-
On Tyranny
- Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century
- Narrated by: Timothy Snyder
- Length: 1 hr and 47 mins
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Buy for $7.00
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
Listeners also enjoyed...
-
The Road to Unfreedom
- Russia, Europe, America
- By: Timothy Snyder
- Narrated by: Timothy Snyder
- Length: 10 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
With the end of the Cold War, the victory of liberal democracy was thought to be absolute. Observers declared the end of history, confident in a peaceful, globalized future. But we now know this to be premature. Authoritarianism first returned in Russia, as Putin developed a political system dedicated solely to the consolidation and exercise of power. In the last six years, it has creeped from east to west as nationalism inflames Europe, abetted by Russian propaganda and cyberwarfare.
-
-
The Most Important Book I've Read in Years
- By chiz f on 06-30-18
By: Timothy Snyder
-
Bloodlands
- Europe Between Hitler and Stalin
- By: Timothy Snyder
- Narrated by: Ralph Cosham
- Length: 19 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Bloodlands is a new kind of European history, presenting the mass murders committed by the Nazi and Stalinist regimes as two aspects of a single history, in the time and place where they occurred: between Germany and Russia, when Hitler and Stalin both held power. Assiduously researched, deeply humane, and utterly definitive, Bloodlands will be required listening for anyone seeking to understand the central tragedy of modern history.
-
-
Humanity lost
- By RPB on 01-27-19
By: Timothy Snyder
-
Black Earth
- The Holocaust as History and Warning
- By: Timothy Snyder
- Narrated by: Mark Bramhall
- Length: 16 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In this epic history of extermination and survival, Timothy Snyder presents a new explanation of the great atrocity of the 20th century and reveals the risks that we face in the 21st. Based on new sources from Eastern Europe and forgotten testimonies from Jewish survivors, Black Earth recounts the mass murder of the Jews as an event that is still close to us, more comprehensible than we would like to think and thus all the more terrifying.
-
-
Tough book but worth it!
- By Amazon customer on 11-20-15
By: Timothy Snyder
-
This Will Not Pass
- Trump, Biden and the Battle for American Democracy
- By: Jonathan Martin, Alexander Burns
- Narrated by: Dennis Boutsikaris
- Length: 17 hrs
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This is the authoritative account of an eighteen-month crisis in American democracy that will be seared into the country’s political memory for decades to come. With stunning, in-the-room detail, New York Times reporters Jonathan Martin and Alexander Burns show how both our political parties confronted a series of national traumas, including the coronavirus pandemic, the January 6 attack on the Capitol, and the political brinksmanship of President Biden’s first year in the White House.
-
-
Ammerca's Futura does Not included Trump
- By K. Lilja-King on 05-12-22
By: Jonathan Martin, and others
-
How Fascism Works
- The Politics of Us and Them
- By: Jason Stanley
- Narrated by: MacLeod Andrews
- Length: 5 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
As the child of refugees of World War II Europe and a renowned philosopher and scholar of propaganda, Jason Stanley has a deep understanding of how democratic societies can be vulnerable to fascism: Nations don’t have to be fascist to suffer from fascist politics. In fact, fascism’s roots have been present in the United States for more than a century. Alarmed by the pervasive rise of fascist tactics both at home and around the globe, Stanley focuses here on the structures that unite them, laying out and analyzing the ten pillars of fascist politics.
-
-
A Must Read
- By Jean on 02-18-20
By: Jason Stanley
-
The Origins of Totalitarianism
- By: Hannah Arendt
- Narrated by: Nadia May
- Length: 23 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This classic, definitive account of totalitarianism traces the emergence of modern racism as an "ideological weapon for imperialism", beginning with the rise of anti-Semitism in Europe in the 19th century and continuing through the New Imperialism period from 1884 to World War I.
-
-
Vast and intricate analysis of horror
- By Roger on 08-04-08
By: Hannah Arendt
-
The Road to Unfreedom
- Russia, Europe, America
- By: Timothy Snyder
- Narrated by: Timothy Snyder
- Length: 10 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
With the end of the Cold War, the victory of liberal democracy was thought to be absolute. Observers declared the end of history, confident in a peaceful, globalized future. But we now know this to be premature. Authoritarianism first returned in Russia, as Putin developed a political system dedicated solely to the consolidation and exercise of power. In the last six years, it has creeped from east to west as nationalism inflames Europe, abetted by Russian propaganda and cyberwarfare.
