HOW TO BE A DICTATOR (irony)
ETA: People seem to be missing the point. We need to be informed, so we don't fall on the same mistakes. Biographies of the world’s most notorious dictators, but also their own manifestos and speeches. Figures such as Mussolini, Hitler, Stalin, and Mao stand before you, their lives and their own words entwined. Let's discern the thoughts that shaped their actions, and the convictions that enabled them to seize and maintain absolute power to never let it happen again.
created by Pipsy
last updated November, 2025
Comments
comment has been deleted.
It really did 😂😂
The original comment is "this really did fly over people's heads didn't it 😂" Because if you decide to comment, you might as well stick with it
I think if I in reading other comments have changed my viewpoint, or if my comment doesn't add anything, I have the right to delete my own comment. 🤷🏽♀️
Hey Pipsy. I can understand that your original intention wasn’t ill. I’ve seen several comments from you however saying that people are calling you a nazi. I haven’t seen that at all. I’ve also seen comments from you asking people to engage in actual discussion with you. Every comment i have seen critiquing this list has been intellectual and open. For the most part, you have responded defensively and passive aggressively instead of reciprocating the energy you have asked for, and have been given. I do see that your later comments are becoming more open and polite, so thank you for that.
Dictatorships are an incredibly sensitive subject, so the nuance required (and being asked for) is to be expected, and frankly, essential. Other people have explained far more eloquently and with more info than I have, but the books on here create a very odd, imbalanced mix that reads kind of neoliberal (or at best, ill-informed). A few people have talked about the growing anti-leftist sentiment. Yes, this is just a list on a reading website and you have the right to do create what you want. But everything we create has power, especially on social media. And especially as a TC (saying this kindly), whom users look at as examples to follow
You have asked users to rec books to add so to improve this list. If you are intent on keeping it, I think the focus also needs to be on removing non-political leaders and removing fascist texts (eg Mein Kampf), and highlighting critique instead — as fellow users have suggested
I won’t be engaging further. So Sending love xx
Thank you, Mossy. Will take this into consideration
There's a difference between learning about dictators from authors who have done the work to study them, and reading books written by dictators. Seems disingenuous to me to be shocked people are upset about being teehee ironic about a list that has Mein Kampf on it.
It seems very important to be for that particular book to be on this list. It is a crucial read on this subject, to analyse the arguments used by a deranged dictator.
It does seem important to you. I can understand why people wouldn't want to read the writing of the man who orchestrated the Holocaust. I get why people would down vote a list with it, and some of these other books on it. It seems like maybe it's not something people would want to look at through an ironic lens.
Avoiding things, especially knowledge, is never the option for me. But I understand what you mean. I'm not upset by the downvotes. I just wish people would engage in discussion and make suggestions instead of assuming I'm a nazi 😅 but I get it, I get it
What did you think of the book? Did you read one of the ones with commentary?
I don't think we are only allowed to make lists with books with 100% read status. I made this list because it's a topic I want to learn myself.
Respectfully, if it's a topic for yourself, I think that's what a shelf is for. Lists are curated for the community, and if you're not ready to stand by what you put in it, I'd consider making it a shelf, then reading the books, then making the list.
By I am standing by my list, and people are not liking that. I'm also stating I'm open to recs and changes. It's a list, not a quest...
Oh sorry. I misunderstood. Yall were talking about Mein Kampf, and you said you never avoid knowledge. So I figured you’d read it. I didn’t think you read all of the list. There are so many. I could never lol
Exactly. There are a lot. And there are some recs from some users that look super interesting too. I will add some of them tomorrow.
I honestly think the list should be deleted. if needs must and you really want a list on dictatorships then you should take the constructive criticism a lot of people have provided on board.
And I am. I already said I'll do some additions and possibly removals tomorrow. I don't think it should be deleted, though. It should be improved, that yes.
Pipsy, improved would be an understatement. The booklist, the title, the description all needs to be redone with care and thought. Given the mess that has been made, deleting is for the best.
I don't remember reading any comments where anyone accused you of being a Nazi. I imagine you're joking, but again, not the kind of thing that feels very fun to joke about to me.
