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alexisrt's review against another edition
3.0
Alas, the book is not a how-to manual. Rather, it's a set of profiles of 8 dictators, examining the cult of personality. Dikötter is a respected historian of China and an effective writer, but the book is not as effective as it could be. It's short--the body of the book comprises only just over 200 pages--and its organization works against it. Since it's organized into discrete chapters on each figure, the segments follow a predictable pattern. They're a sketchy history of the dictator in question, emphasizing their personality and propaganda. The length makes it impossible to get any real detail about the person, and the separation de-emphasizes connection. There are recurring themes between the chapters, but explicit thematic parallels are not drawn. It could have been a much more fascinating book if it had not been arranged chronologically and instead had focused on common threads such as the use of media, the purging of rivals, and so on. In addition, while the public reaction to personality cults is briefly mentioned, there's no real discussion of it or what we know about how people really felt.
That said, it's not a useless book and it was good to get past the usual Hitler and Mao, with profiles of Duvalier and Mengistu included. (The full set is Mussolini, Hitler, Stalin, Mao, Kim Il-Sung, Duvalier, Ceausescu, and Mengistu.)
That said, it's not a useless book and it was good to get past the usual Hitler and Mao, with profiles of Duvalier and Mengistu included. (The full set is Mussolini, Hitler, Stalin, Mao, Kim Il-Sung, Duvalier, Ceausescu, and Mengistu.)
chanelson's review against another edition
informative
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
4.0
A concise and informative overview of how some of the most prominent dictators of the 20th century came to power and maintained the power.
mac168's review against another edition
4.0
'Dictators' underlines the significance of the Cult of Personality in upholding c20th dictatorships by encapsulating how they develop and manifest across 8 of the 1900s' most brutal dictators: Mussolini, Hitler, Stalin, Mao, Kim Il-Sung, Duvalier, Ceaucescu and Mengistu. As Dikotter succinctly explains, the Cult of Personality isn't about popular support, it's about creating the illusion of popular support. Thus, it relied on fear, often working hand in hand with terror. Historians of dictators and dictatorships have often foregrounded the role of terror in upholding these regimes, however Dikotter brings to light how the cult of personality grips a population and forces it into submission.
This is a very interesting book, and a compelling one, as Dikotter illuminates how this cult could be paramount - for example once Mengistu fled Ethiopia, his regime and his image vanished just as quick as he. I already had varying levels of knowledge on some of these individuals, particularly the cults of Stalin and Mao, however Mussolini, Kim, Duvalier, and Mengistu were entirely new to me.
I thought the argument was presented and explained clearly and consistently, and I particularly liked how the foreword and afterword related the text to the wider history of tyrannical rulers. And for this reason I think this book is accessible to those with little to no knowledge on these individuals or regimes (and those who hate academic jargon), as the argument is placed well into its respective context. It wasn't too arduous a task to read as some non-fiction can be: I could read 2 Dictator's chapters in one sitting without being overwhelmed with information, whilst simultaneously understanding what I'd read.
Therefore overall I really enjoyed this book and look forward to reading Dikotter's new book 'China after Mao'
This is a very interesting book, and a compelling one, as Dikotter illuminates how this cult could be paramount - for example once Mengistu fled Ethiopia, his regime and his image vanished just as quick as he. I already had varying levels of knowledge on some of these individuals, particularly the cults of Stalin and Mao, however Mussolini, Kim, Duvalier, and Mengistu were entirely new to me.
I thought the argument was presented and explained clearly and consistently, and I particularly liked how the foreword and afterword related the text to the wider history of tyrannical rulers. And for this reason I think this book is accessible to those with little to no knowledge on these individuals or regimes (and those who hate academic jargon), as the argument is placed well into its respective context. It wasn't too arduous a task to read as some non-fiction can be: I could read 2 Dictator's chapters in one sitting without being overwhelmed with information, whilst simultaneously understanding what I'd read.
Therefore overall I really enjoyed this book and look forward to reading Dikotter's new book 'China after Mao'
volson12's review against another edition
2.0
This one came off a little dull for me. I love nonfiction and I usually like this type of subject matter. I had high hopes after a long waitlist on Libby but it fell flat. Somehow the subject matter was made uninteresting. The stories all kind of meshed together for me.