10 Best Books About Dictators

Picking the best books about dictators isn’t easy, as there are plenty to choose from, which is an unfortunate reflection of how frequently these regimes come to exist.

When I was studying history at school and university, we spent a lot of time learning about these regimes such as the Nazis in Germany and the Soviet Union. I’ve lost track of how many essays I’ve written about these figures.

Since I graduated, I’ve still retained my interest in history and have read most of the books on this list, which also contains some books I’m keen to read in the near future.

If you’re looking for some interesting books on dictators, these are some of the most interesting and first ones you should read!

Dictators

Dictators, by the historian Frank Dikotter, whose work has mainly focused on Chairman Mao’s time as ruler of China, is a fascinating look at eight dictators during the 20th century.

If you want to read this book for groundbreaking revelations about dictators, you’ll be disappointed. However, it’s a good guide to the figures mentioned and is accessible for the layman to the history buff.

What I liked about the book was, that apart from the obvious figures such as Hitler and Mussolini, Dikotter focused on lesser-known and profiled dictators, such as Duvalier of Haiti and Mengistu of Ethiopia, with whom I wasn’t familiar.

This gives the book a different dimension from others on the list and makes it worth reading for history lovers. You’ll learn about different figures from the typical ones we always hear about.

Personality and Power

Personality and Power is a work by the historian Ian Kershaw, considered the authority on Nazi Germany. In it, he looks at the people who shaped the 20th century in Europe.

The book contains profiles of Hitler, Stalin, and Lenin, figures who were responsible for unleashing some of the most unspeakable horrors of the 20th century.

But what I like about this book especially, is that Kershaw looks at figures who weren’t dictators, such as Churchill, Adenauer, and De Gaulle.

This gives you a contrast between dictators and leaders who were defenders and builders of democracy.

I think this is a good touch and makes the book more interesting as you can see how the outcomes differ depending on the type of leader in charge.

Hitler

Hitler is one of, if not the most infamous dictators in history. He is synonymous with evil and his rise to power resulted in the outbreak of the most destructive war in history.

Kershaw is regarded as the definitive historian of Hitler and one of my history teachers at school always referenced him in class.

This biography of Hitler is a towering work of over 1000 pages long and isn’t an easy read. It will take a while to get through this book.

But when you do you’ll have a much better understanding of this abhorrent man and how the world ended up at war because of him.

On Tyranny

Timothy Snyder is one of the most interesting historians writing today and his short book, On Tyranny, is a short but useful insight into how tyranny can develop.

I enjoyed this book as it’s short, punchy, and easy to follow. It doesn’t focus on any particular dictator but references how dictators can exploit conditions to gain power.

Snyder originally tweeted a lot of what’s in the book as a series of tweets in the run-up and following Donald Trump’s victory in 2016.

If you want a short book that illustrates how fascists and authoritarians can gain power, this is a useful guide. It also serves as a reminder of what we can do as responsible citizens to help avoid this scenario.

The Age of the Strongman

The Age of the Strongman is a book by the Financial Times columnist Gideon Rachman that examines how strongmen have come back into vogue in recent years.

It’s an accessible read that provides a look into strongmen around the globe such as Putin, Xi Jinping and Trump and how they impact democracy.

Rachman states the rise of these leaders is a modern phenomenon that started with Putin’s election in 2000. The rise of these figures could be seen as a backlash to the end of history championed by Francis Fukuyama.

It’s an interesting book that highlights the key flaw of strongman leaders; they aren’t actually good at leading. They rule through divisiveness and the fact they need to appear to be strong is a flaw in itself.

If you want to learn more about some of the dictators and wannabe ones around the world today, this book is a good place to start.

Animal Farm

Animal Farm is one of George Orwell’s most famous books and is an allegory of how the Soviet Union functioned and the corrupting influence it had on its leaders.

It’s a simple and enjoyable story with obvious parallels to the rise of Bolshevism in Russia and what happened after Lenin died.

The genius of Orwell is that he distils what happens in dictatorships into an easy-to-understand format that even children can understand.

I feel that most children from the age of 10 onwards, will be able to understand the story and its lessons.

It may not be a piece of historical record, but fiction is often a better indicator of the realities of life than history itself.

The Origins of Totalitarianism

The Origins of Totalitarianism is one of the landmark books about dictators and how they rise to power. Written by the philosopher Hannah Arendt, it’s a must-read to understand how tyrants gain power.

The book was written in 1951 and is a response to the totalitarian movements that sprung up in Europe during the 1930s, notably in Germany with the Nazis and the Soviet Union.

Arendt split the book into three sections, “Antisemitism”, “Imperialism” and “Totalitarianism”.

The first one details how antisemitism developed in Europe in the 19th century, how racism came to be used as a weapon during the new imperialism in the 1930s and how totalitarianism as an ideology came about.

It’s a long but fascinating book, that not only gives you an insight into how dictators can rise to power but provides key insights into German history and European history!

The Dictator’s Handbook

The Dictator’s Handbook differs slightly from the other books on this list. It examines the conditions that lead to tyrants coming to power and how they stay there.

Written by Bruce Bueno de Mesquita and Alastair Smith, the central thesis of the book is that politicians are incentivised to win and stay in power by pleasing an inner circle of power brokers.

This is typical of countries such as Belarus and Russia, where Lukashenko and Putin please a small inner circle, while largely neglecting the majority of the population.

The book is fascinating and gives you a broader understanding of the topic and how dictators gain power. It’s a nice complement to the more history-orientated books on this list.

Autocracy Inc

Autocracy Inc. is written by the historian Anne Applebaum, one of my favourite contemporary political writers and author of the brilliant Twilight of Democracy, which is worth reading too!

Applebaum’s basic argument is that instead of an isolated tyrant running a country such as Enver Hoxha in Albania, autocracies today are part of a sophisticated network.

Think of North Korean soldiers fighting alongside Russians in Ukraine, or the Wagner mercenary group in Africa. Today, autocracies are much closer bound than in the past, especially more than the Axis powers during the Second World War.

The effects of this network could be the undermining of democracy and the freedoms we in the West have come to take for granted. It’s a fascinating read and one that will leave you with more questions than answers.

The Power of The Powerless

This book is slightly different from the others on this list, as it’s a political essay written in 1978 by Václav Havel, who would go on to become the Czech President following the fall of the Communist regime.

Instead of a historical analysis of dictatorship, this is a firsthand account of life under a dictatorial regime.

The famous example Havel uses is the greengrocer hanging a placard in their shop window, stating “Workers of the world, unite!“

Does this reflect the greengrocer’s political beliefs? Or does he feel compelled to hang the placard to avoid the unwanted attention of the authorities?

Havel’s writing is a timely reminder of the freedoms you lose in a dictatorship, no matter what the political ideology of the ruling regime is.