Autocracy, totalitarianism and dictatorship Books

Book SynopsisShort stories and poems by Rudolf Dobias ("the Slovak Solzhenitsyn") based on his experience of persecution in communist Czechoslovakia.

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Book SynopsisThe study of dictatorship in the West has acquired an almost exotic dimension. But authoritarian regimes remain a painful reality for billions of people worldwide who still live under them, their freedoms violated, and their rights abused. They are subject to arbitrary arrest, torture, corruption, ignorance, and injustice. What is the nature of dictatorship? How does it take hold? In what conditions and circumstances is it permitted to thrive? And how do dictators retain power, even when reviled and mocked by those they govern? In this deeply considered and at times provocative short work, Alaa Al Aswany tells us that, as with any disease, to understand the syndrome of dictatorship we must first consider the circumstances of its emergence, along with the symptoms and complications it causes in both the people and the dictator.

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Book SynopsisHitler's tyranny is still difficult to understand today. In this book, Ralf Georg Reuth examines ten aspects of this catastrophe. Among other things, he asks: Was anti-Semitism more pronounced in Germany than elsewhere? Was Versailles responsible for Hitler's rise, and why did the Germans follow a racial fanatic like him? How did his war differ from all others before it? The disturbing answers provide an overall picture that shows: Hitler was not just the consequence of German history, but the result of chance, deception, and seduction. This thought-provoking new study takes aim at several of the 'sacred cows' of Hitler scholarship from the past forty years. Reuth interrogates and challenges a range of orthodox views on such topics as how mainstream politicians facilitated Hitler's rise to power, the Fuhrer's infamous pact with Stalin, and the complicity of ordinary Germans in his genocidal tyranny. Eschewing a conventional chronological approach in favour of a forensic analysis of Adolf Hitler's mainsprings of action both as chancellor and military commander, Reuth portrays Hitler as the apotheosis of a specifically German strain of militarism and imperialism, shifting the focus firmly back on to the mindset and modus operandi of Hitler himself. The portrait that emerges is one of a murderous fantasist and political opportunist driven by an all-embracing ideology of racial superiority. Reuth's account courts controversy on a few points but offers a fascinating counterpoint to much recent scholarship.Trade Review‘An urgent reminder of what happened the last time the world mistook a psychotic warmonger for a rational, power-hungry politician.’ James Hawes, author of The Shortest History of Germany; ‘...provides an intriguing perspective on Hitler from one of Germany's foremost experts on the subject.’ Brendan Simms, author of Hitler's American Gamble

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Book SynopsisA techno-fiction novel on the uneasy desire for anti-rationalist ideas on the internet.Taking off along the grotesque evolutionary curve of the internet, this novel by Mochu brings together Japanese otaku subcultures, Hindu mythology, darknet highways, ultraviolent cyberpunk forums, and renegade university departments to forge a transnational narrative that trips through the incompatible fantasies of rationality and civilization, with wormholes through ancient tales, recent cinema, plain-wrong art histories, and pirated philosophical reflections. The novel opens with a case of abduction in India. The operations of a far-right publishing house are interrupted by extraterrestrial influences with political intent. The attack on a science-fiction writer at a beach in Goa seems connected to a bot-propelled puzzle revolving around the defacement of Medieval temple relics elsewhere. A detective specialized in interstellar sociology finds clues that point to a transgalactic anarchist group with ties to online Posadist forums, while Eurasian political theory circulates as noise-objects in Goa’s beachside clubs. Meanwhile, occultist explorers in the sci-fi writer’s story find that the legendary homeland for Hinduism in the Arctic has become infested by “Gradients of Hegelian Unhappiness” by way of an invasive subzero entity buried in deep snow. The detective’s investigations eventually turn metaphysical, settling on impossible solutions spanning the far reaches of outer space.Reactionary behavior on the internet, having spawned numerous retroactive origin stories for itself, takes on a tentacular presence across diverse political spectrums, time periods, and cultural contexts, giving the impression of a vast and tangled entity with distributed intelligence. Fatally fused by a common hatred for the legacies of the Enlightenment, popular manifestations go by terms like “alt-right” and “neo-reaction,” powered by nerdy forums and blog posts across the web. Stationing conspiracy theory itself as the central form of thinking, acting, and concept-making in the twenty-first century, Bezoar Delinqxenz is a mixtape simulation of these entanglements at the borderlands of fiction, insanity, and political emancipation.

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Book SynopsisOffers a unique perspective on far right neo-Nazism viewing it as a new form of Western religious heresyTrade ReviewExcellent book provides a lucid and often chilling guide. * Journal of European Studies *Presents a troubling picture of the mindset of the modern Far Right. * Library Journal *[An] important work. * Philadelphia Inquirer *Anyone who remembers the devastation wrought by Nazi fanaticism can only be astonished and dismayed by this book. Who could have foreseen that half a century after the defeat of the Third Reich the Jews would once again be perceived as a demonic power intent on destroying the & Aryan race, or that Hitler would be imagined as a divine being who is about to return to earth to complete the Holocaust? For the matter, who could have foreseen that the preposterous & pagan cult developed by Heinrich Himmler would ever be revived? Nicholas Goodrick-Clarke shows not only that these things have indeed happened but how and why they have happened. He also suggests what dangers they may portend. Black Sun is both an enthralling and a deeply disturbing work. It deserves the most serious attention and a wide readership. -- Norman Cohn,author of The Pursuit of the Millennium and Warrant for GenocideNicholas Goodrick-Clarke has done pioneering work in the field of the occult roots of Nazism. In the present volume he performs the same invaluable service with regard to the ideological fantasies of post war neofascism. -- Walter Laqueur

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Book SynopsisThe fascinating history of how the antifascist movement of the 1930s created “the left” as we know it todayTrade Review“This stimulating and insightful volume is the first global and transnational history of antifascism during the mid-1930s. The author’s linguistic abilities and historiographical acumen have created a vital book on the subject.”—Michael Seidman, author of Transatlantic Antifascisms“In stunning prose, Joseph Fronczak re-creates the extraordinary birth of the modern left, speaking across generations to our own time.”—Beverly Gage, Yale University“Elegantly written and meticulously researched, Everything Is Possible is one of those rare books that has the boldness to assert what was in front of our faces the whole time.”—Christopher Vials, author of Haunted by Hitler“Fronczak gives fascism content again, examining it as a practice, a perspective that can help us understand the present and past. He reveals a global fascist network, beyond Europe and Japan, and American participation in it. An extremely valuable historical interpretation.”—Linda Gordon, New York University“Carefully documented and limpidly written, Joseph Fronczak’s book is much more than a magisterial history of antifascism as a global movement; it is a critical and inspiring insight into the identity of the Left. A timely meditation.”—Enzo Traverso, author of Revolution

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Book SynopsisWhat does it mean when a radical understanding of National Socialism is inextricably embedded in the work of the twentieth century’s most important philosopher?Trade Review“[An] informed, richly documented study. . . . A timely reminder of the value of those social democratic and liberal traditions.”—Steven Aschheim, Times Literary Supplement“Combines close readings of Heidegger’s key writings with a rich cultural, literary and political history. . . . Wolin’s evidence-based work is its own riposte to the ludic mythomania of the philosopher’s political fanboys.”—Lyndsey Stonebridge, New Statesman“A timely work of enduring importance.”—Jeffrey Herf, Quillette“Wolin raises the discussion concerning Heidegger’s proximity to National Socialism to a new level. . . . Taken as a whole, [Wolin’s] volume is impressive for its thoroughgoing, source-related approach . . . as well as its detailed and profound knowledge of German intellectual and cultural history.”—Lukas Bormann, Zeitschrift für Religions- und Geistesgeschichte“One of Richard Wolin’s merits is that he does not fear the Heidegger apology industry. Instead, we receive an extremely convincing ‘accident report’ on a ‘Philosophy in Ruins,’ an analysis of the entire work. . . . Heidegger’s National Socialism was not external and temporary. His apocalyptic philosophical self-understanding speaks for itself.”—Fredrik Agell, Dagens Nyheter (Stockholm)“Heidegger in Ruins is an uncompromising and incisive reassessment of Heidegger’s philosophy. Wolin convincingly demonstrates that he differed from his ideological competitors only in his more radical vision of a racial elect. Today, Heideggerianism survives in a variety of contemporary new right thinkers from Moscow to Charlottesville.”—Anson Rabinbach, Princeton University“For three decades, Richard Wolin has battled strong headwinds to demonstrate the links between Heidegger’s vile politics and his sublime philosophy. Wolin’s latest effort shows that the winds have shifted and the mighty fortress built by Heidegger and his defenders has been blown away.”—Martin Jay, author of Genesis and Validity“Richard Wolin’s detailed and powerful analysis will be a widely read and widely discussed contribution to the debate over Heidegger and Nazism.”—Alan E. Steinweis, author of Studying the Jew: Scholarly Antisemitism in Nazi Germany

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Book SynopsisStories of transnational terror and justice illuminate the past and present of South America’s struggles for human rights.Trade Review“[A] vital two-part study. . . . [Lessa’s] painstaking work on Plan Condor and Latin America’s state criminality is both admirable and important.”—Miranda France, Times Literary Supplement“Accessible despite its legal components, the book sheds light on the struggle for justice and human rights in South America. As our reviewer rightly praises, Lessa usefully anchors the book in its Latin American context, and away from historiographic preoccupations with the US role.”—Mariana Vieira, International Affairs Blog“This book is a homage to the remarkable efforts of many individuals outraged by these crimes to bring the perpetrators to justice.”—Gavin O’Toole, Latin American Review of Books“The level of detail Lessa provides . . . is, simply put, astounding. And her especially insightful treatment of justice seekers . . . who spearheaded innovative legal strategies to hold perpetrators accountable speaks to the text’s deeper stakes.”—Max Counter, Journal of Latin American Geography“The sophistication of Lessa’s interdisciplinary method shines through in the book’s detailed content and nuanced arguments.”—Alison J. Bruey, H-Net Network on Latin American HistoryHonorable Mention received for the Bryce Wood Book Award, sponsored by the Latin American Studies AssociationWinner of the 2023 Juan E. Méndez Book Award for Human Rights in Latin America, sponsored by the Duke Human Rights Center at the Franklin Humanities Institute“Lessa’s exploration of transnational repression in 1970s South America could not be more current in these days of resurgent authoritarianism. Her analysis of the Condor period is groundbreaking and documents both the human rights crimes and the efforts of international ‘justice seekers’ to breach—eventually—the dictatorships’s impunity.”—John Dinges, author of Hunting Enemies Abroad“There is no other book that combines a decade of research on Operation Condor and transnational repression by the South American military regimes with synthesis of the literature on efforts to achieve accountability for human rights violations and analysis of the prosecutions in Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, and Italy.”—Brian Loveman, San Diego State University“This gripping account of Operation Condor breaks important new ground in our understanding of complex justice processes for grave human rights violations. Lessa’s analysis of ‘justice seekers’ highlights the central role of victims in transitional and transnational justice processes. Most importantly, she centers the deeply moving stories of the victims of Operation Condor, whose lives were forever altered by transnational state terror.”—Jo-Marie Burt, George Mason University

