Released: 21st July 2020
Genre: Non-fiction, politics, society
Number of Pages: 194
The rise of the far-right, splintering of political factions and near-endless polarisation form some of the biggest problems in the western world today. Being well versed in both history and societal shifts, Anne Applebaum delivers her own take, lacing a more personal side to modern changes that are lurching towards a dark future. It’s a short book, comprised of several chapters that home in on individual nations.
Every event is capably explained, from the surge in support for Spain’s Vox party to Britain’s decision to leave the European Union. We’re told a story of the key figures behind each movement, how they rose to prominence and why their ideas now carry so much weight. These examples are placed against the author’s own observations, which does colour the book with a few political leanings. What’s interesting is how her former friends have been set adrift by questionable ideas.
We see a comparison between 1999 and 2019; the turn of the millennium saw a feeling of hope and optimism. Western liberalism and democracy had triumphed and at the time most were fairly level-headed when it came to political debate. Now, over two decades later, many of Applebaum’s contacts have been set adrift by far-right propaganda and a growing love of authoritarianism. This is undoubtedly the book’s best element, but unfortunately it doesn’t play a large role. These interactions are mostly used in the background of each nation and its current place on the political spectrum. This limits the overall impact when compared to other works on the same topic.
Recommended?
MAYBE: While Applebaum does layer some interesting facets of history into her points, Twilight od Democracy doesn’t offer much beyond what other geopolitical scholars have already discussed. The case studies are well known and recognised with Anne’s personal experiences playing a lesser role. It’s difficult to gauge other people regularly, but there needed to be greater detail on how her acquaintances changed over time; how they came to accept radical, anti-democratic ideas. If you’ve never read about the battle between democracy and authoritarianism sweeping the west, the book is a compact and useful primer. For everyone else, it falls short.
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