Staff Pick
Albright takes the reader on a journey through history, discussing some of the political leaders in different countries who have been, or who have skirted being, fascists. She explains how they developed their thinking, how they gained power, and what some of those consequences were. She very carefully does not discuss Trump — instead, like the excellent professor I'm guessing she is, she allows the reader to start putting the pieces together. It is only in the last couple of small chapters that she spends much time on Trump at all. But by then, you've come to realize on your own how great a resemblance he bears to those other leaders who divided their people, demonized entire groups of others, railed about immigrants and the press, decided they were the only ones who could lead properly... and in one case, eventually led the world into war. Recommended By Beth C., Powells.com
If, like me, you don’t know much more than the basics about Mussolini and his regime, you'll find this book fascinating. While Albright doesn’t directly compare Trump with WWII fascist leaders, I couldn’t help but see little revelations everywhere. Albright says she wrote Fascism: A Warning thinking it would be published during what she expected to be Hillary Clinton’s first administration, yet I can’t help but see a mirror held up to Donald Trump throughout the history that she highlights. I listened to the audio version, which felt like attending a lecture put forth by a truly gifted orator. If the below quote from the last chapter has any resonance with you, perhaps you should pick this book up: "Some may view this book and its title as alarmist. Good. We should be awake to the assault on democratic values that has gathered strength in many countries abroad and that is dividing America at home. The temptation is powerful to close our eyes and wait for the worst to pass, but history tells us that for freedom to survive, it must be defended, and if lies are to be stopped, they must be exposed." Recommended By Tracey T., Powells.com
Synopses & Reviews
A personal and urgent examination of Fascism in the 20th century and how its legacy shapes today’s world, written by one of America’s most admired public servants, the first woman to serve as US secretary of state.
A Fascist, observes Madeleine Albright, “is someone who claims to speak for a whole nation or group, is utterly unconcerned with the rights of others, and is willing to use violence and whatever other means are necessary to achieve the goals he or she might have.”
The 20th century was defined by the clash between democracy and fascism, a struggle that created uncertainty about the survival of human freedom and left millions dead. Given the horrors of that experience, one might expect the world to reject the spiritual successors to Hitler and Mussolini should they arise in our era. In Fascism: A Warning, Madeleine Albright draws on her experiences as a child in war-torn Europe and her distinguished career as a diplomat to question that assumption.
Fascism, as she shows, not only endured through the 20th century but now presents a more virulent threat to peace and justice than at any time since the end of World War II. The momentum toward democracy that swept the world when the Berlin Wall fell has gone into reverse. The United States, which historically championed the free world, is led by a president who exacerbates division and heaps scorn on democratic institutions. In many countries, economic, technological, and cultural factors are weakening the political center and empowering the extremes of right and left. Contemporary leaders such as Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong-un are employing many of the tactics used by Fascists in the 1920s and 30s.
Fascism: A Warning is a book for our times that is relevant to all times. Written by someone who has not only studied history but helped to shape it, this call to arms teaches us the lessons we must understand and the questions we must answer if we are to save ourselves from repeating the tragic errors of the past.
About the Author
Madeleine Albright served as America's 64th Secretary of State from 1997 to 2001. Her distinguished career also includes positions on Capitol Hill, the National Security Council, and as US Ambassador to the United Nations. She is a resident of Washington, DC, and Virginia.