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Book SynopsisUnder the dictatorships of the twentieth century, music never ceased to sound. Even when they did not impose aesthetic standards, these regimes tended to favour certain kinds of art music such as occasional works for commemorations or celebrations, symphonic poems, cantatas and choral settings. In the same way, composers who were more or less ideologically close to the regime wrote pieces of music on their own initiative, which amounted to a support of the political order. This book presents ten studies focusing on music inspired and promoted by regimes such as Nazi Germany, Fascist Italy, France under Vichy, the USSR and its satellites, Franco's Spain, Salazar's Portugal, Maoist China, and Latin-American dictatorships. By discussing the musical works themselves, whether they were conceived as ways to provide music for the people, to personally honour the dictator, or to participate in State commemorations of glorious historical events, the book examines the relationship betwTrade Review'Ten fascinating narratives are presented here about the function of state music in a wider range of twentieth-century dictatorships. An international roster of distinguished authors ensures the most detailed study of this subject thus far. This unique volume clarifies how music was used to present the public face of state sanctioned propaganda.' - Patricia Hall, University of Michigan, USA'These essays, surveying musical works that span five decades and three continents, shed light on creations generally overlooked by virtue of their being "tainted" because they were commissioned by dictatorships. Instead of shunning these works, the essays explore the complex interactions of the state, the composers, and the public and offer new paths toward dissecting notions of creative autonomy in the twentieth century.' - Pamela Potter, University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA"Composing for the State [offers] ten case studies grounded in original research on the subject of music and twentieth-century dictatorships. Geographically, the scope is also wider, encompassing work not just on Europe but also on Latin America and China. And yet, its central question is not too far removed from Riley and Smith’s: How do we understand music commissioned by the state when that state is a dictatorship? In their introduction, the editors usefully suggest that these compositions should not simply be written off as propaganda. Instead, we should explore them, their genesis, and their reception both to enrich our comprehension of cultural life and net-works under dictatorships and, more broadly, to investigate further music’s role in the construction and perseverance of such political regimes." - Anthony J. Steinholff, Université du Québec à Montréal, Canada"...the chapters in this collection help to set the record straight about the relationship between music and politics in an admirable number of contexts." -Lindsay Carter, University of Bristol"While many readers will wish to consult this book for its rather specialist case studies (aided by the detailed index), the most pertinent of the chapters here raise questions that can be traced across decades of scholarship. Buch’s and Frolova-Walker’s chapters stand out as particularly urgent contributions, raising questions that help to show the potential scope of this area of enquiry. " -Daniel Elphick, Oxford Academic'Ten fascinating narratives are presented here about the function of state music in a wider range of twentieth-century dictatorships. An international roster of distinguished authors ensures the most detailed study of this subject thus far. This unique volume clarifies how music was used to present the public face of state sanctioned propaganda.' - Patricia Hall, University of Michigan, USA'These essays, surveying musical works that span five decades and three continents, shed light on creations generally overlooked by virtue of their being "tainted" because they were commissioned by dictatorships. Instead of shunning these works, the essays explore the complex interactions of the state, the composers, and the public and offer new paths toward dissecting notions of creative autonomy in the twentieth century.' - Pamela Potter, University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA"...the chapters in this collection help to set the record straight about the relationship between music and politics in an admirable number of contexts." -Lindsay Carter, University of BristolTable of ContentsEsteban Buch, Igor Contreras Zubillaga and Manuel Deniz Silva – ‘State Music’ and Dictatorship: an IntroductionPart 1: Music for the People1. Yannick Simon Music and the Vichy Regime through Jeune France’s Three Joan-of-Arc Productions (1941)2. Analía Chernavsky The ‘Dança da Terra' Issue’ (1943): Heitor Villa-Lobos and the Vargas Dictatorship3. Hon-lun Yang Unravelling The East Is Red (1964): Socialist Music and Politics in the People’s Republic of ChinaPart 2: Composing for the Dictator4. Katherine L. FitzGibbon (Lewis&Clark College, Portland) – Gottfried Müller’s Deutsches Heldenrequiem (1934): Nazi Ideology Cloaked in Historic Style5. Justine Comtois Alfredo Casella’s Il deserto tentato (1937): an Opera Dedicated to Benito Mussolini6. Marina Frolova-Walker A Birthday Present for Stalin: Shostakovich’s Song of the Forests (1949)7. Andrzej Tuchowski ‘State music’ in Poland under the Stalinist Regime: Alfred Gradstein’s Cantata A Word about Stalin (1951)Part 3: State Commemorations8. Manuel Deniz Silva Salazar’s dictatorship and the paradoxes of State music: Luís Freitas Branco’s ill-fated Solemn Overture 1640 (1939)9. Igor Contreras Zubillaga El Concierto de la Paz (1964): Three Commissions to Celebrate 25 Years of Francoism10. Esteban Buch Conquistadores, Indians, and Argentine Generals: Iubilum op. 51, a Commission to Alberto Ginastera (1980).Index

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Book Synopsis10 years since the eruption of the Arab Spring, El Mustapha Lahlali explores the dialectical relationship between discourse and social change during and post the conflict. In particular, he examines how Arabic public and political discourse shapes and is shaped by the wider social, cultural and political environment.

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"Argentina Betrayed is a powerful book that attempts to parse the constructions and continual reconstructions of the key concepts of trust, trauma, betrayal, memory, accountability, and mourning as analytical tools to understand repressive state violence and its legacy for Argentine society. Antonius C. G. M. Robben is to be commended for his examination of the question of what the legacies of repression portend for Argentine democracy and the future of its political projects." * Jennifer Schirmer, International State Crime Initiative *"Argentina Betrayed is a devastating chronicle of the three decades' aftermath of Argentina's dirty war on a deeply divided and traumatized nation. Antonius C. G. M. Robben argues that the loss of basic trust in state, church, and civil society by survivors, perpetrators, and ordinary citizens, and the failed attempts of post-terror presidents to articulate a shared political and moral narrative of the past events has impeded any pathway to restorative justice. The result is an intolerable state of chaos, multiple truths and falsehoods, moral confusion, and disordered attachment and grief. Robben describes a social world despoiled by a profound sense of betrayal, ontological insecurity, disengagement, and bewilderment that have left permanent scars on individual, social, and political bodies. Each chapter opens a fresh wound via keywords that diagnose a tragedy of Shakespearean proportions." * Nancy Scheper-Hughes, author of Death Without Weeping: The Violence of Everyday Life in Brazil *Table of ContentsList of Abbreviations Introduction. Trust and Betrayal Chapter 1. Trauma Chapter 2. Memory Chapter 3. Testimony Chapter 4. Denial Chapter 5. Sovereignty Chapter 6. Accountability Chapter 7. Guilt Chapter 8. Mourning Conclusion Appendix. Timeline of Argentine Political History Notes Bibliography Index Acknowledgments

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Book SynopsisAn essential guide to electoral authoritarianismthe most widespread, malignant and misunderstood type of dictatorship todayfor scholars and students of politics, policymakers and the public. It challenges existing understandings by demonstrating that elected strongmen attract the genuine support of societies beset by turmoil and dysfunction.Trade Review'Popular Dictators will be a definitive work on electoral authoritarian regimes and the strongmen who rule them. Aleksandar Matovski emphatically portrays mass appeal instead of elite support as the foundation of strongman power, and persuasively traces this mass appeal to the crises and conflicts that preceded strongman rule and discredited these authoritarian regimes' predecessors.' Dan Slater, University of Michigan'Matovski's book makes a fascinating argument – backed by impressive evidence from Russia and around the globe – that a 'strongman appeal' born of national crisis is often more important than actual repression in keeping authoritarian regimes stable. Engagingly written, it is bound to be an important reference point on the subject for years to come.' Henry E. Hale, Professor of Political Science and International Affairs, George Washington University'Aleksandar Matovski has written a timely and compelling account of electoral authoritarianism – one of democracy's greatest nemeses today. Animated by sweeping and original analysis, this book provides unique insight into how elected strongmen like Vladimir Putin maintain power by exploiting crises and the anxieties of their populations. A must read of all those interested in autocratic resilience.' Michael McFaul, Professor of Political Science, Stanford University and Former US Ambassador to Russia'… ambitious and innovative … Matovski's approach draws attention to the different origins of electoral authoritarianism, suggesting the relevance of a specific context (of systemic crisis) and the different preferences such context endangers in societies' Gulnaz Sharafutdinova, Perspectives on Politics'Matovski's crisis legitimation paradox offers an explanation not only for why electoral authoritarian regimes tip over into full authoritarianism but also the timing in which it may occur. This insight is particularly timely in light of the dramatic rise in domestic and international aggression by Russia, the book's primary case: Matovski's argument implies that Russia's invasion of Ukraine can be seen, at least in part, as an attempt to manufacture crisis in the midst of domestic 'strongman fatigue.' Matovski weaves a compelling story that situates the interaction of societal crises and popular appeal in the study of contemporary authoritarianism. In doing so, Popular Dictatorships makes a meaningful contribution to scholarly understanding of the rise and durability (and lack thereof) of electoral authoritarian regimes - 'the most significant threat to global peace and democracy'' Hannah S. Chapman, Political Science QuarterlyTable of Contents1. A 'perfect dictatorship?' The puzzle of electoral authoritarianism; 2. Crises, popular opinion and electoral authoritarianism; 3. Crises, popular opinion and electoral authoritarianism; 4. The 'strongman' electoral authoritarian appeal: a comparative analysis; 5. Crises, popular opinion and the re-alignment of political competition in Russia; 6. Is Russia unique? The strongman heresthetic in comparative perspective; 7. Conclusions and implications; Bibliography; Index.