Something on those lines, yes.
again, I agree with you kittygoons. I know it's quite common to flippantly say "people are calling me a nazi"/"you're such a nazi" on the internet (and irl tbh), but I think this is something that contributes to the trivialisation of what Nazi really means and what is associated with that ideology. As a culture we need to get very far away from that and make "Nazi" hold weight again. It is not funny in the slightest.
I'd be open to hearing an argument for pretty much any book on this list (doesn't mean I'm going to read it) I just think the ironic joking tone misses the mark. I think these are topics that need to be taken really seriously. Not saying you can't make a list like this, you can do whatever you want within the guidelines of the app, I just think that it's likely that the majority of users are going to have strong negative feelings about it.
I think joking about it through political satire is very important and a sign of a healthy democracy. A list on PB is not satire tho
Pipsy, disrespectfully, you are missing the point. Any good curation thinks about the information they are providing. Or in this case, the potential for misinformation and propaganda. I can understand the concept of a list that provides well-informed analysis of historical events regarding dictorators (which many people have already commented on why the curation of this list makes no sense by including leftist/communist ideology). This is giving the same argument of "seeing both sides", which in regards to historical atrocities, no sorry, I (and many others) would rather not read any book from inside the mind of the devil. It's like saying I need to read the bible to know not to harm anyone. There is understanding and analyzing history, and then there is whatever tf this list is.
Right i agree! i can get behind the idea of this list but it's just strange to see some of the titles and figures put all in one place! Like there's the book Open Veins of Latin America which is considered a classic in analyzing and dissecting the impact of western capitalism and imperialism on the region. Surely that's more helpful and illuminating to discuss in this context than a biography of che guevara, who wasn't even a dictator? But I don't consider myself an expert either lol, it's just been a strange list to see
I'm not forcing anyone to read these books. That's what I don't get. It's a list, not a task. I made a list with a wide range of information (more to be addes from some recs here). People can either like the list and pick some to read or decide the list is not for them, downvote, and move on. Both situations are ok. And maybe I'll add the bible to this list, as someone recommended, who knows?
You might not be forcing anyone, but you are recommending them. You curated a list for the community. (In case it's too small, that's where the FAQs say, "Are you trying to curate a collection of books for the Pagebound community? ... If so, make a list!")
I 100% agree. Propaganda needs to be seen in context, otherwise it is simply spreading propaganda!! Just because we come from a mindset of wanting to engage critically does not mean we are immune to its effects. I, too, am particularly concerned about Mein Kampf being in this list. I am German, and while this ofc doesn't automatically make me an expert on the history of fascism, I might have a different perspective on how sensitive original propaganda texts are. There is a reason why it is very difficult to obtain a copy of Mein Kampf in Germany. There exist a few editions that have critical commentary, but no unedited version to buy. It is illegal to sell an uncommented version. It is illegal to import it. The crimes that have been justified using this text are so absolutely unfathomable in scale and horror that it is frankly irresponsible to spread it in any way at all. Neo-Nazis still use it to justify their politics. It is a fallacy to think we can resist fascism by reading Hitler's propaganda. We have a responsibility to ensure that these ideas do not get spread. It really is that serious and putting this book next to biographies or Putin's book on Judo is downplaying its gravity.
Ok. I see your point. I might consider removing it in consideration of what you sais. However, I think being informed and studying why it is so wrong and deranged is a better and enriching experience.
that's the thing - I don't think that reading Mein Kampf contributes to being informed and studying why it is wrong. It is better to read testimonies from survivors on its horrors, analyses about what made people follow along, what its lasting effects are and how it still influences politics and culture to this day. Historians, political scientists, victims and survivors, sociologists, and linguists even can give you more insight into the ideology than Hitler himself.
Or Kim Jong-Il's book about cinema. Not sure how that has anything to do with learning from past mistakes. Seems like it's just a book that a dictator wrote.
Because it's about how he spreads politic propaganda through the films he produces and allows his people to watch.
Freedom to make a public list means freedom for others to critique and with how downvoted this is, you might want to take those downvotes and feedback into consideration. Your passive aggressive remarks are not benefitting you in anyway either, being a TC with this type of behaviour is actually insane.
I want to emphasize that last part. I've only been on PB for a little over a month; it's absolutely confusing and off-putting that someone the founders hand picked to be a TC is behaving like this.