-
-
The Most Important Book I've Read in Years
- By chiz f on 06-30-18
By: Timothy Snyder
-
Bloodlands
- Europe Between Hitler and Stalin
- By: Timothy Snyder
- Narrated by: Ralph Cosham
- Length: 19 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Bloodlands is a new kind of European history, presenting the mass murders committed by the Nazi and Stalinist regimes as two aspects of a single history, in the time and place where they occurred: between Germany and Russia, when Hitler and Stalin both held power. Assiduously researched, deeply humane, and utterly definitive, Bloodlands will be required listening for anyone seeking to understand the central tragedy of modern history.
-
-
Humanity lost
- By RPB on 01-27-19
By: Timothy Snyder
-
Black Earth
- The Holocaust as History and Warning
- By: Timothy Snyder
- Narrated by: Mark Bramhall
- Length: 16 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In this epic history of extermination and survival, Timothy Snyder presents a new explanation of the great atrocity of the 20th century and reveals the risks that we face in the 21st. Based on new sources from Eastern Europe and forgotten testimonies from Jewish survivors, Black Earth recounts the mass murder of the Jews as an event that is still close to us, more comprehensible than we would like to think and thus all the more terrifying.
-
-
Tough book but worth it!
- By Amazon customer on 11-20-15
By: Timothy Snyder
-
This Will Not Pass
- Trump, Biden and the Battle for American Democracy
- By: Jonathan Martin, Alexander Burns
- Narrated by: Dennis Boutsikaris
- Length: 17 hrs
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This is the authoritative account of an eighteen-month crisis in American democracy that will be seared into the country’s political memory for decades to come. With stunning, in-the-room detail, New York Times reporters Jonathan Martin and Alexander Burns show how both our political parties confronted a series of national traumas, including the coronavirus pandemic, the January 6 attack on the Capitol, and the political brinksmanship of President Biden’s first year in the White House.
-
-
Ammerca's Futura does Not included Trump
- By K. Lilja-King on 05-12-22
By: Jonathan Martin, and others
-
How Fascism Works
- The Politics of Us and Them
- By: Jason Stanley
- Narrated by: MacLeod Andrews
- Length: 5 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
As the child of refugees of World War II Europe and a renowned philosopher and scholar of propaganda, Jason Stanley has a deep understanding of how democratic societies can be vulnerable to fascism: Nations don’t have to be fascist to suffer from fascist politics. In fact, fascism’s roots have been present in the United States for more than a century. Alarmed by the pervasive rise of fascist tactics both at home and around the globe, Stanley focuses here on the structures that unite them, laying out and analyzing the ten pillars of fascist politics.
-
-
A Must Read
- By Jean on 02-18-20
By: Jason Stanley
-
The Origins of Totalitarianism
- By: Hannah Arendt
- Narrated by: Nadia May
- Length: 23 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This classic, definitive account of totalitarianism traces the emergence of modern racism as an "ideological weapon for imperialism", beginning with the rise of anti-Semitism in Europe in the 19th century and continuing through the New Imperialism period from 1884 to World War I.
-
-
Vast and intricate analysis of horror
- By Roger on 08-04-08
By: Hannah Arendt
-
Twilight of Democracy
- The Seductive Lure of Authoritarianism
- By: Anne Applebaum
- Narrated by: Anne Applebaum
- Length: 5 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
From the United States and Britain to continental Europe and beyond, liberal democracy is under siege, while authoritarianism is on the rise. In Twilight of Democracy, Anne Applebaum, an award-winning historian of Soviet atrocities who was one of the first American journalists to raise an alarm about antidemocratic trends in the West, explains the lure of nationalism and autocracy. In this captivating essay, she contends that political systems with radically simple beliefs are inherently appealing, especially when they benefit the loyal to the exclusion of everyone else.
-
-
Reductive and simplistic
- By Erik C on 08-16-20
By: Anne Applebaum
-
There Is Nothing For You Here
- Finding Opportunity in the Twenty-First Century
- By: Fiona Hill
- Narrated by: Fiona Hill
- Length: 15 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A celebrated foreign policy expert and key impeachment witness reveals how declining opportunity has set America on the grim path of modern Russia—and draws on her personal journey out of poverty, as well as her unique perspectives as an historian and policy maker, to show how we can return hope to our forgotten places.
