He has warned us that in the 1920’s and 30’s, many European democracies didn’t believe that their countries could or would ever succumb to Nazism, Fascism, or other forms of authoritarianism.

Timothy Snyder, Professor of History at Yale, is an expert on 20th Century European history, and has written extensively on pre-war Europe, and the lessons we thought we learned and need to heed from World War II. It was meant to frighten and awaken us to the terrible truths unleashed in the 20th century. When this book originally emerged in 2017, many worried that authoritarianism was at our doorstep, despite recent and terrible lessons from the 20th century. On Tyranny has been cited–and cherished–by countless journalists and thought leaders as diverse as Hillary Clinton, Rachel Maddow, and Ken Burns.

On Tyranny’s slight size is deceptive in its power: Snyder’s handbook offers us 20 powerful steps to preserve our freedom, to activate for change, and to look menacing threats to our democracy squarely in the eye as individuals with agency, and power to participate in social resistance. Snyder and artist Nora Krug have made a graphic illustrated edition, to amplify the urgent message from the earlier edition.

Of the countless books that emerged from the Trump years, one of the great standouts is Timothy Snyder’s slim pocketbook, On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century. Support authors and local bookstores by purchasing a copy of On Tyranny Graphic Edition: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century from Skylight Books here.

Nora krug on tyranny