The Road to Unfreedom

Russia, Europe, America

By: Timothy Snyder

Narrated by: Timothy Snyder

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. While countries like Poland and Hungary have made hard turns towards authoritarianism, the electoral upsets of 2016 revealed the citizens of the US and UK in revolt against their countries’ longstanding policies and values.

But this threat to the West also presents the opportunity to better understand the pillars of our own political order. In this forceful and unsparing work of contemporary history, Snyder goes beyond the headlines to expose the true nature of the threat to democracy. By showcasing the stark choices before us—between equality or oligarchy, individuality or totality, truth and falsehood—Snyder restores our understanding of the basis of our way of life, offering a way forward in a time of terrible uncertainty.

A Deep Dive into the Sea of Events that Brought US Trump

This book is an interesting analysis of historical events and politics that brought us to the world of Trump-type leaders. It is a fascinating explanation of how differently a fascist-thinking influencer truly believes that he is entitled to be a god for the world, possess everything, and feel nothing for others. It is like a very scary mystery with no ending, no resolution. Unfortunately, these men are real and are major players in our world.

A must read

If you want to truly understand the nature of today’s political climate, then Snyder is a must read.

excellent! Looking forward to listening again.

this was exactly the book I needed. it not only clarified and put together some of the information I had heard in the news, mostly regarding Russian influence over US politics, but also painted an important picture of where these motivations came from, using Russians activities o
in Ukraine as illustration. I was expecting something more like an essay, which is more of the second part. I was surprised and delighted by the rich history I received in addition to the grounding ideas. both are essential bulwark against tyranny.

the most important book of the 21st century

engaging. well cited. must read for any advocate of democracy. I've read it and listened to the audiobook.

If you're concerned with democracy read this book!

I always knew Russians meddled in US politics and around the world but I had no idea what was going behind the scenes until reading this book. Author also goes into detail about where Russia's fascist regime and ideology comes from.

We are at a juncture presently and can very well end up with moving towards authoritarianism sadly. This book is quite important.