-
-
Excellent book on populism, Putin, Trump and us
- By Erin on 10-08-21
By: Fiona Hill
-
The Myth of Race
- The Troubling Persistence of an Unscientific Idea
- By: Robert Wald Sussman
- Narrated by: David Colacci
- Length: 15 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Although eugenics is now widely discredited, some groups and individuals claim a new scientific basis for old racist assumptions. Pondering the continuing influence of racist research and thought, despite all evidence to the contrary, Robert Wald Sussman explains why - when it comes to race - too many people still mistake bigotry for science.
-
-
An important look at race, genetics, & politics
- By Elisabeth Carey on 03-29-18
-
Fascism
- A Warning
- By: Madeleine Albright
- Narrated by: Madeleine Albright
- Length: 9 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
At the end of the 1980s, when the Cold War ended, many, including former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, believed that democracy had triumphed politically once and for all. Yet nearly 30 years later, the direction of history no longer seems certain. A repressive and destructive force has begun to reemerge on the global stage - sweeping across Europe, parts of Asia, and the United States - that to Albright, looks very much like fascism.
-
-
Bad title, good book
- By K. Hallett on 04-05-19
-
How Democracies Die
- By: Steven Levitsky, Daniel Ziblatt
- Narrated by: Fred Sanders
- Length: 8 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Donald Trump's presidency has raised a question that many of us never thought we'd be asking: Is our democracy in danger? Harvard professors Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt have spent two decades studying the breakdown of democracies in Europe and Latin America, and they believe the answer is yes. Democracy no longer ends with a bang - in a revolution or military coup - but with a whimper: the slow, steady weakening of critical institutions, such as the judiciary and the press, and the gradual erosion of long-standing political norms.
-
-
Connecting the Dots
- By Sharon F on 02-06-18
By: Steven Levitsky, and others
-
Strongmen
- Mussolini to the Present
- By: Ruth Ben-Ghiat
- Narrated by: Chloe Cannon
- Length: 9 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Ruth Ben-Ghiat is the expert on the "strongman" playbook employed by authoritarian demagogues from Mussolini to Putin. In Strongmen, she lays bare the blueprint these leaders have followed over the past 100 years, and empowers us to recognize, resist, and prevent their disastrous rule in the future.
-
-
Fascism expert talks fascism
- By sparky on 12-04-20
By: Ruth Ben-Ghiat
-
Lessons from the Edge
- A Memoir
- By: Marie Yovanovitch
- Narrated by: Marie Yovanovitch
- Length: 17 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
By the time she became US Ambassador to Ukraine, Marie Yovanovitch had seen her share of corruption, instability, and tragedy in developing countries. But it came as a shock when, in early 2019, she was recalled from her post after a smear campaign by President Trump’s personal attorney and his associates - men operating outside of normal governmental channels, and apparently motivated by personal gain. Her courageous participation in the subsequent impeachment inquiry earned Yovanovitch the nation’s respect, and her dignified response to the president’s attacks won our hearts.
-
-
Heroic patriot's amazing story
- By Victoria Eriksson on 03-19-22
-
The Future Is History
- How Totalitarianism Reclaimed Russia
- By: Masha Gessen
- Narrated by: Masha Gessen
- Length: 16 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Award-winning journalist Masha Gessen's understanding of the events and forces that have wracked Russia in recent times is unparalleled. In The Future Is History, Gessen follows the lives of four people born at what promised to be the dawn of democracy. Each of them came of age with unprecedented expectations, some as the children and grandchildren of the very architects of the new Russia, each with newfound aspirations of their own - as entrepreneurs, activists, thinkers, and writers, sexual and social beings.
-
-
If you can keep the characters straight...
- By Margot on 02-18-18
By: Masha Gessen
-
Our Malady
- Lessons in Liberty from a Hospital Diary
- By: Timothy Snyder
- Narrated by: Timothy Snyder
- Length: 3 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
From the author of the number-one New York Times best seller On Tyranny comes an impassioned condemnation of America's pandemic response and an urgent call to rethink health and freedom.
-
-
Our Medical System Flayed
- By J.B. on 09-08-20
By: Timothy Snyder
-
Surviving Autocracy
- By: Masha Gessen
- Narrated by: Masha Gessen
- Length: 5 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In the run-up to the 2016 election, Masha Gessen stood out from other journalists for the ability to convey the ominous significance of Donald Trump's speech and behavior, unprecedented in a national candidate. Within 48 hours of Trump's victory, the essay "Autocracy: Rules for Survival" had gone viral, and Gessen's coverage of Trump's norm-smashing presidency became essential reading for a citizenry struggling to wrap their heads around the unimaginable.
