An incredible book with captivating art that simplifies and modernizes complex ideas and historical contexts, putting into perspective an enlightening response to our current times..

I feel like I need to establish a couple of things about myself before writing my review: 1) I am not American and 2) I am non-binary. You might ask why these things are relevant, all will become clear very soon.

On Tyranny Graphic Edition takes the reader on a journey looking at the past and reflecting on how the individual can work to ensure that history doesn't repeat itself. In theory this is an awesome concept and definitely what drew me to this book. Where this book was somewhat of a miss for me is that the history it discusses is history that the reader is already very familiar with delivered in a simplistic way and then compares it to America. The fact that this book leans so strongly towards the American political landscape means that a non-American reader may feel themselves distanced from this book and thus struggle to see how the lessons can be applied to their lives.

Now you might be asking yourself, "That's all well and good but Eff, why did you feel it necessary to mention that you are enby?" Well, fellow lover of books, it is because this book makes the choice to not only mention the work of Ms Rowling but to actively RECOMMEND that readers read or re-read said books! To say that is a nope from me would be an understatement, I very nearly yeeted the device I was reading this book on across the room when I read that portion.

A timely meditation given our current times of oligarchs, billionaires and fascist-wannabes. The graphic edition of this remarkable book boils down these thesis to its most straight-forward and accessible. Teach this book in schools.

Thanks to Clarkson Potter/Ten Speed Press for the opportunity to review an advance edition via NetGalley in exchange of a honest review.

On Tyranny Graphic Edition: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century is an illustrated book based on Snyder's 2017 book of the same title, in which the author breakdown how the citizens can counter the dangers the United States were facing when president Trump was in charge.

As an Historian with expertise on eastern europe´s fascist and comunist eras, is not surprising that he compares America's political climate with of those places. Certainly there's some parallelism that can be brought up when studying the sudden rise of far-right or far-left politics in any country of the world nowadays since extremist views have a firm foundation on fear and hate for anything that compels empathy towards people very different from the norm of the time.

While i found these lessons very apt, i couldn't help feeling that some of them are a bit dated. The author needed to delve deeper in the aspect of fake-news by pointing out the importance of seeking good sources both on the Internet and on the TV, newspapers or radio. He might talk about the importance of good journalism yet forget to mention that these exist beyond the mainstream media. I agree the Internet is plagued with puritanian views and conspiratory theories; however with enough curiosity one can set foot on the right direction towards a legit source. I also feel he needed to mention more fiction works that talk about authoritarism beyond Orwell's 1984, Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451, and even Harry Potter (lol). There must be more options out there with a more modern perspective, diversity, etc. that could catch the attention of a wider range of audience.

Speaking of audience, i personally felt these lessons where mostly aimed towards white people. Some of the lessons are stuff PoCs communities already do on a daily basis.

On the graphic's side, Nora Krug's experimental style brings clever compositions that work pretty well with the subject matter of every single lesson in this book.

After reading this i was left wondering what does Snyder think about Biden. Afaik he hasn't undone much of the damage Trump did, and isn't well liked by most of the americans i know.

Overall, i recommend this book to any newbie interested in modern politics and want tips on how to fight against tyranny.

Thank you Net Galley for a graphic copy of On Tyranny. I am guilty for not reading a book synopsis, and judging a book by its cover. That being said, I felt like this book was based on the authors opinion. I felt like I was being brainwashed to think a different way than I do. Very disturbing.

I enjoyed this graphic edition of On Tyranny, the information of which there was much, was in much more digestible pieces. While I will say a few passages made me flinch with what I felt was a bit of a panic spiral, but overall the novel has some very good advice to follow and fight the possible rise of a dictator in the US.

On Tyranny begins with an examination of Nazi Germany and the behavior that led to the Holocaust. How can so many people obey authoritarian leadership, turning a blind eye to actual evil? When they believe they are in the right and elevated above those seen as Other.
Snyder offers small actions to resist a growing authoritarian government in America, comparing our current political climate to 20th century Russia and Germany.

The historical content is well-researched and pairs hauntingly with Nora Krug's artwork. My main criticism of the book is when Snyder begins to discuss the 2016 election. Referring to Trump as a nameless president and connecting his actions to authoritarianism is laughable. Be bold in your statements, and check your bias.

This work would be well received by liberal populations.

I enjoyed this read. It was quite political but I agree we must learn from history. There are lots of comparisons to the rise of Hitler and the last president without actually naming him.

Would recommend.

A beautifully illustrated graphic edition of On Tyranny which gives 20 lessons on recognizing and resisting tyranny. Nora Krug was a wonderful choice for the art with her mix of original art and photographs with hand written text. Her book Belonging also touched on fascism and Nazi Germany which is frequently used as an example in this book. Essential for those who want to resist and for those who may believe that there is no need as good will "inevitably" prevail (a notion this book thoroughly disputes). I only wish there had been fewer references to the 45th president, who is not named but whose election and time in office the book was clearly directed toward, as it distracts from some of the lessons.

The book is an informative read and a cautionary tale on tyranny, drawing lessons from tyrannical regimes of the 20th century. The author has presented historical facts and inferred the lessons in a very simplistic manner which is accessible to a lot of people. My only qualm is that the title says 20 lessons from the 20 twentieth and promises to discuss fascist regimes such as Italy and Soviet Union, but there was only discussion on the Nazi propaganda. I personally think that the history of Nazi Germany is well known to people all around the world, and I would've liked to see discussion on other regimes. Also, I felt the author hesitated to discuss the presence of fascism in USA; there are a few indirect references, but nothing pinpointing the tyranny.

