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The Despot’s Apprentice: Donald Trump’s Attack on Democracy Audiobook
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An ex–US campaign advisor who has sat with the world’s dictators explains Donald Trump’s increasingly authoritarian tactics and the threat they pose to American democracy.
Donald Trump isn’t a despot. But he is increasingly acting like the “despot’s apprentice,” an understudy in authoritarian tactics that threaten to erode American democracy, including
- attacking the press,
- threatening rule of law by firing those who investigate his alleged wrongdoings,
- using nepotism to staff the White House, and
- countless other techniques.
Donald Trump is borrowing tactics from the world’s dictators and despots. Trump’s fascination for the military, his obsession with his own cult of personality, and his deliberate campaign to blur the line between fact and falsehood are nothing new to the world of despots. But they are new to the United States. With each authoritarian tactic or tweet, Trump poses a unique threat to democratic government in the world’s most powerful democracy.
At the same time, Trump’s apprenticeship has serious consequences beyond the United States. His bizarre adoration and idolization of despotic strongmen―from Russia’s Putin, to Turkey’s Erdogan, or to the Philippines’ Duterte―has transformed American foreign policy into a powerful cheerleader for some of the world’s worst regimes.
The Despot’s Apprentice: Donald Trump’s Attack on Democracy explores how Trump uniquely threatens democracy―and how to save it from him.
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“Brian Klaas uses his knowledge of the world’s despotic regimes to shed light on authoritarian tendencies in contemporary America. A chilling reminder of the very real threats that the Trump administration poses to American democracy, and essential reading for those who want to do something about it.”
— Anne Applebaum, Pulitzer Prize–winning columnist for the Washington Post
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“A thorough and thought-provoking primer on the threat to democracy posed by—and I can’t believe I’m saying this—the current president of the United States.”
— David Litt, New York Times bestselling author -
“The Despot’s Apprentice is morally righteous in the best sense of that word. Brian Klaas offers an erudite and persuasive plea to resist both budding and aspiring dictators, both in the United States and around the world.”
— Yascha Mounk, Harvard lecturer, Slate columnist, and author of The People vs Democracy -
“If you care about American values, our Constitution, democracy, freedom of the press, the rule of law, and the future of your children and the planet—read this book!”
— Arthur I. Blaustein, chairman of the National Advisory Council on Economic Opportunity under Jimmy Carter and author of Make a Difference
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About Brian Klaas
Brian Klaas is an associate professor in global politics at University College London and a weekly columnist for the Washington Post. He has conducted field research across the globe, interviewing people who wield power—despots, CEOs, coup plotters, rebel leaders, torture victims, crooked advisers, dissidents, cult leaders, criminals, and generals. He has advised major politicians and organizations including NATO, the European Union, American political leaders, and Amnesty International. His prior books include The Despot’s Accomplice and The Despot’s Apprentice, as well as How to Rig an Election, coauthored with Professor Nic Cheeseman. He is also the host of the Power Corrupts podcast, which won the Bronze award for “Smartest Podcast of 2020” in the British Podcast Awards. You can find him at BrianPKlaas.com and on Twitter (@brianklaas).
About Patrick Lawlor
Patrick Lawlor, an award-winning narrator, is also an accomplished stage actor, director, and combat choreographer. He has worked extensively off Broadway and has been an actor and stuntman in both film and television. He has been an Audie Award finalist multiple times and has garnered several AudioFile Earphones Awards, a Publishers Weekly Listen-Up Award, and many starred audio reviews from Library Journal and Kirkus Reviews.