logo

43 pages 1 hour read

Jason Stanley

How Fascism Works: The Politics of Us and Them

Jason StanleyNonfiction | Book | Adult | Published in 2018

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.

Book Brief

logo
Jason Stanley

How Fascism Works

Nonfiction | Book | Adult | Published in 2018
Book Details
Pages

240

Format

Book • Nonfiction

Setting

2010s

Publication Year

2018

Audience

Adult

Recommended Reading Age

18+ years

Roundup icon

Super Short Summary

How Fascism Works: The Politics of Us Versus Them by Jason Stanley is a nonfiction book analyzing ten strategies used by fascist politicians to gain and consolidate power in democratic states, from mythologizing the past to exploiting societal divisions and undermining intellectualism. Stanley uses historical and contemporary examples, such as Nazi Germany and the United States, to illustrate how fascist politics thrive in moments of socio-economic turmoil, creating fear and factionalism that undermine reasoned discourse and democratic values. Topics of sexual assault, violence, and racism are discussed in context.

Informative

Unnerving

Dark

Challenging

Reviews & Readership

4.4

11,556 ratings

85%

Loved it

11%

Mixed feelings

4%

Not a fan

Roundup icon

Review Roundup

How Fascism Works by Jason Stanley offers a compelling analysis of fascist tactics, exploring historical and contemporary examples. Readers appreciate its clear prose and timely relevance but note occasional repetitiveness and a U.S.-centric perspective. Despite these issues, it serves as a crucial primer on recognizing and combating modern authoritarianism.

Who should read this

Who Should Read How Fascism Works?

An ideal reader for Jason Stanley's How Fascism Works would have a keen interest in political science, contemporary history, and the mechanics of authoritarianism. Comparable to readers of Timothy Snyder's On Tyranny and Madeleine Albright's Fascism: A Warning, they seek to understand the warning signs and societal impacts of fascist ideologies.

4.4

11,556 ratings

85%

Loved it

11%

Mixed feelings

4%

Not a fan

Book Details
Pages

240

Format

Book • Nonfiction

Setting

2010s

Publication Year

2018

Audience

Adult

Recommended Reading Age

18+ years

Continue your reading experience

Subscribe now to unlock the rest of this Study Guide plus our full library, which features expert-written summaries and analyses of 8,000+ additional titles.