys both in-person and virtual visits with middle- and high-school classrooms to discuss history, research, writing, and the importance of reading. He lives in New York City.

Table of Contents

Introduction: Dictators, Despots, and Democracy vii

Chapter 1 Democracy in Flames 1

Time Line of Democracy-From Athens to 1918 14

Chapter 2 "Let Arms Yield to the Toga"-A Brief History of Democracy 17

Time Line-The Life of Benito Mussolini 43

Chapter 3 "Believe, Obey, and Fight"-The Story of Benito Mussolini 45

Time Line-The Life of Adolf Hitler 78

Chapter 4 The Big Lie-The Story of Adolf Hitler 81

Time Line-The Life of Joseph Stalm 116

Chapter 5 Man of Steel-The Story of Joseph Stalin 121

Time Line-The Life of Mao Zedong 147

Chapter 6 The Long March-The Story of Mao Zedong 149

Time Line-The Life Saddam Hussein 181

Chapter 7 Stalin on the Tigris-The Story or Saddam Hussein 183

Chapter 8 Never Again?-A New Generation of Monsters 205

Acknowledgments 223

Bibliography 227

Notes 234

Index 244

Editorial Reviews

A Washington Post Best Book of the Year! A YALSA 2021 Nonfiction Award Nominee! A Kirkus 2021 Best Young Adult Book of the Year! A Bank Street College 2021 Best Children’s Books of the Year!

* "History’s warnings reverberate in this gripping read about five dictatorial strongmen. A pitch-perfect balance of nuanced reflection and dire warning." —Kirkus Reviews, starred review

* "A fascinating, highly readable portrayal of infamous men that provides urgent lessons for democracy now." —Publishers Weekly, starred review

* "Kenneth C. Davis (Don't Know Much About series) conveys his plentiful knowledge of dictators in this powerful, spine-tingling biographic work." —Shelf Awareness, starred review

"Strongman is a book that is both deeply researched and deeply felt, both an alarming warning and a galvanizing call to action, both daunting and necessary to read and discuss." —Cynthia Levinson, author of Fault Lines in the Constitution

"A wake-up call to democracies like ours: we are not immune to despots . . . Strongman demonstrates that democracy is not permanent, unless it is collectively upheld. This book shakes that immortality narrative." —Jessica Ellison, President of the Minnesota Council for the Social Studies

"Rarely does a history book take such an unflinching look at our common future, where the very presence of democracy is less than certain; even rarer is a history book in which the author’s moral convictions incite young readers to civic engagement; rarest of all, a history book as urgent, as impassioned, and as timely as Kenneth C. Davis’ Strongman." —Eugene Yelchin, author of the Newbery Honor book Breaking Stalin’s Nose

"[I] . . . found myself engrossed in it from beginning to end. I could not help admiring [Davis's] ability to explain complex ideas in readable prose . . . very much a book for our time." —Sam Wineburg, author of Why Learn History (When It's Already on Your Phone)

"At a time when dictators are rampant in such countries as North Korea, Turkey, China, Russia, and others, Davis’ deep dive into the lives of five of history’s most notorious dictators (or strongmen as he calls them)—Mussolini, Hitler, Stalin, Mao, and Hussein—is apposite and timely." —Booklist

From the Publisher

★ 11/09/2020

This captivating history of five depraved “strongmen” offers a timely warning about the need to protect democracy. Davis (In the Shadow of Liberty) provides absorbing, clearly distilled biographies of Adolf Hitler, Saddam Hussein, Mao Zedong, Benito Mussolini, and Joseph Stalin, as well as profiles of their respective dictatorships and atrocities. Pithy prose effectively dramatizes catalyzing events, such as how Hitler exploited a fire in the German government headquarters of the Reichstag in 1933 to seize absolute power for the Nazis. A concise history of democracy from Athens to the American Revolution describes its inherent fragility and helps contextualize the tyranny of each of these authoritarians. While documenting these distinct men and their political realities, Davis skillfully defines what the dictators and their regimes share, as in the targeting and indoctrinating of youth, reified in Stalin’s Young Pioneers and Hussein’s Lion Cubs. Powerful black-and-white photographs further underscore the events, and a complex concluding chapter titled “Never Again?” wrestles with how history repeats itself, challenging readers to preserve democratic freedoms. A fascinating, highly readable portrayal of infamous men that provides urgent lessons for democracy now. Ages 12–18. (Oct.)

