• History's Worst Dictators

  • A Short Guide to the Most Brutal Rulers, From Emperor Nero to Ivan the Terrible
  • By: Michael Rank
  • Narrated by: Kevin Pierce
  • Length: 2 hrs and 1 min
  • 3.9 out of 5 stars (35 ratings)

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History's Worst Dictators  By  cover art

History's Worst Dictators

By: Michael Rank
Narrated by: Kevin Pierce
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Publisher's summary

History's Worst Dictators is the exciting new book from best-selling author Michael Rank. It is currently #1 on Amazon.com in the categories of Medieval History and Weapons and Warfare (as of March 9, 2013) and slated for translation into German.

Here are reader reactions to “History's Worst Dictators”:

“Concise and compulsively readable”

“History as it ought to be told”

“I would read more history if it came packaged like this”

Here is the book description:

Nasty, brutish, and short.

This is the way English philosopher Thomas Hobbes described the living conditions into which humans inevitably fall without a strong, central authority. However, Hobbes would agree that living under a brutal dictator could lead to the same conditions. He would know -- he lived a century after the bloody reign of Henry VIII, 150 years after Spanish conquistadors witnessed Montezuma II offering up thousands of human sacrifices, and four centuries after Genghis Khan rode throughout Eurasia and left behind enough death and destruction to depopulate major parts of the globe.

This exciting new book from historian Michael Rank looks at the lives and times of the worst dictators in history. You will learn about their reigns and violent actions, such as...

-Emperor Nero's murder of family members, suspected arson of Rome, and widespread execution of religious minorities, which caused many early Christians to believe that he was the Antichrist.

-Herod the Great's use of crowd slaughter, family killings, and even infanticide to hold on to his rule.

-Genghis Khan's military conquests that killed tens of millions and caused millions more to flee their homes in fear, resulting in forests reclaiming abandoned farmland and carbon levels plummeting, actually creating man-made global cooling.

-Vlad the Impaler (also known as Vlad Dracul, the namesake of the vampire) and his use of impalement to kill more than 20,000 victims, even causing a superior army turn around and avoid fighting him when they witnessed his carnage.

These four leaders and six others from ancient, medieval, and early modern history fill this book. Learn about how they earned their reputation as the worst dictators in history and why they are so infamous in popular culture today.

©2013 Michael Rank (P)2013 Michael Rank
  • Unabridged Audiobook
  • Categories: History

What listeners say about History's Worst Dictators

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Great ‘read’

Thought this was informative and interesting.
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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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Ok.. but not Great...

Ok.. but not Great... interesting stuff and surprising that today's tyrants are held back in such a way...

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  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars

Historicaly inaccurate Worthless book

What disappointed you about History's Worst Dictators?

Has numerous historical inaccuracies. Doesn't have any of anything other than a collection of the authors opions masked as history. A lousy book even at the cheap price.

What was most disappointing about Michael Rank’s story?

Inaccurate too often. Opions masking as history.

You didn’t love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?

Good title. Nothing else to say positive about this

Any additional comments?

First time ever I am returning a book to audible for credit.

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