The Stand Up with Pete Book Club welcomed Historian and Author Kenneth C Davis on the night of Wednesday October 14 for a chat about his new book Strongman: The Rise of Five Dictators and the Fall of Democracy

It's a dramatic account of the origins of democracy, the history of authoritarianism, and the reigns of five of history's deadliest dictators.

What makes a country fall to a dictator? How do authoritarian leaders―strongmen―capable of killing millions acquire their power? How are they able to defeat the ideal of democracy? And what can we do to make sure it doesn’t happen again?

By profiling five of the most notoriously ruthless dictators in history―Adolf Hitler, Benito Mussolini, Joseph Stalin, Mao Zedong, and Saddam Hussein―Kenneth C. Davis seeks to answer these questions, examining the forces in these strongmen’s personal lives and historical periods that shaped the leaders they’d become.

Meticulously researched and complete with photographs, Strongman provides insight into the lives of five leaders who callously transformed the world and serves as an invaluable resource in an era when democracy itself seems in peril.

We also had a chat amongst ourselves about the latest news and danced at the end as we always do. I am so happy that we have built this community together. If you haven't signed up for a paid subscription please do now! 

How To Vote In The 2020 Election In Every State. Everything you need to know about mail-in and early in-person voting in every state in the age of COVID-19, including the first day you can cast your ballot in the 2020 election. (FiveThirtyEight / NBC News / Wall Street Journal)*

*Aggregated by What The Fuck Just Happened Today?

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