-
-
Good But . . .
- By Carnal Flower on 06-02-20
By: Masha Gessen
-
Thrawn (Star Wars)
- By: Timothy Zahn
- Narrated by: Marc Thompson
- Length: 16 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In this definitive novel, listeners will follow Thrawn's rise to power - uncovering the events that created one of the most iconic villains in Star Wars history.
-
-
The Sherlock of Star Wars
- By Admiralu on 05-06-17
By: Timothy Zahn
-
Winter Is Coming
- Why Vladimir Putin and the Enemies of the Free World Must Be Stopped
- By: Garry Kasparov
- Narrated by: George Backman
- Length: 11 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The ascension of Vladimir Putin - a former lieutenant colonel of the KGB - to the presidency of Russia in 1999 should have been a signal that the country was headed away from democracy. Yet in the intervening years - as America and the world's other leading powers have continued to appease him - Putin has grown into not only a dictator but a global threat. With his vast resources and nuclear weapons, Putin is at the center of a worldwide assault on political liberty.
-
-
skip the first chapter (the intro read by Garry)
- By I am No Expert on 10-19-16
By: Garry Kasparov
Publisher's Summary
Number one New York Times Best seller
A historian of fascism offers a guide for surviving and resisting America's turn towards authoritarianism.
The Founding Fathers tried to protect us from the threat they knew, the tyranny that overcame ancient democracy. Today, our political order faces new threats, not unlike the totalitarianism of the 20th century. We are no wiser than the Europeans who saw democracy yield to fascism, Nazism, or communism. Our one advantage is that we might learn from their experience.
On Tyranny is a call to arms and a guide to resistance, with invaluable ideas for how we can preserve our freedoms in the uncertain years to come.
"Mr. Snyder is a rising public intellectual unafraid to make bold connections between past and present." (The New York Times)
Featured Article: The Best Audiobooks Under 2 Hours
Short on time but want to immerse yourself in a memorable listen? These audiobooks have great stories and strong performances, all in an approachable run time. Between work, school, family, and home, it isn't always easy to carve out time for yourself, no matter how much you want to or how much those unread books on your shelf may haunt you. If you find yourself struggling to carve out time for reading or listening, these audiobooks under two hours will make the perfect additions to your library. Get swept away on an amazing adventure in the amount of time it takes to watch a movie.
More from the same
What listeners say about On Tyranny
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Darwin8u
- 11-19-18
History does not repeat, but it does instruct.
Dr. Snyder, the Levin professor of history at Yale, delivers a short and powerful primer on resisting fascism/tyranny in the 21st Century, using the rise of fascism in 20th Century as a guide. In easily digestible chapters (twenty, obviously) Snyder seeks to use lessons from the rise of Fascism (and Totalitarianism) to assist readers in this current moment globally. We are seeing the rise of Nationalism. It isn't meant to be comprehensive, but more of a hornbook for resisting movements away from democracy and towards fascism. It is also meant to highlight early signs of tyranny in government and media.
I enjoyed all the chapters, and like in a nice restaurant with small portions, my major complaint was I was still hungry when I finished. While there are 20 ideas/lessons/chapter, the book really has a couple of themes. One is community: defend and participate in it. Another is language and truth: seek it, pay for it, respect it. Another is taking a risk: stand up, or at a minimum, do not surrender to the crowds or lazy thinking. Finally, and this makes sense, one is historical: understand that history is not inevitable or mythical. We need to understand things DO happen and we CAN impact the future. The individual chapters (small lessons) included in the book are:
1. Do not obey in advance.
2. Defend institutions.
3. Beware the one-party state.
4. Take responsibility for the face of the world.
5. Remeber professional ethics
6. Be wary of paramilitaries.
7. Be reflective if you must be armed.
8. Stand out.
9. Be kind ot our language.
10. Belive in truth.
11. Investigate.
12. Make eye contact and small talk.
13. Practice corporeal politics.
14. Establish a private life.
15. Contribute to good causes.
16. Learn from peers in other countries.
17. Listen for dangerous words.
18. Be calm when the unthinkable arrives.
19. Be a patriot.
20. Be as courageous as you can.
93 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Kathryn
- 04-17-17
Important read/listen
The author is a little monotone so be sure you have no distractions around you when listening. I couldn't listen while driving either and found walking to be the best. The meaning in his words and ideas are powerful, terrifying, and utterly important to understand. Please read or listen to this book!