Publishers Weekly

11/01/2020

Gr 9 Up—Davis profiles five ruthless dictators: Adolf Hitler, Benito Mussolini, Joseph Stalin, Mao Zedong, and Saddam Hussein. Three of the book's eight chapters discuss democracy and other forms of government, the times in which the dictators lived, other "strongmen," and the need for vigilance against authoritarianism. Each biographical chapter features a time line of the dictator's life and quotes by or about the man and his regime. Davis deftly opens these chapters with a narrative about the subject, followed by a chronological account of his life. The time line and quotes give readers a sense of both the historical context and the character of the profiled person. Davis describes the brutality inflicted by the dictators but, aside from the chapter on Hussein, most of the descriptions are not graphic. The text also explains the role that the Western powers had in allowing these men to gain dominance. The abuses committed by the United States, as in the case of the Abu Ghraib prison scandal, are also mentioned. The prose can be dry at times, and there are a few instances where the historical context is not explained well. Relevant black-and-white photographs, which are credited and captioned, maintain readers' interest. An extensive bibliography, which contains adult and young adult titles, and endnotes support further research. VERDICT A title that satisfies research and general interest needs, and one that libraries serving high schoolers will want to have.—Hilary Writt, formerly at Sullivan Univ., Lexington, KY

School Library Journal

History repeats itself in this middle-grade audiobook about the political lives of five infamous dictators, including Adolf Hitler, Mao Zedong, and Saddam Hussein. Kenneth Davis offers a serious message about the fragility of democracy and the rise of ruthless leaders. Narrator Cindy Kay describes the calculated cruelty of these men and their governments with appropriate detachment. Terrence Kidd breaks up the chapters by delivering openings that use the dictators’ own words. The academic tone of this work, especially its first three chapters, which focus on the roots of democracy, may turn off some listeners. Listeners also lose out on the print book’s bibliography. Nonetheless, this audio is for young people who want to look to the past to understand the present. E.A.N. © AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine

NOVEMBER 2020 - AudioFile

History repeats itself in this middle-grade audiobook about the political lives of five infamous dictators, including Adolf Hitler, Mao Zedong, and Saddam Hussein. Kenneth Davis offers a serious message about the fragility of democracy and the rise of ruthless leaders. Narrator Cindy Kay describes the calculated cruelty of these men and their governments with appropriate detachment. Terrence Kidd breaks up the chapters by delivering openings that use the dictators’ own words. The academic tone of this work, especially its first three chapters, which focus on the roots of democracy, may turn off some listeners. Listeners also lose out on the print book’s bibliography. Nonetheless, this audio is for young people who want to look to the past to understand the present. E.A.N. © AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine

NOVEMBER 2020 - AudioFile

★ 2020-07-27
History’s warnings reverberate in this gripping read about five dictatorial strongmen.

This complex yet accessible title examines the lives and deeds of Benito Mussolini, Adolf Hitler, Joseph Stalin, Mao Zedong, and Saddam Hussein. This is no dry textbook; rather, the author presents deep personal and historical context with an eye toward explaining depravity. By reading these accounts, readers come to better understand how such rulers rise to power—and how we might act to avoid future evils. This book does not minimize atrocities or humanize tyrants, nor does it shy away from uncomfortable questions about ordinary citizens’ complicity. Instead readers are asked to ponder how contemporary democracies actually create the conditions for such individuals to come to power. The chilling final chapter asks, “Never Again?” as Davis emphasizes the need for vigilance as the democratic protections many contemporary citizens of democratic nations embrace are not inviolable. Timeline graphics put the individual cases into larger historical context, and key terms are explained in sophisticated depth. The author draws from an extensive lineup of thinkers and writers, from Primo Levi, Thucydides, Madeleine Albright, and Lord Acton to George Orwell and more. The book concludes with an impressive bibliography and endnotes. This powerful overview, enhanced with photographs, hinges on the idea that autocratic power is only possible with the complicity of ordinary others and that those who resist are the rare heroes of a terrifyingly timely story.

A pitch-perfect balance of nuanced reflection and dire warning. (Nonfiction. 12-18)

Kirkus Reviews