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Book SynopsisThroughout history, dictators have constructed secret police agencies to neutralize rivals and enforce social order. But the same agencies can become disloyal and threatening. This book explores how eight communist regimes in Cold War Europe confronted this dilemma. Divergent strategies caused differences in regimes of repression, with consequences for social order and political stability. Surviving the shock of Josef Stalin''s death, elites in East Germany and Romania retained control over the secret police. They grew their coercive institutions to effectively suppress dissent via surveillance and targeted repression. Elsewhere, ruling coalitions were thrown into turmoil after Stalin''s death, changing personnel and losing control of the security apparatus. Post-Stalinist transitions led elites to restrict the capacity of the secret police and risk social disorder. Using original empirical analysis that is both rigorous and rich in fascinating detail, Henry Thomson brings new insights into the darkest corners of authoritarian regimes.

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Book SynopsisMost autocrats now hold unfair elections, yet how they compete in them and manipulate them differs greatly. How Autocrats Compete advances a theory that explains variation in electoral authoritarian competition. Using case studies of Tanzania, Cameroon, and Kenya, along with broader comparisons from Africa, it finds that the kind of relationships autocrats foster with supporters and external actors matters greatly during elections. When autocrats can depend on credible ruling parties that provide elites with a level playing field and commit to wider constituencies, they are more certain in their own support and can compete in elections with less manipulation. Shelter from international pressure further helps autocrats deploy a wider range of coercive tools when necessary. Combining in-depth field research, within-case statistics, and cross-regional comparisons, Morse fills a gap in the literature by focusing on important variation in authoritarian institution building and internationalTrade Review'Why do some authoritarian regimes enjoy genuine electoral support, while others resort to electoral manipulation and repression to stay in power? In this sophisticated analysis of contemporary authoritarian regimes, Yonatan L. Morse attributes variation in autocrats' electoral strategies to both the legacies of institution building and to the nature of international patronage. Morse's account is rich in nuance and firmly rooted in African politics, yet provides generalizable lessons that will be of interest to scholars of comparative politics and international relations alike.' Daniela Donno, University of Pittsburgh'Yonatan L. Morse's book is an excellent contribution to the study of electoral authoritarian regimes. Grounded in a deep knowledge of contrasting cases such as Cameroon and Tanzania, the book focuses on the internal workings of ruling parties to provide new insights on how autocrats manage to hold onto power in some countries without having to resort to violence and fraud during elections.' Leonardo R. Arriola, Director of the Center for African Studies, University of California, Berkeley'This ambitious, imaginative and well written book has a great deal to tell us about how authoritarians give themselves an unfair electoral advantage - and so keep themselves in power - in Africa. We need to understand that authoritarians have gone from refusing to hold elections to finding new ways to rig them, and this book provides essential insights about how and why this has happened.' Nic Cheeseman, University of Birmingham and author of How to Rig an Election'This book makes an impressive theoretical and empirical contribution, helping to move research on electoral authoritarianism beyond questions of durability and stability to a new question: how such regimes compete.' Susan Dodsworth, Democratization'Yonatan Morse's book is a must read for anyone interested in autocratic institutions or African political parties. It is a welcome qualitative analysis of autocratic parties that offers an in depth look at opaque organizations that nonetheless have had profound impacts on the political trajectories of the regimes they serve.' Natalie Wenzell Letsa, Perspectives on Politics'… a major contribution to the literature on authoritarian politics.' Michaela Collord, Political Science QuarterlyTable of Contents1. The puzzle of electoral authoritarian competition; 2. Ruling parties, international patrons, and electoral authoritarian competition; 3. Electoral authoritarian competition and the African experience; 4. The origins and structure of ruling parties in Tanzania, Cameroon, and Kenya; 5. Ruling party credibility and the management of elite competition; 6. Ruling party credibility and the sources of voter support; 7. The electoral consequences of international patronage; 8. Authoritarian competition in Africa's former single-party regimes; Conclusions. The comparative study of electoral authoritarianism; Appendix I. Electoral authoritarian competition in Africa; Appendix II. Typological theory coding and scores.

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Book SynopsisContributors: Anne Applebaum, Anne-Marie Brady, Alexander Cooley, Javier Corrales, Ron Deibert, Larry Diamond, Patrick Merloe, Abbas Milani, Andrew Nathan, Marc F. Plattner, Peter Pomerantsev, Douglas Rutzen, Lilia Shevtsova, Alex Vatanka, Christopher Walker, and Frederic WehreyTrade ReviewThe contributions of this volume are good, and the book as whole represents a solid primer on this new, more authoritarian, world order.—International Studies ReviewTable of ContentsAcknowledgmentsIntroductionPart I: The Authoritarian "Big Five"Chapter 1. China's ChallengeChapter 2. Forward to the Past in RussiaChapter 3. Iran's Paradoxical RegimeChapter 4. Iran AbroadChapter 5. Autocratic Legalism in VenezuelaChapter 6. Saudi Arabia's Anxious AutocratsPart II: Arenas of "Soft-Power" CompetitionChapter 7. Countering Democratic NormsChapter 8. Election Monitoring vs. DisinformationChapter 9. The Leninist Roots of Civil Society RepressionChapter 10. Civil Society Under AssaultChapter 11. The Kremlin's Information WarChapter 12. China's Foreign Propaganda MachineChapter 13. Cyberspace Under SiegeChapter 14. Dealing with the Authoritarian ResurgenceAbout the AuthorsIndex

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Book SynopsisWith keen and original insight, Vox journalist Zack Beauchamp traces how a reactionary antidemocratic ethos born and bred in America has come to infect democracies around the worldThere is a fundamental contradiction at the heart of American politics that has endured since our nation''s birth. The defining ideals of democracy and liberty for everyone have always existed uneasily alongside realities of slavery, widespread disenfranchisement, and other grave impediments to true democracy. How has this paradox survived for so long in the face of America''s foundational claim of liberty and justice for all?In The Reactionary Spirit, Zack Beauchamp explains that this tension is in fact an example of a phenomenon intrinsic to the project of democracy, what he calls the reactionary spirit: as strides towards true democracy are made, there is always a faction that reacts by seeking to undermine them and thereby resist change. The adoption of democratic r

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Book SynopsisDuring the Nazi regime in Germany, all police forces were centralised under the command of Reichsführer-SS Heinrich Himmler. The political police (Gestapo), the criminal police (Kripo), and the security service (SD) were all brought together under the RSHA umbrella in 1939, commanded by SS-General Reinhard Heydrich. Using RSHA in Berlin as the centre, the web of Heydrich’s control extended into every corner of Nazi-occupied Europe. British and American intelligence agencies tried to get to grips with RSHA departments at the end of the war, knowing who was who and what they did, relying on what captured RSHA personnel told them along with intercepted documentation. To provide Allied intelligence officers in the field with accurate knowledge, the Counter Intelligence War Room (CIWR) was established to provide this information and list further Gestapo, Kripo, SD, and Abwehr officials to be arrested and interrogated. The informative CIWR reports used here give a precise examination of the RSHA by department, some detailing how Nazi jealousies and rivalries were more helpful to the Allied war effort than the Nazi cause - a portrayal of how Nazi Intelligence agencies went wrong.Table of ContentsAcknowledgements; List of Ranks; List of Abbreviations; Introduction;; 1 Liquidation Reports Nos 1 and 2: Amter I and II of the RSHA; 2 Situation Report No 3—Amt III of the RSHA; 3 Situation Report No 4: Amt IV of the RSHA; 4 Organisation of the German Police (up to 1938); 5 Liquidation Report No 6: Amt VI of the RSHA—Gruppe VI A; 6 Liquidation Report No 7: Amt VI of the RSHA—Gruppe VI B; 7 Situation Report No 8: Amt VI of the RSHA—Gruppe VI C; 8 Situation Report No 9: Amt VI of the RSHA—Gruppe VI D; 9 Situation Report No 10: Amt VI of the RSHA—Gruppe VI E; 10 Situation Report No 11: Amt VI of the RSHA—Gruppe VI F; 11 Liquidation Report No 12: Amt VI of the RSHA—Gruppe VI G; 12 RSHA Gruppe VI S; 13 Situation Report No 21: Amt VI of the RSHA—Gruppe VI Wi; (Wirtschaft); 14 RSHA VI Z; 15 Liquidation Report No 23: Amt VII of the RSHA; 16 RSHA Amt N; 17 Training Schools of the Sicherheitspolizei and the Sicherheitsdienst; 18 Liquidation Report No 26: RSHA Militarisches Amt; 19 Situation Report No 27: RSHA Mil Amt A; 20 Situation Report No 28: RSHA Mil Amt B; 21 Situation Report No 29: RSHA Mil Amt C; 22 Liquidation Report No 30: RSHA Mil Amt D; 23 Liquidation Report No 31: RSHA Mil Amt E; 24 Liquidation Report No 32: RSHA Mil Amt F; 25 Liquidation Report No 34: RSHA Mil Amt i; Suggested Reading about RSHA.

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Book SynopsisWhy do tyrants - of all people - often have poetic aspirations? Where do terror and prose meet? This book contains nine case studies that compare the cultural history of totalitarian regimes. The essays focus not on the arts, literature or architecture but on the phenomenon that many of history's great despots considered themselves talented writers. By studying the artistic ambitions of Nero, Mussolini, Stalin, Hitler, Mao Zedong, Kim Il-sung, Gaddafi, Saddam Hussein, Saparmurat Niyazov and Radovan Karadzic, the authors explore the complicated relationship between poetry and political violence, and provide a fascinating look at the aesthetic dimensions of total power. The essays make an important contribution to a number of fields: the study of totalitarian regimes, cultural studies, and biographies of 20th century leaders. They underscore the frequent correlation between tyrannical governance and an excessive passion for language, and demonstrate that the combination of artistic and political charisma is often effective in the quest for absolute power.Table of ContentsIntroduction Albrecht Koschorke and Konstantin Kaminskij The Tyrant with his Back to the Wall: Nero’s Artistic Self-Expansion Ulrich Gotter Benito Mussolini: “Babeuf” (1902) Poetry and Tyranny: The Case of Benito Mussolini Richard Bosworth Joseph Stalin: “Over this Land” (1895) Stalin’s Writing: From the Romantic Poetry of the Future to the Socialist Realist Prose of the Past Evgeny Dobrenko Adolf Hitler: Excerpt from “My Struggle” (1924) Ideology in Execution: On Hitler’s “Mein Kampf” Albrecht Koschorke Kim Il-sung: “Poem Dedicated to Comrade Kim Jong-il in His 50 th Birthday” (1992) Dead Father’s Living Body: Kim Il-sung’s Seed theory and the North Korean Arts Suk-Young Kim Mao Zedong: “Snow” (1936) Mao Zedong’s Poetry: Form as Statement Karl-Heinz Pohl Muammar al-Gaddafi: Excerpt from “Escape to Hell” (1993) A Poor Despot Descends to Hell: On the Writing and Thinking Styles of Muammar al-Gaddafi Heiner Lohmann Saddam Hussein: “Unbind it” (2007) The Principle of Single-Handed Tyranny: On Saddam Hussein’s Literary Works Burkhard Müller Saparmyrat Niyazov: “You are a Turkman” (2001) ŰSaparmurat Niyazov’s “Ruhnama”: The Invention of Turkmenistan Riccardo Nicolosi Radovan Karadžić: “Sarajevo” (1971) “Nothing is Forbidden in my Faith”: The Metamorphoses of Radovan Karadžić Slavoj Žižek References List of Contributors

