The Modern Tyrant: Authoritarian Leadership in Theory and Practice
By (Author) Haig Patapan
Edinburgh University Press
Edinburgh University Press
8th July 2026
United Kingdom
Non Fiction
Political structures / systems: autocracy, totalitarianism and dictatorship
Political science and theory
232
Width 156mm, Height 234mm
The Modern Tyrant argues that modern authoritarian leaders resemble classical tyrants but are distinctive in three ways: their ambitions for wealth and glory are shaped by modernity (especially nationalism, religion and ideology); their techniques are novel, combining authoritarian and democratic forms, and finally, they are much more powerful, able to exploit modern propaganda techniques and technology to enhance their control and dominance.