I agree, I really hope users who are constantly making controversial posts get double-checked and reconsidered in their position because this is no way for anyone to reply to people within a community, especially considering the role they hold within this community as someone who is, almost, a representative of it, ykwim? No user will feel welcomed by the attitude OP has taken throughout countless replies.
100% It raises questions for me about if this kind of behavior wasn't enough to disqualify someone from being selected, which is yikes, or if this kind of behavior started after being selected, which is also yikes & but more understandable, BUT raises big questions about how/if/when you lose TC status. Which is better directed in a feedback form instead of explored in a List comment section, but I wanted to echo your concerns back to you, and to anyone else watching this with confusion!
As someone who just got back into PB, and views TCs as respectful and thoughtful people, seeing this is disappointing. I’m extremely glad there are TCs who actually care about the information that gets posted to the community.
The majority of TCs are sweethearts. But loud voices tend to take over a bit.
I feel the same, I also feel really sorry for the founders because this is directly reflecting onto the app they made with their own blood, sweat and tears and OP is not doing them any favours to promote it. This whole list should've really just been made into a personal shelf atp if it's got books that OP hasn't read (which I assume so given their other comments 😭).
💯! This is not good TC behavior and not only to make a list that’s controversial but also being misinformed about it is ruining the rep of the founders, the community, and the app as a whole.
i beg your finest pardon? i don't think you're doing with this list what you think you are. not all of these books have anything to do with dictatorship, like the communist manifesto. do you know what a dictator is? perhaps if you need there to be a disclaimer about a topic that relates to the deaths of and stealing of freedom from BILLIONS of people you shouldn't make the list?
Oh misinformation is here. Hello 👋
Yes. You are misinforming people. Again.
Tell me how.
You are not asking this question in good faith. Other commenters have informed you, you are clearly not interested in seriously reconsidering your stance. I think this is the third time I've personally seen you create a stir and then respond like this, and it's disappointing.
I really am. You cannot just make that accusation and have no argument. I gave my argument on a comment below. That's how discussions flow. I'm up for learning, but for that you need to engage in conversation and not just point the finger
Respectfully, you seem to be forgetting that everyone can see EVERY comment you make. And the eye roll emoji's and the "Critical thinking seems to be on vacation 👀" comment that you deleted were visible. And all these things don't look like someone wanting to have a conversation in good faith.
Because I was hot headed lol. And deleted it because it was uncalled for. Have no problem assuming that 👋
So, I thought long and hard about what to write. I'll try my best to put it in words. I agree 100% with lots of comments, especially @kittygoons, @notbillnye, @beloved404. I think, creating this list wasn't right and you should, as some people suggested, delete it. If you want to read these books, it's your choice, but I think the majority of people prefer books written by biographers, not dictators (and I'm not talking about Marx, even though he can be a controversial topic). And yes, I've seen that those are also on there as well but I think it's still wrong to create a list like this (my personal opinion - if you don't like it, ignore it, but I wanted to say my piece). I also think, as some have mentioned, it's much more important and educational to read books written by survivors, people who experienced it first hand or psychological and political experts (who should be neutral, factual and not biased, of course). I'm not trying to make you do something, again, just offering my opinion and thoughts. Also, being Austrian, seeing Mein Kampf and other books listed horrified me - just NO (wtaf!)!!! It's illegal for a reason here, as well as many other things!!! That's all, for now.
This list is wild enough already, but including FIVE books by a living dictator is...a choice. Why are you encouraging people to read and financially support someone who is actively destroying millions of lives? How does Judo fit in here other than to line Putin's pockets a bit more?
Oh right, I haven't thought about the financial support
very ... funny seeing marx on here alongside hitler, completely politically illiterate & incomprehensible list, well done :P
Not a fan of this list, Pipsy, friend. Sometimes we might have the best of intentions, but just end up missing the mark. It's normal to get defensive, but afterwards we should acknowledge the shortcomings of our actions (and reactions), try to understand where other people are coming from, and do better in the future. I want to believe you will ultimately take the criticism on board and follow it up with appropriate actions, so we can all move on while preserving our ability as a community to have a civil discussion when things like this happen.