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Book SynopsisWinner of the 2023 Marc Raeff Book Prize; A 2023 REFORC Book Award Longlist TitleThis book highlights the main features and trends of Russian “political” thought in an era when sovereignty, state, and politics, as understood in Western Christendom, were non-existent in Russia, or were only beginning to be articulated. It concentrates on enigmatic authors and sources that shaped official perception of rulership, or marked certain changes of importance of this perception. Special emphasis is given to those written and visual sources that point towards depersonalization and secularization of rulership in Russia. A comparison with Western Christendom frames the argument throughout the book, both in terms of ideas and the practical aspects of state-building, allowing the reader to ponder Russia’s differentia specifica.Trade Review“The book by Endre Sashalmi… is an erudite and thoughtful exploration of Russian thinking on the nature of power, authority, and self-determination over the period of some two and a half centuries that culminated in the era of Peter the Great. The book is based on a wide array of primary sources and provides an indispensable survey of Western and Russian historiography. Steeped in comparative and contextual methodology, the book offers an impressive synthesis of trajectories of the understanding of state and sovereignty in the West and in early modern Russia. … This book makes an important contribution to the growing body of research on the history of political ideas and political language in early modern Russia, rather than yet another survey of Russian political thought. While eschewing a conventional pre- and post-Petrine divide, Sashalmi offers a much-needed prequel to works on the eighteenth century, especially those by scholars associated with the recently shuttered German Historical Institute in Moscow.”— Olga Tsapina, Ab Imperio"E. Sashalmi has chosen a fascinating subject, and he has shown all its richness in a long term perspective, as well as its current relevance." — Pierre Gonneau, Revue des études slaves (translated from the French)“Russia Notions of Power and State meticulously reconstructs medieval and early modern sources to provide a coherent account of the Russian state and power that is shown to be different from European concepts and unique to Russian civilization. It helps explain why the rule of law is arbitrarily applied in Russia, why territorial integrity is considered so vital to Russian national interests, and why Russian rulers are not just leaders but embody the state itself in the person and actions. For those interested in what makes the Russian state distinctive and different from its western counterparts, Russian Notions of Power and State provides a clear picture why and helps us better understand Russian action and strategy in our increasingly fractured and contentious world.”— Lee Trepanier, VoegelinView“Sashalmi’s book gives a comprehensive analysis of the Russian notions of power and state, and provides critical analyses of the terminologies used by Western scholars. It is a valuable resource for academicians, researchers and students who study the history of the Russian state structure.”— Ayse Dietrich, International Journal of Russian Studies“[T]he book under review by a leading Hungarian specialist on medieval and Petrine Russian history has many insights to offer. … Although written by a civilian rather than a legal historian, this is a volume that belongs in an advanced international law collection.”— William E. Butler, Jus Gentium (Vol. 8, No. 1)“Sashalmi’s work meticulously chronicles the genesis and evolution of Russia’s modern state, and the notions behind its meaning and power—becoming an essential reference point for scholars of the long eighteenth century.” — ECRSA 2023 Marc Raeff Book Prize CommitteeTable of ContentsIntroduction. Explanation of Aims, Genre, and Terminology PART ONE. Russia and Europe: Clarification of Terms and the Problem of the State1. Issues of Methodology, Reception, and the Benefits of a Long-Term Approach 2. Territoriality, the Name, and the Nature of the Polity: From the Principality of Moscow to the Russian Empire3. The Idea of the State in Western Christendom in the Late Middle Ages and the Early Modern Era4. The Role of Metaphors and Allegorical Personifications in the Development of the Concept of the State in Western Christendom5. The Meaning(s) of European Perspective6. The Birth and Meaning of the “Russian State Narrative” 7. The Consequences of the State Narrative: The Discovery of Gosudarstvo by Russian History-Writing8. Sixteenth- and Seventeenth-Century Muscovite Perceptions of Ruling Power: Characteristics and Methodological Aspects of a Comparison with Western Christendom9. The Problem of SamoderzhaviePART TWO. Notions of Power and State in the Context of “Proprietary Dynasticism”: Russia and the Western Perspective10. Richard Pipes’s Patrimonial Interpretation of Russia Reconsidered in the Light of “Proprietary Dynasticism”11. Aspects of Rulership and Their Relation to Each Other in Early Modern Europe and Russia: Proprietary, Office, and Divine Right12. Divine Right of Kings and Divine Right of Tsars: Aspects and Lessons of a ComparisonPART THREE. The Origins of Theory of Law and State in the Works of Feofan Prokopovich: An Intellectual from the Kievan Nest in the Service of Peter the Great13. Turning Points in the Life of Feofan Prokopovich, and His Most Important Political Works14. Preliminary Notes on Prokopovich’s Theory of Law and State15. Power, State, Law, Sovereignty, and Contractualism in Feofan Prokopovich’s Writings16. Female Allegorical Personification of Russia during the Reign of Peter the Great and His Successors: Visual and Written Sources, and the Notion of StateEpilogue: The Importance of Gosudarstvennost′ in Contemporary RussiaBibliographyIndex

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Book SynopsisPost-Soviet Russia in the 1990s saw a surge in civic participation. The traditional power structure officially relinquished control of political rhetoric and a nascent civil society had begun to emerge. Free elections and political partisanship between reformist and conservative elements of Russian society, spurred on by Russia’s economic troubles, gave a “Wild West” tenor to public rhetoric that was reflected in the election campaigns of 1993, 1995, and 1996. In this volume, the authors examine, through a series of contemporaneously written essays, the arc of government rhetoric during the height of media freedom, the quest for a new national identity, and the struggle for self-government.Table of ContentsList of PhotosAcknowledgementsContributorsNote to ReadersAlexander YurievAlexander YurievDedication: Alexander Ivanovich Yuriev (1942–2020)Alexander YurievPrefaceMarilyn Young at a Political Communication ConferenceIntroduction to Volume TwoYeltsin and Gorbachev Part One: Framework for Understanding the Immediate Post-Soviet Political Environment: Ecological Depredation, Economic Challenges, the Press, and National IdentityYeltsin Standing on a Tank 1991 A New Day for the Soviet Environment The Former Soviet Union Leaves Environmental Legacy of Shame Review of Environmental Management in the Soviet Union by Philip R. Pryde Russian Scientists Struggle to Survive Review of The Russian Press from Brezhnev to Yeltsin: Behind the Paper Curtain by John Murray Argumentation, Globalization, and the New Nationalism: Implications and New Directions Part Two: Politics and Political Argumentation during the Yeltsin Years Democratization and Cultures of Communication: The Mission of the International Center for the Advancement of Political Communication and Argumentation The Role of Public Argument in Emerging Democracies: A Case Study of the December 12, 1993, Elections in the Russian Federation Analysis of Political Argumentation and Party Campaigning Prior to the 1993 and 1995 State Duma Elections: Lessons Learned and Not Learned Argument and Political Party Formulations: A Continuing Case Study of Democratization in the Russian Federation Russian Electoral Politics and the Search for National Identity Yeltsin Campaign PhotographRunoff Election Sample BallotChoose or Lose: Campaign ButtonChoose or Lose: T-shirt FrontChoose or Lose: T-shirt BackChoose or Lose: Globe and Barbed WireChoose or Lose: Jeans Jacket and Prison Garb Frameworks for Russian Identity: Arguing the Past, Defining the Future Historical Metaphor and the Search for National Identity in Russia Russia’s First Elected President Buries Its Last Czar: Reclaiming Cultural Memory in the Search for National Identity Part Three: Yeltsin’s Multiple Political Profiles (The Three Faces of Boris)Yeltsin as an Autocrat: The “Constitutional Crisis of 1993” as the Beginning of the End of Russian DemocracyShelling of the White HouseShelling of the White HouseShelling of the White House Yeltsin as a Democrat: A Lexical Content Analysis of his Presidential Addresses to the Federal Assembly 1994–1999 Yeltsin as a Man of the People: A Case Study of His Campaign Rhetoric during the 1996 Russian Presidential Election Yeltsin on the Campaign TrailPart Four: Looking Backward, Looking Forward Ten Years of Frustration: Transitional Rhetoric and Democratization in the Russian Federation The Fear of Politics and the Politics of Fear in Russia—Images in the US Media Echoes of Berlin 1989: Post-Soviet Discourse and the Rhetoric of National Unity Foreign Policy Challenges and The Historical “Anchors” of Russian Federation Foreign Policy after September 11, 2001 Alexei SalminInstant Democracy: Rhetorical Crises and the Russian Federation, 1991–2007Yeltsin and Putin in the President’s OfficeAfterwordIndex Bibliography

