Includes bibliographical references (pages 259-270) and index

A doctrine of anger and fear -- The greatest show on earth -- "We want to be barbarians" -- "Close your hearts to pity" -- Victory of the Caesars -- The fall -- Dictatorship of democracy -- "There are a lot of bodies up there" -- A difficult art -- President for life -- Erdogan the magnificent -- Man from the KGB -- "We are who we were" -- "The leader will always be with us" -- President of the United States -- Bad dreams -- The right questions

"A personal and urgent examination of Fascism in the twentieth century and how its legacy shapes today's world, written by the first woman to serve as U.S. 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 twentieth century was defined by the clash between democracy and Fascism, a struggle that created uncertainty about the survival of human freedom and left millions of innocent people 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. Madeleine Albright draws on her experiences as a child in war-torn Europe and her career as a diplomat to question that very assumption. Fascism, as Albright shows, not only endured through the course of the twentieth 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 has historically championed the free world, is led by a president who exacerbates popular divisions 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 same tactics used by Fascists in the 1920s and 30s. 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. Madeleine Albright served as secretary of state from 1997 to 2001 under President Bill Clinton. Born in Czechoslovakia, her family emigrated to the United States in 1948"--Provided by publisher.