You should add stuff about Kissinger to balance the Communist inclination of the list. I mean, his legacy of dictatorships in Latino America, and his support of the naturally created ones, it's not to be forgotten.
Will do!! Thank you!
100% agreed. If we're going to talk about Che Guevara, then we also need to talk about Pinochet, and the Somoza dynasty, and all the other military juntas that came to power with CIA assistance throughout Latin America. If we're going to talk about chinese communism, we should address Japanese imperialism and the Second Sino-Japanese War, and the KMT/nationalist party, and the western intervention/exploitation tracing all the way back to the Opium Wars and trade concessions. I don't think pipsy has any bad intentions with this list! but i find it a bit disingenuous to include the Communist Manifesto but not, for example, any of the writings about neoliberalism that many Latin American dictators made into their policies of oppression and exploitation.
great point!
THEN LET'S!! Why not start with those suggestions? I started this list like 30 mins ago.
Why not help make the list better and just practically accuse me of being Hitler's bff with no contribution whatsoever? (not you, ayz)
i think it's interesting you're claiming people are "accusing you of being hitler's bff' when the top comment is a criticism about your inclusion of the communist manifesto. nothing about you being a nazi. again, this feels passive aggressive, and a dishonest interpretation of the criticism being offered
I don't know, maybe don't position yourself as an expert and curator on a topic you don't know all that much about and then get passive aggressive when people criticise you.
Are you talking about my justification for having the communist manifest here? Does that make me a self proclaimed expert on the whole thing?
Like the fact that you didn't have Kissinger on this list until someone told you is astoundingly bad.
No I'm talking about the fact that Ayzrules and Anyajulchen have had to provide you a list of Latin American dictators to include because you didn't do basic research into your topic and with a topic like books by dictators you should probably approach it with a bit more intentionality than romance reads for the summer
Great recommendations too. I also believe they need include books about the power struggle in the African continent, by decades and decades of imperialism. I agree with the part that we are putting the Communist Manifesto like the great origin of all the evil, but we don't put something about feudalism. Some book about the origins of capitalism and race. The "reds" are also responsible for good things in society, like free healthcare and education for the worker, as well of many other things.
Right like. Of course some people used the Communist Manifesto to justify their dictatorial policies, but people have also for time immemorial turned to the Bible as a justification for authoritarian measures. Like even now, the conservative limitation of abortion access is couched in so much religious language, specifically CHRISTIAN language. So why are we calling out Marx's writings but not the bible?
But these arw great points!! I'm loving learning more about this. I'll have a look tomorrow morning and make some additions!
Yes. Specially in Latinoamérica. Like, Franco but not Videla or Pinochet? They were besties and did horrific things to people that are still alive today. Hell, El internauta's series is from this year.
I'll add something on them tomorrow!! 🙌🏼
Great. I recommended Diplomacy by Kissinger himself. I read it for one of my courses and it's really telling. Leviathan by Thomas Hobbes will be an interesting title too, as well as some from Popper and Arendt. Their works about tolerance and totalitarianism applies to all types of dictatorships.
Right lolll like Che Guevara but not Pinochet, Trujillo, et al? It just doesn't feel like an apples-to-apples comparison either way, but this list also sends a weird message with the inclusion of leftist activists but not the right-wing dictators and ideologies they were fighting against
Yeah. I want to think is ignorance. A lot of non Latin-American scream about Maduro and Fidel but there's few information about what France did to Haiti, for example. Or the dictatorships the great powers put in our countries to keep them dependant. Ignorance in a not insulting way, to clarify. We are all ignorant.
But it is ignorance too! Did I call myself an expert? No! So let's all collaborate and make the list better and more accurate. I'm all up for it.
Okay. I left you a few titles. Maybe some of works about the capitalism and it's problems will also help.
Thank you!
Hi Pipsy. I'm incredibly disappointed in the way you've behaved on this app, especially lately. To make a list highlighting dictators, even in an "ironic way," is horrifying and I'm ashamed to say we were friends on here for a time. I hope some of these comments have made you think about the effect you and we all have on this app, and please take some time to reflect before deciding if remaining here is the right choice for you. I will not engage with you from this point forward and will be blocking you after some time for you to read this.