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Book Synopsis'Clear-eyed and illuminating.’ Henry Kissinger, former Secretary of State and National Security Advisor 'A rich, superbly researched, balanced history of the modern Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.' General David Petraeus, former Commander U.S. Central Command and Director of the Central Intelligence Agency ‘Destined to be the best single volume on the Kingdom.’ Ambassador Chas Freeman, former U.S. Ambassador to Saudi Arabia and Assistant Secretary of Defense 'Should be prescribed reading for a new generation of political leaders.' Sir Richard Dearlove, former Chief of H.M. Secret Intelligence Service (MI6) and Master of Pembroke College, Cambridge. Something extraordinary is happening in Saudi Arabia. A traditional, tribal society once known for its lack of tolerance is rapidly implementing significant economic and social reforms. An army of foreign consultants is rewriting the social contract, King Salman has cracked down hard on corruption, and his dynamic though inexperienced son, the Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman, is promoting a more tolerant Islam. But is all this a new vision for Saudi Arabia or merely a mirage likely to dissolve into Iranian-style revolution? David Rundell - one of America’s foremost experts on Saudi Arabia - explains how the country has been stable for so long, why it is less so today, and what is most likely to happen in the future. The book is based on the author's close contacts and intimate knowledge of the country where he spent 15 years living and working as a diplomat. Vision or Mirage demystifies one of the most powerful, but least understood, states in the Middle East and is essential reading for anyone interested in the power dynamics and politics of the Arab World.Trade ReviewA book of staggering breadth and depth. * The Wall Street Journal *Rundell covers the kingdom from top to bottom with vast wisdom, depth and understanding … It provides a superb overview of the kingdom’s political, economic and social landscape, but it goes well beyond that. Rundell explains, clearly and concisely, the special dynamics that drive the kingdom and render it so alien from our own society ... I wish that every United States diplomat, military officer and journalist would read this book before deploying there. I wish that every member of Congress would read it before voting on any measure related to Saudi Arabia. I wish every American pondering the frictions of our long relationship with the Saudis would read it simply to understand. * New York Times Book Review *At once modern and theocratic, reserved and assertive—Saudi Arabia’s paradoxes defy easy comprehension. For those seeking to understand the Kingdom and its role in the world, longtime observer David Rundell has distilled his experience into a clear-eyed and illuminating explanation. -- Henry A. Kissinger‘Excellent… analytically rigorous… exceptional…’ * Financial Times *[T]he author hits all the necessary benchmarks in his assessment of the Kingdom’s development. The book must also be regarded as a great accomplishment in the study of the Kingdom and its new leadership. * Middle East Journal *Vision or Mirage: Saudi Arabia at the Crossroads is a book that will prove incredibly illuminating to the average Westerner, who probably only thinks of sexism, theocracy and oil when he thinks about Saudi Arabia. Rundell uses history, theology, politics, economics and sociology to explain the current complexities and challenges of the Arabian Peninsula’s most dominant nation. -- Russell A Whitestone, Eurasia ReviewVision or Mirage is destined to be the best single volume on the Kingdom. It will be a long time, if ever, before it is bettered. -- Chas Freeman, Former U.S Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Assistant Secretary of Defense, President of the Middle East Policy CouncilSaudi Arabia has always been difficult for outsiders to understand, but it will be much less so now thanks to David Rundell. With insightful analysis of the roles of the ruling family, the tribal structure, the merchant class and the religious leadership, he forges all the pieces into a coherent whole that will enlighten specialists and novices alike. -- Thomas W. Lippman, author of Saudi Arabia on the EdgeA rich, superbly researched, balanced history of the modern Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. David Rundell was one of the State Department’s pre-eminent authorities on Saudi Arabia and the Arab world, one on whom those of us working in the region depended heavily, and this history reflects his decades of experience in the region, his eye for nuance and detail, his deep understanding of the culture and relationships in the kingdom, and his exceptional ability to distill and present all of that brilliantly. -- General David Petraeus, US Army (Ret.), former Commander of the US Central Command and the Coalition Forces in Afghanistan, and former Director of the CIAThis is a rare and important work on Saudi Arabia. Any diplomat, military official, policy maker or businessperson whose portfolio touches the kingdom will make far better decisions for having read it. I had the pleasure of working with Diplomat David Rundell during my service in the KSA. He provided sage advice and observations then, just as he will do for you in this splendid and useful book. -- Ambassador James Oberwetter, Former U.S. Ambassador to Saudi ArabiaDavid Rundell is America’s most knowledgeable diplomat on Saudi Arabia. This book, Vision or Mirage, is a deeply learned and nuanced account of the kingdom’s history, politics and economics. Without illusions or an ideological axe to grind, Rundell offers acute observations about the strengths and weaknesses of the country, based on nearly two decades of having lived and served in Saudi Arabia. He brings the country’s remarkable story up to the present and explains the important transformations taking place under King Salman and his son crown prince Muhammad (MBS) and what is at stake in their success or failure. You will not find a better book on the kingdom. -- Bernard Haykel, Professor of Near East Studies, Princeton University; Co-Author Saudi Arabia in TransitionThe author of this book is "pro-Saudi", and at the same time he is entirely objective. He reconciles direct opposites not by fudging the differences, but by offering us his uniquely deep knowledge of a country and a state that remain poorly documented. This is a very valuable book. -- Edward Luttwak, , Senior Associate at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, Washington D.CWhenever I landed in Jeddah or Riyadh and wanted to discover what was really going on, the ‘man-in-the-sand’ whose expertise I always sought out first was David Rundell, the Quiet American who had the ‘ inside scoop’ on the politics, the business and, above all, the people of the ever-challenging Kingdom — the ‘Rundell Rumble’. Dave was always just back from some oasis or tribe or border territory where secret things were happening, or heading for the desert to pow-wow with the king. So pow-wow now with Dave as his brilliant book generously discloses a lifetime of wisdom and insights that take the reader inside one of the world’s most enigmatic and crucially important of lands. Saudi Arabia? It’s all in here . . . Whenever I landed in Jeddah or Riyadh and wanted to discover what was really going on, the ‘man-in-the-sand’ whose expertise I always sought out first was David Rundell, the Quiet American who had the ‘ inside scoop’ on the politics, the business and, above all, the people of the ever-challenging Kingdom — the ‘Rundell Rumble’. Dave was always just back from some oasis or tribe or border territory where secret things were happening, or heading for the desert to pow-wow with the king. So pow-wow now with Dave as his brilliant book generously discloses a lifetime of wisdom and insights that take the reader inside one of the world’s most enigmatic and crucially important of lands. Saudi Arabia? It’s all in here . . . -- Robert Lacey, author of The Kingdom and Inside the Kingdom‘A thorough historical and contemporary guide to the enigma that is the House of Saud, to its Kingdom and to its latest political intrigues. A great single read on a complex subject, key to understanding the Arab World’s likely evolution. Should be prescribed reading for a new generation of political leaders.’ -- Sir Richard Dearlove, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the University of London; Former Chief of the Secret Intelligence Service (MI6); Former Master of Pembroke College, CambridgeAmidst an array of parabolic pressures ranging from geopolitical forces to economic uncertainty and domestic instability, the House of Saud has long been one of the most powerful families in the Middle East. In spite of this, it faces a number of existential challenges as it moves into the 21st century. Vision or Mirage: Saudi Arabia at the Crossroads offers a fascinating and timely exploration of how the Al Saud dynasty has retained power which is essential in understanding how the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia may evolve in the coming years. -- Simon Mabon Senior Lecturer, Lancaster University; author of Houses Built on Sand, The Origins of ISIS and Saudi Arabia and IranA readable and breezy account of recent developments in Saudi Arabia as well as the author’s interpretation of the transformational and polarizing trends during the last several years. It is a noteworthy contribution to the field. -- J. E. Peterson, historian and political analyst, author of Saudi Arabia Under Ibn Saud and Historical Dictionary of Saudi ArabiaDavid Rundell has more experience in Saudi Arabia than any living American diplomat. I relied upon his experience and insight during my time as ambassador to the Kingdom. Rundell’s eye for detail and meticulous research provide the reader with a compelling story of initial conquest and generations of stability followed by a tectonic rupture in the social contract among the ruler, the royal family, and the population. -- Robert W. Jordan, former U.S. Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Diplomat in Residence, John G. Tower Center at Southern Methodist UniversityThis is a scholarly and expertly crafted practitioner’s account borne of deep familiarity with Saudi Arabia. David Rundell’s remarkable book artfully weaves together the Saudi past and present--deftly analyzing both continuity and change while providing sorely needed context for understanding today’s unprecedented developments. -- Joshua Teitelbaum, Bar-Ilan University, Israel; Visiting Scholar, Center for International and Security Cooperation, Stanford University; Author of Saudi Arabia and the New Strategic LandscapeA very balanced account of what Saudi Arabia got right, which is often overlooked, and the accumulating challenges the country faces today. Carefully researched, it is neither all gloom and doom nor all-praising. -- John Sfakianakis, Fellow of Pembroke College, Cambridge; Co-author of The Saudi Economy in the Twentieth CenturyA most impressive account of the cunning manner in which King Salman is attempting to secure his family’s place in the 21st century by establishing the fourth kingdom through his son Muhammad bin Salman. David Rundell's insights into historical precedents and personal knowledge of the personalities of the individuals involved is compelling and provides a far more credible narrative of Saudi developments since the death of the late Abdullah bin Abd al-Aziz than other current analysis . -- Ambassador Mark G. Hambley, Former American Consul General in Jeddah and Ambassador to Qatar and LebanonTable of ContentsPreface Acknowledgements Introduction Part I: HISTORIC LEGITIMACY Chapter 1: The House of Saud Chapter 2: The Wars of Unification Chapter 3: The Ikhwan Revolt Part II: MANAGING SUCCESSION Chapter 4: Kings Saud and Faisal Chapter 5: Kings Khalid, Fahd, and Abdullah Chapter 6: King Salman and MBS Part III: BALANCING STAKEHOLDERS Chapter 7: The Tribes Chapter 8: The Clergy Chapter 9: The Merchants Chapter 10: The Technocrats Chapter 11: The Royal Family Part IV PROVIDING COMPETENT GOVERNMENT Chapter 12: Providing Internal Security Chapter 13: Promoting Rapid Economic Development Chapter 14: Foreign Policy: Keeping Powerful Friends Chapter 15: Foreign Policy: Deploying Oil and Islam Chapter 16:Promoting Gradual Social Change Part V ADAPTING TO CHANGE Chapter 17: Economic Challenges: Oil Prices, Diversification and Jobs Chapter 18: Security Challenges: Deploying Oil, Allies and Islam Chapter 19: Political Challenges: Pluralism, Corruption, and Participation Chapter 20: Evolving Arabia

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Book SynopsisThere is no better book on fascism's complex and vexed relationship with truth.Jason Stanley, author ofHow Fascism Works: The Politics of Us and Them In this short companion to his bookFrom Fascism to Populism in History, world-renowned historian Federico Finchelstein explains why fascists regarded simple and often hateful lies as truth, and why so many of their followers believed the falsehoods. Throughout the history of the twentieth century, many supporters of fascist ideologies regarded political lies as truth incarnated in their leader. From Hitler to Mussolini, fascist leaders capitalized on lies as the base of their power and popular sovereignty. This history continues in the present, when lies again seem to increasingly replace empirical truth. Now that actual news is presented as fake news and false news becomes government policy,A Brief History of Fascist Lies urges us to remember that the current talk of post-truth has a long political and intellectual lineage that we cannot ignore.Table of ContentsContents Preface to the Paperback Edition Introduction 1. On Fascist Lies 2. Truth and Mythology in the History of Fascism 3. Fascism Incarnate 4. Enemies of the Truth? 5. Truth and Power 6. Revelations 7. The Fascist Unconscious 8. Fascism against Psychoanalysis 9. Democracy and Dictatorship 10. The Forces of Destruction Epilogue: The Populist War against History Acknowledgments Notes Index