4 stars for the content, 5 stars for the artwork

A unique graphic novel design to explain tyranny. Very informative with history for reference. With a Voldermort way of 'he who must not be named' American president.

I haven’t read Snyder’s original edition but I enjoyed this short graphic edition all the same. The book is comprised of 20 key lessons and there are interesting and engaging illustrations throughout.

I did find some of the lessons a little bit repetitive and overly focused on America, but there were for sure some really insightful points.

Thank you to Clarkson Potter/Ten Speed Press and NetGalley for this E-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I loved the original book, and think it's one of the most impactful books released in recent history.

The cutesy illustrations and backgrounds made the important message feel very dissonant.

I'd recommend getting the original over this edition.

This is a sobering polemic on political apathy and a visually stunning reminder of the genuine threat that democracies face.

It cleverly uses historical examples to validate the points about the actions one should take to safeguard their democratic freedoms.

By mixing photographs, collages, and illustrations, Krug expertly amplifies Snyder’s message. The graphic edition is eloquent and impassioned in its call for all of us to make every effort we can to avoid tyranny. It can be rage-inducing to read but at its heart is the significance of being kind, being active and, as the book itself puts it, not accepting the traps of inevitability.

Along with Save It for Later by Nate Powell, On Tyranny is another excellent example of how persuasive graphic novels can be when exploring themes as complex and as perplexing as what we can do as individuals to make our communities and counties better places to live and prosper. Highly recommended.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC of this book. Timothy Snyder is probably my favorite historian and I am endlessly fascinated by his lectures. He is a foremost expert on the history of Central and Eastern Europe and the holocaust, with much to teach about nazism and fascism. Although the contents of this book were not entirely new to me (On Tyranny was released in March 2017), it’s always worthwhile to review the twenty tips contained in this book.

I enjoyed the illustrations much more than expected. I usually find graphic novels confusing because I cannot discern which part is supposed to be read next. I did not have that problem with this book. The sequence was clearly indicated and graphics enhanced the narrative by being engaging and unique.

Overall, I was impressed and plan to purchase at least one copy so I can share it with friends and family.

“On Tyranny” is a fantastic book that should be required reading for all. That said, I did not find this graphic version added much substance to Snyder’s narrative. I mainly hated the typography choice - it looked juvenile and messy (but maybe that’s what they were going for?). I also found some of the illustrations to be creepy and distracting from Snyder’s lessons. The visual storytelling just did not work for me in this format.

Thank you Clarkson Potter/Ten Speed Press for an advanced readers copy. “On Tyranny” the Graphic Edition hits U.S. shelves October 4, 2021.

This was a very interesting book to read. I wasn't sure what to expect because I do not normally read political non-fiction books, but I was pleasantly surprised. I really think that having the book in a graphic novel helped make the book feel less "heavy". It was clear that Snyder did a lot of research which I appreciate. There were some serious topics in the book and having the illustrations (and having the book be in a graphic novel format) really helped lighten the topics. Essentially, it made it easier to get through. The book is comprised of 20 lessons and there are illustrations throughout the lessons. Timothy Snyder mainly focused on Europe and the United States. At first, I thought it was a bit odd and, honestly, amusing that Snyder refused to reference Trump's name even when it was clear that he was referring to him. I'm not a fan of Trump, but it's ok to say his name. Overall, this was a great read, and I highly recommend it.

I was unable to access the file in order to read On Tranny. I am still interested in reading this book. I know that the text version initially released was well received, and I was excited to read this.

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review ::

This little book is full of powerful information. I don't usually read graphic novels, so it took a bit to get used to the format, but I was really impressed at the amount of information. The author provides his twenty lessons on resisting modern-day authoritarianism in an easy to comprehend way, with support and historical references. The in depth discussions of authoritarianism is so necessary for all of us, especially after recent events in the United States. This book should be required reading for all high school and college political science courses.

The only challenge I had was trying to navigate the beautiful drawings on my e-reader, as occasionally the page would skip up or down as I was reading.

I would definitely recommend this book.

I’ll admit, I wasn’t sure what to expect, so if you’re looking for something along the lines of Mr. Snyder’s well researched ‘Bloodlands’ or ‘Black Earth’, you’re going to be disappointed. This was a graphic novel, and so targeted for younger adults or those who appreciate the format, but saying that, I was disappointed in this.

The fault was not in the drawings, which where well-done watercolors that drew the eye to them and added interest to the text, the fault laid in the text itself, which sounded like a partisan rant.

I agree with his 20 lessons, less so with his examples. All Mr. Snyder’s points of interest targeted European and American “right-wing”, as the sole evil in the world but not once did he mention Latin American and Asian oppression, which as I write this, China has concentration camps for the Uyghur’s (Chinese Muslims) and harvesting their organs, while Cuba is starving under the communist regime - and this is not the first time these countries have the world questioning their humanitarian efforts.

Also, I found it rather petty that Mr Snyder couldn’t say former President Trump’s name and instead resorted to
“the 2016 presidential campaign” “or presidential candidate” as an example of, what he believed as American totalitarianism; which I don’t think is aging well, considering our current President (Biden), is quickly showing he’s quite fond of signing executive orders, trying to enforce mandates, and… “you know the thing.”

No thank you, you can keep this.