For the people against comunist books being on this list, but blocked me so I can't respond directly:
Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels wrote The Communist Manifesto back in 1848. Their big idea? History is really about class struggles, and workers need to overthrow capitalism. They weren’t writing a manual for dictators, but a lot of communist leaders later twisted their words to grab power for themselves. They called their harsh rule the “dictatorship of the proletariat,” saying it was all about protecting the revolution. In reality, this often meant one person took total control, using the book to fire up crowds, silence critics, and build a single-party state.
Over the past hundred years, communist dictatorships have played a huge role in global authoritarianism. Out of about 50 to 60 dictatorships since 1900, historians like Barbara Geddes and the Varieties of Democracy project say around 20 to 25 followed Marxist-Leninist ideas. These regimes ruled billions of people and, according to books like The Black Book of Communism, left behind a staggering death toll—about 100 million—through repression, starvation, and war. Leaders used these ideas to build secret police forces, crush free speech, and keep one party in charge.
Take Lenin, for example. In the Soviet Union, he leaned on the Manifesto and his own writing, like State and Revolution, to kick off the Bolshevik Revolution and unleash the Red Terror. That meant setting up the Cheka, wiping out democratic rivals, and killing hundreds of thousands. After him, Joseph Stalin doubled down—pushing forced collectivization and launching the Great Purge, which killed 20 to 30 million people. In China, Mao Zedong drew from the same playbook, leading campaigns that caused 40 to 70 million deaths. You see** the same story with Fidel Castro in Cuba, Pol Pot in Cambodia, and Kim Il-sung in North Korea**: the pattern repeats, and the suffering is massive.
Honestly, digging into this history helps us understand how power gets twisted and abused. It's a bit like reading fascist writings to see where those ideas can lead. The point isn’t to support them—it’s to learn from them.
i’m speaking from two history degrees and a LOT of time studying the extreme right and fascist movements—i understand what you’re saying but none of the communist regimes you’ve named actually functioned as communist. they were authoritarian capitalism or oligarchies under the guise of communism. i don’t think karl marx or che guevara belong next to books about hitler and stalin, it feels academically irresponsible and misleading. we can agree to disagree, but actively comparing communism to fascism is an extremely slippery slope.
THANK YOU.
Still connected and still worth studying, to recognise the discourse of when ia being used, even if deviated.
I might recommend looking for books about populism? That spans all political ideologies and seems to be what you are talking about with "twisting ideas" to gain power.
i agree—but marx and other thinkers who advocated for liberation of the working class do not belong on a list that should (by the description) include mein kampf, full stop. that’s intellectually lazy and playing into the anti-leftism that’s already rampant in the world right now. putting any book that includes viewpoints at the extremes of the political spectrum in a list ≠ critically engaging.
Definitely don't delete this list. This needs to be an awareness for all.
Thank you ✨
Okay I've read through an unknown percentage of the comments here (y'all been busy).
Someone else noted that some of these books are in AP class reading lists and I agree, I've also seem them studied in academic settings. I think it's fair to assume that was the intent with this list.
Requiring "tone indicators" is just.. sigh .. it's okay to just block someone and move on. As a woman who spent most of my life carefully policing my own opinions to never make anyone comfortable ever -- ESPECIALLY in politics -- I just don't accept that as the requirement. No one has to add [irony] to the end of their weird true crime murderer lists and frankly I find THOSE offensive because they're also about literal real people being brutally murdered and there is also an epidemic of violence against women but no one is up in arms over those.
I'm disappointed to be seeing people call for Pipsy to lose their TC status on account of curating a list of books you don't like, and it's borderline "banned books" territory.
Critique the list all you want, and there are some excellent and valid points in here and I won't pretend to be an expert on this topic, but Pipsy, clearly NOT advocating for fascism, should not be punished for making a list of books to learn more about fascism just because you don't agree with their list selection.
For those pointing out that anti-leftist rhetoric is at an all time high, you're absolutely correct - which is why I would recommend a book on this subject to help round out this list with a domestic/US look at fascism such as The Jakarta Method (from my TBR).
