Publishers Weekly
06/27/2022
Keane (The New Despotism), a professor of politics at the University of Sydney, delivers a concise and informative history of democracy “as an unending process of humbling unconstrained power.” Beginning in 2500 BCE with Syria-Mesopotamia, Keane organizes his history of democracy into three stages. “Assembly Democracy,” in which people gathered to debate public policies, was found in ancient Greece, as well as in the Levant and on the Indian subcontinent. “Electoral Democracy,” where representatives were chosen to make laws, came to prominence in the Atlantic world in the 18th and 19th centuries. “Monitory Democracy” developed after WWII and is characterized “by the rapid growth of many new kinds of extra-parliamentary, power-scrutinizing mechanisms” that monitor elections, review budgets, and otherwise seek to hold government officials accountable. According to Keane, this third stage, the “most complex and vibrant form of democracy yet,” is under threat from contemporary “despots” including Russia’s Vladimir Putin, as well as from “massive inequalities of opportunity and wealth” in the U.S. and other Western countries. Though Keane’s history lessons come with a progressive slant, he packs far-flung details into a brisk and accessible narrative. This is a provocative and enlightening survey of democracy’s ever-shifting nature. (Sept.)
From the Publisher
In this fast-paced and engaging book, Keane tells the story of societies across the ancient and modern eras struggling for self-government. . . . An odyssey, full of twists and turns, crises, and reinventions."—Foreign Affairs “Democracy itself, the essential foundation of America, is in serious trouble. To the rescue comes this wonderfully comforting and beautifully written long-view historical narrative. . . . This slim volume is a fine read from a gifted author.”—Booklist “The title suggests “short,” but do not be deluded, dear readers, the chapters are crammed with detail and strewn with classic and modern terminology inviting a demanding and exciting exercise.”—City Book Review “Shortest—and best! John Keane knows more about the history of democracy globally than one can imagine. Full of fascinating examples of democratic innovations from South Africa to Mongolia, Spain to Indonesia, and his concept of ‘monitory democracy’ is indispensable for understanding democracy today. Provocative, passionate, fun, and even a bit hopeful. Don’t miss it!”—Michael Schudson, professor of journalism and sociology, Columbia University “A pragmatic, shining light to readers on radical democratic potential. This is the best, most readable book on the history of democracy published in the third millennium.”—Takashi Inoguchi, professor emeritus, University of Tokyo; eminent scholar professor and J. F. Oberlin professor (Tokyo); former assistant secretary general of the UN “This is a remarkable book. It covers a vast historical landscape while also delivering intellectual depth. It draws on research and scholarship while remaining accessible and engaging. But most of all, it offers a hopeful history without being naive. Modest in size, incredibly ambitious in content.”—Matthew Flinders, professor of politics, University of Sheffield; vice president of the Political Studies Association of the United Kingdom “For a brief shining moment, democracy seemed ascendent. Yet as distinguished political theorist John Keane demonstrates, democracy has a history but not necessarily a future. In concise and imaginative analysis, The Shortest History of Democracy outlines key variants of democracy and the many attempts to justify this messy, imperfect way of governing ourselves. Professor Keane argues for an ethic in which our very imperfections are reason to hold each other to account. An urgent, important book for a troubled time.”—Glyn Davis AC, emeritus professor of political science, University of Melbourne “A concise and informative history of democracy . . . packs far-flung details into . . . a provocative and enlightening survey of democracy’s ever-shifting nature.”—Publishers Weekly “Underwrite an overview of a complicated topic with one of these new short-and-sweet distillations. . . with maps, charts, sidebars, and illustrations to bring it alive.”—Mosaic, Morgan Stanley
School Library Journal
11/01/2022
HighSchool—Imagine covering the history of democracy, or war, or Europe in just a few hundred pages; that is what this series promises. The development from assembly democracies to today's governments, the growth of war from skirmishes among hunter-gatherers to nuclear bombs and cyber terrorism, and the slow emergence of modern Europe from ancient civilizations - condensed into books that could be read in a day. This is dense material due to its subject matter and the way it has been distilled. The democracy and Europe titles both have timelines and all three books have images (diagrams, maps, artwork, photos) to support the text. That text is written by content specialists who draw parallels with current events as well as explaining what has gone before. VERDICT A useful reference set, or a possible classroom purchase for Honors or A.P. courses.
