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.
"* "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."
