Review: Tyrants: The History of Power, Injustice and Terror by Waller R. Newell

Our first pre-publication review for the spring season is for Tyrants: A History of Power, Injustice, and Terror by Waller R. Newell, CJLeger.com sends a special thanks to its publisher, Cambridge University Press, for awarding us a galley and allowing us to do a pre-publication review on such short notice and so close to its publication date on March 15, 2016. We recommend this book to:

• Political followers
• Historical politics enthusiasts
• Political Science majors
• World news and world affairs journalists
• Sociologists

About Tyrants: A History of Power, Injustice, and Terror

This book shows how the forces of freedom are everywhere challenged by a newly energized spirit of tyranny, whether it is Jihadist terrorism, Putin's imperialism, or the ambitions of China's dictatorship. It will show why tyranny is a permanent danger on the human landscape by following its strange career from Homeric Bronze Age warriors through the founding of the world empires of Alexander the Great and Rome, and the medieval struggle between the City of God and the City of Man, leading to the state-building despots of the Modern Age, including the Tudors and 'enlightened despots' such as Peter the Great. The book explores the psychology of tyranny from Nero to Gaddafi, and how the character of tyranny changes beginning with the Jacobin Terror into millenarian revolution. Written in an engaging, jargon-free style, it will appeal to anyone interested in the danger posed by tyranny and terror in today's world.
*Description provided by the publisher.

Review of Tyrants: A History of Power, Injustice, and Terror

Tyrants: A History of Power, Injustice, and Terror comes to the table at a pivotal time where the United States election coverage is at an all-time high. Politics is currently being highlighted on all media sources online and in print publications; tyranny is running rampant in the Middle East, tensions are strengthening between the United States and Russia, and national threats, like North Korea's continuous actions, are also a concern. In terms of publishing timing, Cambridge University Press couldn't have chosen a better time to publish a book for political followers and world watchers with engaging information and conceptual analytics that help decipher the world we live in today.

This book starts off by getting right to the point in its preface by stating that tyranny is a permanent part of human history - and a necessary evil that promotes democracy amongst educated and informed citizens, highlighting Vladimir Putin as the modern-day threat successor of yesterday's tyrants. Furthermore, the author makes it a point to address that tyranny is the driving force behind the defense of democracy and its growing popularity. As democracy and tyranny continue heated bouts in the fight for control and influence, the author also states that although history has shown that democracy triumphantly prevails over tyrannical regimes in many cases, in present times, democracies lack the ability to see tyranny for what it is in its infancy, causing the inevitable vicious cycle of “history” that the author describes as the mistaken face of progress, hinting that all tyrannical regimes at one point fought on the side of “history” believing it would bring a better world for future generations. 

Overall, it is a strong and compelling book with adequate political analysis by Waller R. Newell, a professor of Political Science & Philosophy at Carleton University. The author states in his book that the purpose of writing it was to provide a cure for the amnesia democracy often experiences when they're unable to see tyranny for what it is when it commences. 

In terms of the book’s grammatical and literary prowess,  although strong in tone, it's written with eloquent vocabulary and narrative when addressing settings and points outside of the direct subject, like Newell’s description of the route to the Roman Emperor Tiberius’ summer villa on the Island of Capri - engaging and artfully written. Also artfully designed is the author's inclusion of past examples of tyrannical regimes including ancient Roman emperors, historical events at Marathon and Salamis, the efforts during Operation Desert Storm and worldwide efforts during World War II to preserve democracy. 

Most intriguing is the author's depiction of the Roman Empire from its inception of seemingly innocent beginnings, donning an Emperor as a modest “First Citizen” and highly respected commander to Dominus et Deus (Lord of all mankind) by the end of 1 AD - a sure hint of how tyranny is often masked by the idea of freedom with limitations for all except for the First Family that often evolves into full-blown dictatorships. 

C.J. Leger’s Final Thoughts

Tyrants: A History of Power, Injustice, and Terror is a well rounded political science book with a high concentration of historical accuracy and eloquence. It is a must-have for the communities noted at the beginning of this review and a highly recommended book for political analysts and world history enthusiast. I believe this book will offer a lot of value to those following the current presidential election process that also follows world news broadcast stations and newspapers like BBC, Al Jazeera, and the Telegraph. As the information they offer on the current tyrannical threats progress, this book will really help viewers identify tyranny in its inception and understand the battle democracy faces today. We give this book 5 stars for its timing, analytics, and originality.

About Waller R. Newell

Professional scholar, educator, public intellectual and journalist, Waller R. Newell was educated at the University of Toronto and Yale University. He is currently a Professor of Political Science & Philosophy at the Carleton University. His specialties include the history of ancient and modern political thought, with an emphasis on Plato, Aristotle, Xenophon, Machiavelli, Hobbes, Rousseau, Hegel, Nietzsche, and Heidegger. He has also written books for a wider audience on the manly virtues and on great political leadership. He is very interested in the history of revolutionary extremism from the Jacobins down to the present, explored in his topical journalism and the subject of an upcoming book. His new book Tyranny: A New Interpretation has just been published by Cambridge University Press.

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About Cambridge University Press

Cambridge University Press is the world's oldest and most respected publisher; its story began in 1534 with the letters patent presented to the publisher by King Henry VIII, allowing the publisher to publish “all manner of books”. Over the course of the next four centuries, Cambridge University Press expanded their presence to over 50 global offices. Currently, the Press employs over 2,000 professionals in the field of publishing and publishes over 50,000 titles from authors across 100 countries. On Cambridge University Press’ roster are historically valuable books such as Newton's The Principia : Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy , Milton’s Lycidas and Noam Chomsky’s Language and Mind , as well as academic texts, poetry, religious books and reputable history and nonfiction books.

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