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Book SynopsisTrade ReviewHofmann has produced a readable and exceptionally sensible volume on the global production of fascist ideology, which will be of tremendous value for scholars who teach comparative history... Hofmann’s book opens the door to a debate truly worth having in Japanese history circles. * Journal of Japanese Studies *This book is an important addition to the growing body of literature that examines fascism in a transnational context. The author provides an insightful and highly original exploration of the dialogue between Italian Fascism and Japanese political and sociocultural debates of the period. Throughout the work, Reco Hofmann does especially well in highlighting the ambiguities and contradictions in the debate over fascism's applicability to Japan, in particular the tensions between its nationalist and internationalist impulses. * The Historian *Table of ContentsIntroduction1. Mediator of Fascism: Shimoi Harukichi, 1915–19282. The Mussolini Boom, 1928–19313. The Clash of Fascisms, 1931–19374. Imperial Convergence: The Italo- Ethiopian War and Japa nese World- Order Thinking, 1935–19365. Fascism in World History, 1937–1943Epilogue: Fascism after the New World Order, 1943–1952Notes Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisFocusing on Japan, scholars of history, literature, film, art history, and anthropology demonstrate the necessity of understanding fascisms cultural manifestations.Trade Review“So can a volume focused on the cultural aspects of a primarily political concept succeed? Yes, indeed. This book offers a wealth of fresh information on the era of fascism in Japan, ranging from the ‘high road’ of intellectual history and literary studies to more accessible insights on the role of dogs and propaganda lies about Pearl Harbour. . . . [An] excellent study of fascist Japan.” - Lawrence Fouraker, Itinerario“[T]he essays in this collection provide informative perspectives on topics such as literature, film, architectural design, exhibitions and popular culture. . . .” - Roger Brown, Social Science Japan Journal“Alan Tansman deserves tremendous credit for bringing together this multidisciplinary group of scholars to deal with an issue conspicuously neglected by the majority of scholars in Japan studies. . . . The publication of this insightful set of essays in this volume is without question an important contribution to our understanding of a culture of Japanese fascism as a local manifestation of a truly international political and cultural phenomenon.” - Walter Skya, Journal of Japanese Studies“An extremely provocative and stimulating collection of essays, The Culture of Japanese Fascism canvasses a wide array of cultural forms—movies, novels, religious rites, material culture, monuments, and architecture—to show the ways that fascist aesthetics saturated a dispersed cultural field. By focusing on thought and culture, it helps us rethink the turn from modernism to fascism, to understand fascism’s effects on everyday life, and to reconsider the reigning conceptions of fascist ideology.”—Louise Young, author of Japan’s Total Empire: Manchuria and the Culture of Wartime Imperialism“These rich and varied essays provide a fascinating, if unsettling, depiction of the seductive appeal of fascist culture. They also show how much Japan shared with Europe in its aesthetic responses to the crisis of modernity in the interwar years. An important contribution in every respect.”—Carol Gluck, Columbia University“[T]he essays in this collection provide informative perspectives on topics such as literature, film, architectural design, exhibitions and popular culture. . . .” -- Roger Brown * Social Science Japan Journal *“Alan Tansman deserves tremendous credit for bringing together this multidisciplinary group of scholars to deal with an issue conspicuously neglected by the majority of scholars in Japan studies. . . . The publication of this insightful set of essays in this volume is without question an important contribution to our understanding of a culture of Japanese fascism as a local manifestation of a truly international political and cultural phenomenon.” -- Walter Skya * Journal of Japanese Studies *“So can a volume focused on the cultural aspects of a primarily political concept succeed? Yes, indeed. This book offers a wealth of fresh information on the era of fascism in Japan, ranging from the ‘high road’ of intellectual history and literary studies to more accessible insights on the role of dogs and propaganda lies about Pearl Harbour. . . [An] excellent study of fascist Japan.” -- Lawrence Fouraker * Itinerario *Table of ContentsForeword: Fascism, Yet? / Marilyn Ivy vii Introduction: The Culture of Japanese Fascism / Alan Tansman 1 Part I: Theories of Japanese Fascism Fascism Seen and Unseen: Fascism as a Problem in Cultural Representation / Kevin M. Doak 31The People's Library: The Spirit of Prose Literature versus Fascism / Richard Torrance 56 Constitutive Ambiguities: The Persistence of Modernism and Fascism in Japan's Modern History / Harry Harrotunian 80 Part II: Fascism and Daily Life On the Beauty of Labor: Imagine Factory Girls in Japan's New World Order / Kim Brandt 115 Mediating the Masses: Yanagi Sōetsu and Fascism / Noriko Aso 138 Fascism's Furry Friends: Dogs, National Identity, and the Purity of Blood in 1930s Japan / Aaron Skabelund 155 Part III: Exhibiting Fascism Narrating the Nation-ality of a Cinema: The Case of Japanese Prewar Film / Aaron Gerow 185 All Beautiful Fascists?: Axis Film Culture in Imperial Japan / Michael Baskett 212 Architecture for Mass-Mobilization: The Chūreitō Memorial Design Competition, 1939-1945 / Akiko Takenaka 235 Japan's Imperial Diet Building in the Debate over Construction of a National Identity / Jonathan M. Reynolds 254 Expo Fascism?: Ideology, Representation, Economy / Angus Lockyer 276 The Work of Sacrifice in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction: Bride Dolls and the Enigma of Fascist Aesthetics at Yasukuni Shrine / Ellen Schattschneider 296 Part IV: Literary Fascism Fascist Aesthetics and the Politics of Representation in Kawabata Yasunari / Nina Cornyetz 321 Disciplining the Erotic-Grotesque in Edogawa Ranpo's Demon of the Lonely Isle / Jim Reichert 355 Hamaosociality: Narrative and Fascism in Hamao Shirō's The Devil's Disciple / Keith Vincent 381 Literary Tropes, Rhetorical Looping, and the Nine Gods of War: "Fascist Proclivities" Made Real / James Dorsey 409 Part V: Concluding Essay The Spanish Perspective: Romancero Marroquí and the Francoist Kitsch Politics of Time / Alejandro Yarza 435 Contributors 451

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Book SynopsisThe scale and depth of Nazi brutality seem to defy understanding. What could drive people to fight, kill, and destroy with such ruthless ambition? Johann Chapoutot says we need to understand better how the Nazis explained it themselves, and in particular how steeped they were in the idea that history gave them no choice: it was either kill or die.Trade ReviewThe Law of Blood does invigorating work in attempting to explain how such a wildly repulsive ideology could take hold in the hearts and minds of shopkeepers, artisans, soldiers, and housewives—how a solid percentage of a modern nation could have aligned itself with such obvious, ham-handed, manipulative cruelty. The book has many strengths, but its greatest is a kind of stern empathy, a cold understanding of the complexities of the exchange that was taking place in Germany in the 1930s…Those conditions—crowds of glassy-eyed young men and women chanting ‘blood and soil’ in organized marches, civilized, compassionate people averting the gaze while government agencies carry out brutalities in their name, statesmen remaining mute while their government leaders pitch them into new antagonisms around the world—have seldom had an examination as detailed and ambitious as they get in these pages. The Belknap Press is to be praised for bringing the book to an English-speaking audience. -- Steve Donoghue * Open Letters Review *The Law of Blood is a useful addition to the literature on Nazi ideology…Readers will find much here to further their understanding of what Nazis thought and why they behaved the way they did. -- Dan Stone * Times Higher Education *The author’s consistent refrain is a warning that scholars must take seriously what the Nazis said and wrote…Chapoutot adds to our understanding of Nazi ideas and their results by excavating the ‘moral universe’ from which myriad atrocities emerged. -- Chad S. A. Gibbs * Religious Studies Review *Chapoutot [is] one of the most brilliant historians of his generation… The Law of Blood…is not only absorbing and informative but important—an event. -- Pierre Assouline * La République des Livres *A vertiginous reflection on the dialectic of culture and barbarism. -- Grégoire Kauffmann * L’Express *In this ambitious study, Johann Chapoutot contributes an extremely innovative, in-depth, and comprehensive picture of the mental world created by Nazism. He goes beyond the abstract notion of Weltanschauung and masterfully shows what Nazi thinkers affirmed about the origins of the world, about all life as a constant battle, and about their goal to reign over the world in an achievable eschatological time as a pure race. This mode of thinking, which pervaded all spheres of life, allowed for killing in general and the killing of the Jews—the ultimate Weltpest—in particular. The war against the Jews was a culmination of the essential features of National Socialism. This book is pathbreaking, and a must for anyone interested in National Socialism, the Shoah, or the collective behavior of genocidal societies in general. -- Dan Michman, Head of the International Institute for Holocaust Research and Professor Emeritus of Modern Jewish History, Bar Ilan UniversityChapoutot, one of the most gifted European historians of his generation, has enriched the French historiography of the Second World War, Nazi Germany, and the Holocaust. He has personally altered the European discussions of Nazi ecology, Nazi law, and the Nazi view of the past. At a time when Nazi self-understanding should be of interest to us all, this book is very welcome indeed. -- Timothy Snyder, Yale UniversityChapoutot offer[s] many illuminating discussions of the ways in which Nazi intellectuals reinterpreted Germany’s history…Scholars of the Holocaust and modern European intellectual history will find much of value in this rich analysis of a diverse and perverse Nazi intellectualism. -- Alice Weinreb * Holocaust and Genocide Studies *Chapoutot’s analysis casts important new light on the ideological texts the Nazis produced and their relation to the fearful crimes they committed…A compelling, deeply researched, and morally astute contribution to our understanding of Nazism. -- Casper Tybjerg * European Legacy *

