How Tyrants Fall: And How Nations Survive
How Tyrants Fall can be bought from your local bookshop or online. If you prefer, audiobooks and electronic books are available, too. Here are some options:
Praise & Translations
AN ECONOMIST BEST BOOK OF 2024
'Thought-provoking' THE ECONOMIST
'Compelling' FINANCIAL TIMES
'Entertaining' DAILY TELEGRAPH
How Tyrants Fall is being translated into Czech, Italian, Polish, Ukrainian, Portuguese (Portugal), Japanese, Korean, Lithuanian, Slovak, Romanian, Hebrew, Turkish, Greek, Portuguese (Brazil) and German. You can find some of the translated editions below.
Reviews
Among others, the book has been reviewed by The Economist, The Financial Times, The Guardian, The Independent and The Times Literary Supplement. It has also been mentioned by The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times. Here’s what people had to say about the book:
In How Tyrants Fall, Marcel Dirsus exposes the precarious reality behind the façade of the dictator's absolute power. With keen insight and gripping narrative, Dirsus reveals how the very strategies tyrants use to stay in control sow the seeds of their ultimate downfall. 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
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
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.
Professor Erica Frantz, Michigan State University
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 at the American Enterprise Institute
How Tyrants Fall is 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
Timely, authoritative and accessible ... Essential reading.
Professor Nic Cheeseman, University of Birmingham