On Tyranny is historian Timothy Snyder’s most famous work. Published in 2017 and updated after the attack on the Capitol in 2020, it uses examples from European history to warn and instruct Americans about the imminent arrival of tyranny in their own country. Although Snyder does not name Donald Trump by name, instead referring to him as “an American president,” it is clear he sees Trump’s candidacy and presidency as the gravest threat to American democracy in the country’s history—but one with innumerable precedents in Europe.
On Tyranny is a slim volume. It is less than 130 pages, and consists of 20 lessons for Americans. The lessons, such as “Defend institutions,” “Be kind to our language,” and “Learn from peers in other countries,” use historical examples primarily from Nazi Germany and Soviet Russia (as well as a sprinkling of more contemporary examples, such as Putin’s Russia) to illustrate how tyrannical governments come to be and how regular citizens can recognize this ascent to power and what to do about it.
Snyder initially wrote the 20 lessons on Facebook after Trump was first elected. It went viral and people begged him to turn it into a book. His publisher Tim Duggan explained that “We’re always trying to figure out whether there’s an audience for a new book, but in my experience, I don’t think I’ve ever seen the audience literally come to us first and say ‘Please publish this – we’re dying to read it,’ which is what happened here.”
The book received largely positive reviews. Carlos Lozada wrote in the Washington Post, “Easily the most compelling volume among the early resistance literature … A slim book that fits alongside your pocket Constitution and feels only slightly less vital … Clarifying and unnerving … A memorable work that is grounded in history yet imbued with the fierce urgency of what now.” A graphic version, illustrated by Nora Krug, was published in 2021.
It has become even more popular now that Trump won a second term in 2024. As of March 2025, it had been on the New York Times Best Sellers List for 42 weeks.