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Book SynopsisIn contrast to previous studies of the South Korea-United States alliance, Uk Heo and Terence Roehrig analyze the bigger picture, including the history, economics, security, alliance structure, politics, and the future of the alliance. Taking alliance theory as a starting point, the authors argue that the alliance provides an ideal case study to examine how the political development and economic growth of junior partners impact an alliance. As South Korea''s capabilities and ambitions have grown, the alliance has evolved from an asymmetric regional security relationship to an economic partnership with global interests, while China''s rise and North Korea''s nuclear development mean that South Korea remains of strategic importance for American interests in East Asia. This book will be read both as a major contribution to Korean studies and the study of alliance politics and theory.Trade Review'Despite very good scholarship on various aspects of the US-Korea alliance, we do not have a good single-volume account that covers the entire history. Uk Heo and Terrence Roehrig fill this gap. They also show how the rapid growth and democratization of junior partners both expands the possibilities for cooperation and opens up recurrent conflicts. Needless to say, timely and relevant.' Stephan Haggard, University of California, San Diego'The Republic of Korea is one of only a few countries to have both a military alliance and a free trade agreement with the United States, but it faces mounting challenges in both areas. Offering a concise yet comprehensive analysis of the alliance, this book is a must-read for those who wish to better understand its increasing complexity.' Gi-Wook Shin, Stanford University, California'This comprehensive and up-to-date assessment of the 65-year-old US-ROK security alliance will serve as a concise and handy reference for those who hope to keep the alliance on track or want to understand the impact of the alliance on South Korea's security, foreign policy, and economic development.' Scott Snyder, Council on Foreign Relations'Heo and Roehrig have provided an important and timely addition to the literature on alliances in general and about U.S. - Korea relations in particular.' David C. Kang, H-Diplo'The book is well done and those with an interest in Northeast Asia will be well served to buy it.' Mason Richey, H-Diplo'The authors provide readers with an excellent understanding of the U.S. - South Korean alliance, drawing extensively on the secondary literature and some primary documents and reports from both English and Korean sources.' Andrew Yeo, H-DiploTable of ContentsIntroduction; 1. Theory and the ROK-US alliance; 2. Early relations and establishing the ROK-US alliance; 3. Democratization and alliance; 4: Security motivations for the alliance; 5. Economic growth and the KOR-US free trade agreement; 6. Changing military dimensions of the alliance; Conclusion: the joint vision and the future of the alliance.

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"[A] superb book. . . . In this tour d'horizon, as deep as it is wide, Wolin refuses to be impressed by the glamour of extremity. He shines light into many dark corners where intellectual fraud, self-deception, and hauteur passed for liberty during a murderous century. Talk about genealogy! Unreason will never be the same."--Todd Gitlin, Columbia University "[A] lively, learned, and wide-ranging work."--Choice "Absolutely entrancing. . . . [A] wide-ranging yet subtle consideration of the intellectual's abiding fascination with absolutism. . . . [A] perceptive, compelling and invaluable document."--John Banville, Irish Times "An indispensable book. . . . [A]nother important installment in what has become one of the major intellectual enterprises of our time: Richard Wolin's principled defense of liberalism against its most sophisticated enemies."--Adam Kirsch, New York Sun

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Book SynopsisDuring WWII, some American Catholics openly embraced Nazism. Their armed wing, the Christian Front, was to lead the violent revolution. Charles Gallagher unearths the history of these crusaders, the mainstream theological underpinnings of their activism, the spiritual and political leaders who protected them, and the suppression of their memory.Trade ReviewA great, but deeply unsettling, revelation…A searing examination of how a city—where for nearly four centuries the phrase ‘cradle of liberty’ has slipped effortlessly off the tongue with a distinct Boston accent—played host to a group whose leading figures spoke favorably of Nazi Germany…This book is more than an account of Boston in wartime. It is a warning. -- David M. Shribman * Boston Globe *[A] well told, expertly researched, and much-needed history of the Christian Front, an organization that presages today’s far-right activity…Riveting. I found the result startling. -- Paul Moses * Commonweal *A fascinating and terrifying story of terrorist plots, secret efforts to undermine the Allied war effort, and the stoking of antisemitic attacks…The language of the Christian Front—the barely coded appeals to antisemitism, the embrace of economic populism, and the effort to paint themselves as patriotic victims of discrimination—has a strong contemporary echo in the rhetoric of the US far right. -- Robert Philpot * Jewish Chronicle *Takes a searing look at the Christian Front, an American extremist group that weaponized Catholicism…With historical complexity and suspenseful intrigue, Nazis of Copley Square reveals one of America’s secret and most disturbing domestic enemies. * Foreword Reviews *An eye-opening look at the Christian Front, a far-right political movement founded in 1939…Gallagher also explains how the Christian Front’s ‘interlac[ing] of Christianity and patriotism’ influenced today’s religious right, and analyzes how political extremists exploit free speech protections. This vigorously researched chronicle uncovers a dark chapter in American history. * Publishers Weekly *Fascinating…Gallagher sheds valuable light on one of the darkest episodes in Irish American history. -- Tom Deignan * Irish Central *In the US, in the lead-up to WWII, a dangerous fascist movement sprang up through the Catholic church, drawing on priests, powerful lay people, and working-class parishioners. The movement, known as the ‘Christian Front,’ actively worked to support Nazi Germany in the US. Its history has mostly been swept under the rug, but Gallagaher is determined to shine a new light on it in his powerful new study. * CrimeReads *An amazing whodunit that will keep readers glued to every page. * Choice *Shows that we cannot understand right-wing extremism without examining its violent history and the integral role of certain religious doctrines, which these ringleaders mobilized to justify violence, exclusion, anti-Semitism, and even collaboration with Nazi spies. -- Eric Grube * New Books Network *The rare book by a scholar that is such a page-turner it is hard to put down, Gallagher’s Nazis of Copley Square is a potent brew of spy story, detective story, and frank, fearless account of how a significant wing of the Roman Catholic Church in the United States spawned a movement aimed at defending Hitler and sabotaging America’s war effort. -- David I. Kertzer, author of The Pope and MussoliniWriting about American Nazi sympathizers who rooted their rage in mainstream Catholic theology poses a remarkable challenge. Pluralist society already has a hard enough time confronting violent hatred underwritten by sincere religious faith; historians writing about such subjects face the second challenge of achieving empathy with their subjects without sacrificing moral opprobrium. Charles R. Gallagher meets both challenges with aplomb—and throws in some thrilling World War II spy stories to boot. Highly recommended. -- Rick Perlstein, author of ReaganlandWhen historians speak of Americans who supported Hitler’s Third Reich, they generally refer to Father Charles Coughlin or the German American Bund. In his excellently researched and rivetingly written book, Gallagher reminds us the danger was more widespread. A movement of far-right American Catholics not only fostered sympathy with Nazism but spread virulent anti-Semitism. The Nazis of Copley Square laid the groundwork for today’s Christian nationalism. When we hear those ideas expressed today, we are shocked. Gallagher demonstrates they have roots reaching back many decades. The danger was real then. And it is real today. -- Deborah E. Lipstadt, author of Antisemitism: Here and NowA virtuoso piece of historical detective work that dramatically enhances our understanding of right-wing (and Catholic) anti-Semitism and radicalism during the turbulent 1930s and 1940s. -- John T. McGreevy, author of American Jesuits and the World: How an Embattled Religious Order Made Modern Catholicism GlobalValuably excavates this buried past…One reason it is important to study the history of the Christian Front is that it elucidates the origins of the Christian right in the United States—roots that run deeper than the rise of Evangelical Protestants in the 1970s and 1980s or McCarthyism in the 1950s…[An] illuminating and compelling book. * DigBoston *Gallagher breaks new ground by diving deep into…the Christian Front’s activities in Boston…A great book that should be read by all. -- Joe Allen * CounterPunch *Extraordinarily well crafted and narrated…Gallagher has produced a masterful work in its analysis of the theological roots of an organisation that threatened great political and social harm. This book provides a timely, important reminder of the wider effects religious ideas can have in public life. -- David Mislin * Journal of Ecclesiastical History *

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Book SynopsisA remarkable historical and psychological study of the enigma of Adolf Hitler and his impact on the twentieth century - by the bestselling author of DEFYING HITLER.'Dazzlingly brilliant' OBSERVER'Mr Haffner ... has exposed better, and more briefly, than anyone else the clockwork of that infernal machine' SUNDAY TELEGRAPHSebastian Haffner examines Hitler's lifespan, his performance, his successes, errors, intellectual misconceptions, crimes and, last but not least, his great betrayal of his nation, the Western world and human civilisation.'What makes Haffner's book different is that it is not one more biography but an analysis - a most penetrating analysis - of what Hitler was up to in his astonishing career' A.L. Rowse'Mr Haffner...has exposed better, and more briefly, than anyone else the clockwork of that infernal machine' Gordon Brook-Shepherd, Sunday TelegraphTrade ReviewA quite dazzlingly brilliant analysis of what [Hitler] was * OBSERVER *Mr Haffner ... has exposed better, and more briefly, than anyone else the clockwork of that infernal machine * SUNDAY TELEGRAPH *A most penetrating analysis - of what Hitler was up to in his astonishing career -- A L RowseTough-minded evaluation of Hitler's career ... That this book was a best-seller in Germany [43 weeks] indicates that Haffner's countrymen welcomed this compact, lucid, hard-headed re-examination of contemporary history * PUBLISHERS WEEKLY *A stimulating book, brilliant and rich in ideas; in short a masterpiece of historical essay writing -- Joachim Fest, author of PLOTTING HITLER'S DEATHAn intelligent, wholly original and very enlightening book ... clear, informative and provocative * ENCOUNTER *

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Book SynopsisArtists, theorists, activists, and scholars propose concrete forms of non-fascist living as the rise of contemporary fascisms threatens the foundations of common life.Propositions for Non-Fascist Living begins from the urgent need to model a world decidedly void of fascisms during a time when the rise of contemporary fascisms threatens the very foundations of a possibility for common life. Borrowing from Michel Foucault's notion of “non-fascist living” as an “art of living counter to all forms of fascism,” including that “in us all… the fascism that causes us to love power, to desire the very thing that dominates and exploits us,” the book addresses the practice of living rather than the mere object of life.Artists, theorists, activists, and scholars offer texts and visual essays that engage varied perspectives on practicing life and articulate methods that support multiplicity and difference rather than vaunting

