I’ve read a couple books by Timothy Snyder, Bloodlands, which is a fascinating but kind of bloody rehash of WWs I and II as it charged through Ukraine. Another is On Tyranny which was published just after Trump took office in 2017.  It has a message. 

On Tyranny
by Timothy Snyder
September, 2024
Read by author 10h 48m
Rating: 8 / politics-philosophy

This one has a message, too.  Snyder defines, categorizes and analyzes the word and he came out on top. To me – his major point is that we have choices.  After an Introduction on Freedom, the book is divided into 5 chapters; Sovereignty, Unpredictability, Mobility, Factuality, and Solidarity followed by a Conclusion,  chapter on Government.  

He uses the ideas of “positive freedom” (freedom to ….)  and “negative freedom”  (freedom from…) to explain some things. I find this a bit dated and simplistic, but it can be helpful at a basic level.  

I was soooo enjoying the read until I got to about page 162 or so, the Chapter Factuality. Then I sensed a stretch on Snyder’s part to make the ideas fit and it seemed to get pedantic and simplistic, both.  He comes back again and again to Ukraine which was the subject of Bloodlands, too.  

I think Snyder makes for a better historian than philosopher or political scientist.