44 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- George Gambert
- 10-17-17
Thoughtful actions for our current political troubles
An excellent book. All citizens everywhere should read it and think about how we all are responsible for the current and future situations of our countries. It points out important things we can learn from the rise of fascism and nazism in the past and how we can act now to try to prevent them from taking hold now and doing away with our democracy. Very worth reading, thinking about, discussing and acting on.
17 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- A. R. S.
- 04-17-17
Required reading
Mr. Snyder presents a succinct guide to recognizing the signs of tyrannical government and acting to counter its influences. This work is unfortunately now required reading for all citizens that hope to continue to live in a functioning democratic society.
The book lays out, using examples drawn especially from Central and Eastern European history, the tactics that allowed and then fueled the rise of tyrannical regimes. In concrete steps, the author demonstrates how our predecessors failed to stop or succeeded in prevent dictatorial states from consolidating power. It was easy to listen to and left this writer feeling empowered to act!
47 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Rebecca
- 12-15-17
This is trash; don’t waste your time.
This is ignorant drivel is designed to further distance yourself from Trump, his presidency and his policies. Not that you need to support Trump, but this garbage can be found for free on any TV station you prefer to watch or newspaper-websites you prefer to read. If you hate him, you agree already; if you don’t, you probably won’t even after listening to this.
29 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Mai
- 06-08-17
Haven't given up on the democratic experiment?
Activists, patriots, small-d democrats looking for a manual: here's the best guide I've found to the resistance.
14 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- GoingGoingGone...
- 05-24-19
Good Points Not Applied Broadly Enough
He gave excellent advice on our obligations as persons to assert responsibility for our communities through taking individual responsibility for maintaining them. Where I think he goes off the rails is in his obvious dislike of President Trump, which causes him to lose perspective on how his presidency is the result of half of the public "asserting responsibility" for a vision of the United States that he, and presumably he agreed that President Obama was doing everything right, disagrees with.
On one hand he calls for closer affiliations with those he disagrees with, and though those who voted for Trump obviously disagree with him, his anger at Trump's crass behavior causes him to disregard coercive behavior during the previous administration that Trump's election was a reaction to. How could he "reach across the aisle" without at least acknowledging that there's fault on all sides to be had here?
So though on one hand he doesn't say "we have a problem with conservatives", and though he brings up the failures of Communism and especially Nazism, it didn't seem to me that he was able to draw a line between the causes of failure in these national movements and the behaviors of progressives in our day. Progressives flourished under Obama, and while one one side he'd presumably see the policies passed as ideal and worthy of support, how is it that the Executive or Judicial Branches bypassing the Legislature is not a form of Tyranny? Isn't it tyranny that shuts down debate in universities and in the public forum, and isn't that as much a problem of the left as it is of the right? You wouldn't know it by reading this book.
Though he did not state this, and he may even disagree, I did appreciate getting his perspective, which I thought was a valuable one. All 20 lessons are important, and worth incorporating into our civic lives. Where I disagree with him is how he applies it, and with his belief that the "free press" is to be entrusted with getting us our information about what's true and what is not. He doesn't go deep enough into how matters of "public values" are negotiated, and how the press expresses certain values as "given" when they omit a side of the argument and advocate for another. I for one do not trust the press, nor university professors (he is one of them) to be as impartial as I perceive them to have been decades ago. For these reasons, I'd have found this book to be even better if he was able to spread the criticism across party lines.
12 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Jorge Santos
- 06-09-17
Impressively concise and well organized
Snyder does a great job of connecting 20th century precedents to 2016 tendencies/possibilities in US politics without jargon or excessive detail (if you're a history junkie, you'll have to read another of his works to get the detail-heavy approach). A very accessable text, and well narrated by the author.
11 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Anonymous User
- 06-06-18
upcoming tyranny?
Reminder of political tricks and changes that can lead to a tyranny. point: beware and do something. do not be a bystander.
10 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- CP
- 04-01-19
Garbage
Waste of money. Biased and nothing but one fool’s opinion. He twists history and spreads out and out lies.
9 people found this helpful