Well researched, and documented. The book in many ways gives a unique insight into the dictators, tyrants, and just plain evil individuals that it covers. What is maybe more telling, is the book without meaning to, gives an indication as to why some of these dictators were initially revered, even loved by their countrymen despite the atrocities they committed.

The read is fascinating, and a good "fly on the wall" look at some of the most notorious leaders in recent history.

Just my kind of nerdy. Fun to see how "the other side" lives as they make the history books. Fun and surprisingly light hearted considering the people being studied in this book.

This was a really interesting approach to recent history--how do dictatorships exist in the world? Someone has to keep the tyrant well fed--or else. The author holds cooks in high esteem generally: "I never forgot how fascinating cooks can be. They’re poets, physicists, doctors, psychologists, and mathematicians all in one. Most of them have an unusual life story; it’s a job where you have to give your all. Not everyone is suited to it..." The cooks profiled, who became affiliated with 5 notorious leaders, each have interesting and heartbreaking stories before, during, and after their tenure as chef to an autocrat. I do wish the recipes had been included, though.

Thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for the opportunity to review a digital ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.

Fascinating premise. Insightful and well written. I hungrily read each page . I could not stop reading it.

Fascinating, gruesome and revealing: this is a brilliant and engrossing book about the personal chefs of dictators. The stories are hair-raising and colorful and the way the book came about is just as fascinating.

This book was pretty far from what I usually read, but I thoroughly enjoyed it! This book was stylistically well executed and incredibly informative.

I thought that the information the book provided was very interesting, and I loved to see exactly what the chefs said as well as Szablowski's clarifications or history lessons within each chapter. The book definitely held my attention by going in depth into each person's life. We've all heard of dictators and even seen them explored on TV, but it was intriguing to see the ways in which each of these dictators' similarities and differences.

I only wish I had gone into this book with more information about each of the countries that were being covered. As someone who was born in America during the 90s, I heard a lot about Saddam Hussein and Fidel Castro, but the other dictators were newer to me. I would have loved some statistics or fast facts to help me better understand what was going on in each country leading up to and during the reign of each dictator.

***I was provided with an e-ARC of this book from Penguin Books through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions above are my own.***

Witold Szablowski spent time cooking when he wondered what dictators did when it came to meal time. I mean, after all, they had to eat. What were their cooks like? The book How to Feed a Dictator uncovers the insane lives of chefs working in the kitchens of some of the world's most terrifying dictators. Sadam Hussein, Fidel Castro, Idi Amin and Pol Pot are known for their horrifying treatment of their people and countries.  Some of these chefs insisted on being interviewed in secret out of terror of being found, even years after the person they worked for had died. Some worked for multiple regimes and changes. 

How to Feed a Dictator is a quick read, but tense. I was surprised at how fast my pulse was going when reading about chefs having to make dinners as shooting and bombing went on around them, as they knew that if the dictator came home without a meal to eat the chef could be shot.  The book is broken up into segments like snacks, appetizers, desserts, and entrees. At times the book is hard to stomach, but the information is important to know. 

How to Feed a Dictator is available April 28, 2020 from Penguin Books.