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Book SynopsisIn this ground-breaking work, Gerasimos Tsourapas examines how migration and political power are inextricably linked, and enhances our understanding of how authoritarian regimes rely on labour emigration across the Middle East and the Global South. Dr Tsourapas identifies how autocracies develop strategies to tie cross-border mobility to their own survival, highlighting domestic political struggles and the shifting regional and international landscape. In Egypt, the ruling elite has long shaped labour emigration policy in accordance with internal and external tactics aimed at regime survival. Dr Tsourapas draws on a wealth of previously-unavailable archival sources in Arabic and English, as well as extensive original interviews with Egyptian elites and policy-makers in order to produce a novel account of authoritarian politics in the Arab world. The book offersa new insight into the evolution and political rationale behind regime strategies towards migration, from Gamal Abdel Nasser''s 1952 Revolution to the 2011 Arab Uprisings.Trade Review'Labour immigration policies have been largely researched but not their counterpart emigration policies. In this book, Gerasimos Tsourapas fills this void, theorising and bringing out the political rationale of these policies over three articulations of Egyptian authoritarianism between the 1950s and 2011. Based on impressive primary and secondary sources, the book will be essential material for researchers in migration studies, Egyptian politics and politics of authoritarianism more generally.' Ibrahim Awad, The American University in Cairo'This is an important and insightful book that develops an original argument around the politics and the political economy of migration in modern Egypt. Gerasimos Tsourapas unravels with consummate skill the threads that bind the fate of Egyptian governments to the success or otherwise of Egypt's export of human capital over the course of the past sixty years. In a lucid and highly readable account he explores the ways in which this phenomenon has been a key factor in Egypt's regional as well as domestic political predicaments.' Charles Tripp, School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London'A unique book on how the most sedentary people on earth suddenly discovered exodus, and the world's oldest nation its citizens abroad. Tsourapas offers a major contribution to both the history of contemporary Egypt and the scientific study of international migration.' Philippe Fargues, European University Institute, Florence'A pioneer study theorizing across a spectrum of non-democratic regimes and perceptively tracing the relationships in Egypt (1952–2011) between different policies (de)regulating the emigration of workers and professionals and regime legitimation, the policy priority being political survival.' Clement M. Henry, University of Texas, Austin'The Politics of Migration in Modern Egypt makes a major contribution to the nascent literature on migration states beyond the Global North. Melding analytical insights from immigration and emigration, as well as diasporas and development, Tsourapas provides a framework for thinking about migration policy as a multidimensional set of strategic decisions. His study offers an invaluable benchmark, especially for comparisons to other authoritarian regimes.' Audie Klotz, Syracuse University, New YorkTable of Contents1. Introduction; 2. 'Egyptians don't emigrate' – the domestic politics of migration restriction, 1952–1970; 3. Exporting the free officers' revolution – migration and external regime legitimacy under Nasser; 4. 'Our most precious asset' – the domestic politics of migration liberalisation, 1970–2011; 5. The rich hive invaded by foreign bees' – migration and external regime legitimacy under Sadat and Mubarak; 6. Egypt's road to the 'Arab spring'; 7. Conclusion.

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Book SynopsisFinancial capital affects domestic politics, and can finance policies that entrench authoritarian rule. This book presents theoretical foundations, cross-national quantitative analysis, and specific historical examples to challenge existing studies and contribute to important literatures in economics and political science.Trade Review'Faisal Z. Ahmed's study reveals how dictatorships seek foreign capital to sustain their grip on power. previous studies have focused on specific types of capital, such as foreign aid, Ahmed provides a clear, integrated treatment of three major sources: aid, direct investments, and remittances. His conclusion, that these capital flows serve dictatorships in strikingly different ways, is an important contribution to international political economy.' Charles Lipson, Peter B. Ritzma Professor Emeritus of Political Science, University of Chicago'Ahmed provides a marvelous multi-method account of how political institutions mediate the international transfer of funds to governments, people, and firms. His theory emphasizes variation in incentives to governments depending on regime type, and his method engages rich statistical evidence, illustrative cases, and careful attention to endogeneity. The Perils of International Capital specifically focuses on autocracies and documents how capital flows in the form of foreign aid, remittances, and foreign direct investment bolster dictatorships. This is an accomplishment in itself. However, the major achievement of the book is in taking us a major step forward to a deeper and fuller comparative understanding of the effects of contemporary globalization.' Margaret Levi, Director of the Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, California'Scholars of globalization have long thought that openness to capital flows would prove destabilizing to the world's authoritarian regime. The Perils of International Capital shows that the opposite is true, providing a unified theoretical account explaining how foreign sources of financing - aid, remittances, and investment - in fact stabilize authoritarian regimes. Applying rigorous statistical tools to a global dataset, and sensitive to the challenges of causal inference, this book is an essential contribution to the international political economy of authoritarianism and democratization.' Thomas Pepinsky, Cornell University'A good book does not close the conversation, but opens it. Faisal Ahmed has written a really good book, opening a conversation about the influence of foreign capital on non-democratic governments.' Erik Jones, SurvivalTable of Contents1. The politics of international capital; 2. International capital and authoritarian survival: a descriptive overview; 3. Foreign rents and rule; 4. Aiding repression; 5. Remittances and autocratic power; 6. Foreign investments in militarism; 7. Conclusion.

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Book SynopsisThe present work deals not only with the well-organized right extremism in modern Europe as well as with its function in proper political parties, but equally includes two additional, broader approaches: the militant branches and subcultures that exist, including some paramilitary phenomena in Eastern Europe; and the broad realm of their political ideas and cultural trends and the influence they exert on European political culture.

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Book SynopsisHow have digital tools and networks transformed the far right's strategies and transnational prospects? This volume presents a unique critical survey of the online and offline tactics, symbols and platforms that are strategically remixed by contemporary far-right groups in Europe and the US. It features thirteen accessible essays by an international range of expert scholars, policy advisors and activists who offer informed answers to a number of urgent practical and theoretical questions: How and why has the internet emboldened extreme nationalisms? What counter-cultural approaches should civil societies develop in response?Trade Review"This global perspective is important in view of the cross-border networking of actors only consistently and brings with it a multitude of new insights." Tobias Fernholz, Forschungsjournal Soziale Bewegungen, 32/3 (2019), translated from German

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Book SynopsisThis volume considers from a risk perspective the current phenomenon of the new Alt-Right authoritarianism and whether it represents real democracy or an unacceptable hegemony potentially resulting in elected dictatorships and abuses as well as dysfunctional government. Contributing authors represent an eclectic range of disciplines, including cognitive, organizational and political psychology, sociology, history, political science, international relations, linguistics and discourse analysis, and risk analysis. The Alt-Right threats and risk exposures, whether to democracy, human rights, law and order, social welfare, racial harmony, the economy, national security, the environment, and international relations, are identified and analyzed across a number of selected countries, including the US, UK, Austria, France, Germany, Netherlands, Norway, and Russia. Potential strategies to limit the Alt-Right threat are proposed.

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Book SynopsisWhat is political correctness? What is conformism? And could one say that pre-emptive obedience is a part of the increasingly prevalent climate of political correctness encountered today? The authors of "PC on Earth" take issue with a fashionable phenomenon emerging from North American campuses that is beginning to take hold in Europe, too: the dangerous consequences of identity politics and pre-emptive obedience, which they define as an essential element of political correctness. This book is a collection of satire, philosophical analysis, travel reports, political analysis, and personal experiences. The authors, all Europeans, present diverse views on a controversial topic. This collection offers readers independent and free-thinking opinions they will get nowhere else.

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Book SynopsisThis volume continues the series that scrutinizes, from a risk perspective, the current phenomenon of authoritarianism, as displayed by the new radical right (also known as alternative right), and whether it represents real democracy or an unacceptable hegemony potentially resulting in elected dictatorships and abuses as well as dysfunctional government and harm to many parties. The book identifies and analyzes risk issues arising from the radical-right phenomenon in many forms, including the personal safety and security of individual citizens, ethno-religious minorities, and other minorities and vulnerable groups, as well as threats to organizations, public order and national security, to democratic governance, and to international security. As chapters reveal, the cross-flow of ideological, organizational, and dark money support emanating primarily from US corporate foundations, lubricates the fusion of corporate and radical-right interests nationally, transnationally, and globally. This volume gathers contributions from eight leading academic authors and provides a detailed examination of the fusion of mutual interests between, on the one hand, powerful corporate leaders, executives, and wealthy oligarchs and, on the other, radical-right political leaders, parties and intermediary organizations promoting radical-right causes. The two worlds feed off, enable, and strengthen each other. Of particular relevance to the third decade of the 21st century is an examination of the corporate/radical-right stance on the COVID-19 pandemic and the phenomenon of wild allegations and grand conspiracy theories disseminated by the radical-right against their enemies.Trade ReviewA brilliant new volume on the sources, ideas, ideologies, networks, and activities of the Alt, Far, and Extreme Right in world and domestic politics. The book goes beyond the academic study of the Radical Right and corporate power to examine the risk to democracy that such forces pose. It is required reading if we are to understand the forces shaping domestic and world politics today. -- Professor Inderjeet Parmar, Professor of International Politics, City (University of London)"Very well put together, if rather depressing. What a sorry catalogue of loathsome characters this volume reveals. One can only hope that there are some more good people out there than this collection of sociopaths." Gavin Jones, social and political commentator, columnist, and author of A Mental State"An exciting and remarkable read. This book makes an excellent and objective historical journey across the first two decades of this century. Two decades filled with propaganda and hate dissemination, mainly fuelled by the global reach of the internet and social media." The book charts "the rise of the 'Mega Powerful Corporations' and how their collective influence over holding personal data, and providing a platform for extremist terrorists and other criminals to promote their beliefs and activities, ultimately facilitates the dissemination of false facts and fake news." The chapters on negative and positive leadership are "incredibly eye-opening." Socrates Coudounaris, Executive Director of Risk (EMEA), Reinsurance Group of America"Very informative in terms of the authoritarianism aspects and radical-right details. The volume offers a diverse reading and learning in the breadth of the radical-right ideology, whilst proposing strategies and solutions for the challenges ahead. It promotes a response that emphasizes the development of democratic values, scientifically informed education and principles, promotion of social responsibility, and balanced positive leadership. An important and provoking piece of work." Dr Nathan Brooks, Senior Lecturer & Consultant Forensic Psychologist, Central Queensland University, Australia"The arguments felt very persuasive and well-articulated, namely that authoritarianism in radical-right politics and in corporations are the same phenomenon and work together for shared interests." Dr Nicolas Bichay, Assistant Professor, Department of Political Science, Michigan State UniversityTable of ContentsForeword; Introduction: Corporate Authoritarianism, the Radical Right, and Risk; Part 1: The Authoritarian Nature of the Corporate/ Radical-Right Axis; Part 2: Perspectives on the Corporate/Radical-Right Axis; Part 3: Conclusion; About the Editor and Authors; Index.

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