How Tyrants Fall - by Marcel Dirsus (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

'Thought-provoking, vivid and often entertaining' DAILY TELEGRAPH

'Compelling' FINANCIAL TIMES

'Thought-provoking' THE ECONOMIST

'Gripping . . . Essential and captivating' BRADLEY HOPE

HOW DO WE END TYRANNY?

Tyrants seem invincible, but they face constant threats from all sides. Whether it's by members of their inner circle, military elites, alienated masses, assassins, revolutionaries, or simply old age - they always fall. And when they do, they cannot retire: they face exile, prison or death. The aftermath can be catastrophic.

Meeting with improbable coup plotters, intelligence officers, rebel commanders and fugitive dissidents, Dr Marcel Dirsus draws on extraordinary interviews to unpick the vulnerabilities of the world's strongmen.How Tyrants Fall is an essential guide to decapitating tyranny, and a warning of what happens if we do.

Review Quotes

[Dirsus] wears his research lightly and ranges widely, lathering his dark material with a bright impasto of playful irony--Guardian

A compelling and intricate portrait of how dictators survive and how they fall. Grounded in the latest research, it uses colourful real-world experiences to shed light on the central tensions underlying the reign of today's tyrants . . . How Tyrants Fall expertly captures the complex nature of strongman rule--Erica Frantz, Associate Professor of Political Science, Michigan State University

A fascinating, wide-ranging and highly-entertaining journey--Peter Geoghegan, bestselling author of DEMOCRACY FOR SALE

A smart, accessible, engaging reminder of the brittleness of tyrannical regimes. It is also a resource for policies that can weaken those repressive governments and prevent chaos in their aftermath. We in the West have lost confidence in the university of our political values; this excellent book ought to restore our commitment to advancing those values--Kori Schake, Director of Foreign and Defense Policy, American Enterprise Institute

A timely and engaging romp through the world of dictators, exploring how they survive, how they fall, and what comes next when they collapse. A joy to read!--Joseph Wright, Professor of Political Science, Pennsylvania State University

Compelling--Financial Times

Entertaining . . . Thought-provoking-- Daily Telegraph

Fascinating, sweeping, and jaw-dropping. Dirsus takes everything you think you know about dictators and turns it on its head, with provocative insights into the warped minds of despots and the twisted systems that keep them on top. With dazzling stories and convincing analysis, How Tyrants Fall provides a roadmap to a world with fewer Putins and Kim Jong-Uns--Brian Klaas, author of CORRUPTIBLE

Gripping . . . An essential and captivating look at the perils of authoritarian rule and the remarkable ways in which even the most ruthless despots can be toppled--Bradley Hope, co-author of BILLION DOLLAR WHALE

Thought-provoking--The Economist

Thought-provoking, vivid and often entertaining--Daily Telegraph, Paperback Picks

Timely, authoritative and accessible . . . Essential reading--Nic Cheeseman, Professor of Democracy and International Development, University of Birmingham

A sparkling read full of original observations and captivating insights. This handbook on the vulnerability of tyrants is an important contribution to our political discourse at a time when democracy is once again competing against the lure of autocracy--Katja Hoyer, author of BEYOND THE WALL

A fascinating, wide-ranging and highly-entertaining journey--Peter Geoghegan, bestselling author of DEMOCRACY FOR SALE

The political scientist's rigorously researched book offers fascinating insight into the rise - and then inevitable fall - of dictators . . . a much-needed look at how tyranny ends--The i Paper

About the Author

Marcel Dirsus studied at Oxford and worked in the Democratic Republic of Congo during a failed coup in 2013. In addition to writing the politics newsletter The Hundred, Dirsus has advised major foundations and international organisations like NATO and the OECD. You can find him at marceldirsus.com and @marceldirsus on Twitter.