Twilight of Democracy

2020 Financial Times, Economist, and New Statesman Book of the Year: “The most important nonfiction book of the year” by David Hare. In the years before and after the fall of the Berlin Wall, people from across the political spectrum in Europe and America celebrated a great achievement, shared a sense of purpose, and, often, formed personal friendships. Over the following decades, however, the euphoria evaporated, common purpose and moderation gradually disappeared, extremism reappeared, and eventually—as this book compellingly recounts—relations soured as well. Anne Applebaum traces this history in an uncommon way, examining the trajectories of individuals caught up in the public events of the past three decades. When politics become polarized, which side do you support? If you are a journalist, an intellectual, or a civic leader, how do you deal with the resurgence of authoritarian or nationalist ideas in your country? When your leaders appropriate history, peddle conspiracy theories, or undermine the media and judiciary, do you go along with it? "Twilight of Democracy" is an essay that combines the personal and the political in an original style, offering a new understanding of the dynamics of public life in Europe and America, both in the present and in the recent past.