Lastly, Pipsy, I just want to say that you did marvelous not crumbling under this pressure because I absolutely would have wanted to censor myself, delete the list, and crawl into a hole if I got a response like this. It's completely normal that you lost your cool and made some snarky comments, it just means you're human. Loved seeing you take accountability, and I think you're a fantastic TC regardless of the response.
Book spaces don't need more censorship.
I agree with you for the most part, but the thing that is most telling to me is how Pipsy responded to valid concerns people had over some of the selections on this list. I know a number of the comments have since been deleted, but the flippant passive-aggressive responses saying “critical thinking is on vacation” did not feel like they came from a place of good faith. I still do appreciate the idea and concept behind this list, and I believe pipsy has no ill intentions, and I 100% don’t think we should censor books, but some of the selections do beg the question of why they are being presented together (like bea mentioned, why is a biography of Che Guevara being grouped with Mein Kampf for instance) and I don’t feel like the replies that Pipsy offered to those comments were in any way trying to address or engage with those concerns in a productive manner. Instead, they just felt mean-spirited.
I’m not going to comment on the TC status issue, but IMO the crux of the problem I’ve observed here is not so much the idea behind reading and analyzing works written by dictators. Rather, it’s that the conduct displayed is not really in line with fostering productive environments for discussion. I’m more than willing to hear pipsy out, and I initially approached this list being curious/interested in seeing what she’d put together, but the comment section has left a bad taste in my mouth regarding how exactly Pipsy was responding before she got mass downvoted
I think that's fair. But I also think it's human nature to respond sharply when you feel like you're being attacked. Personally I won't be faulting anyone for not responding perfectly as there are no perfect humans.
Yeah, for sure - I totally get that!
I wanna be so clear that my comments about TC concerns are not a specific call for Pipsy to lose TC status. My goal was to highlight that when a hand selected person is uplifted in a community and then engages said community like this it raises a lot of questions about what kind of community is being built & what processed are in place.
Ayz's summary of concerns mirror my own. I don't expect perfection by any means, but a consistent doubling down, condescending, and flippant attitude about a sensitive topic from some one positioned to reflect the goals of the space is deeply concerning. And even more so because this isn't the first time Pipsy has stirred the pot, so to speak, specifically by not fully understanding a topic but speaking out with authority anyway.
I have absolutely no qualms with the concept of a list like this, and agree with the general principle of learning from the past so we don't repeat it, and hope a better and more intentional list can be collected to meet the stated goal of the list.
i don't think anyone is advocating for censorship. questioning the intention of certain books being included when they don't fully align the premise/description and it's entirely valid to be concerned about how certain books were at odds with one another. i think this is a topic that shouldn't really have been presented in the manner it was and it certainly shouldn't have been responded to in the manner it was. if you put something out publicly people ARE going to have thoughts and opinions. i also don't really think your comment about "tone indicators" and the usage of quotation marks is very fair. it's extremely hard to discern tone over text. maybe in this instance it wasn't 'fully' needed but there's no need to disparage their usage at all. that comes across as slightly ableist since it's mostly neurodivergent people who utilize them. this is NOT me accusing you of ableism, it's just me saying that that's how it READS—because, again, discerning tone over text is difficult.
it would have been different if these books were presented in an academic manner and with a list that actually makes sense, and calling out the intent behind including marx among a list of vile people is to be expected because of how people on BOTH sides of the political spectrum misunderstand and purposefully misrepresent communism, and meeting that criticism with immediate defensiveness and what could be considered light bullying ("critical thought is on vacation") does not really constitute as "only being human" to me
Che Guevara? Did my eyes really see that on this list??? Am I tripping?
interesting… but i think you are missing a crucial point, these autobiographies are written in a way that most likely will sugarcoat and be a tool of propaganda and glorify what they have done. instead maybe we can focus on the books that are written by the people who fought these powers… if we want to learn there are many historical books that write about the people and their struggle and fight for revolution
I'm so confused as to why people are reacting like this. It's a solid list with a bunch of great titles for the topic 🤷
comment has been deleted.
I think a lot of the feedback provided to help the intention of this list do what you've described wanting it to do is very valid and indicative of critical thinking! I think saying that anyone providing feedback isn't thinking critically comes off pretty insulting. I think you had a good idea here, people are giving you feedback on how to improve it, and everyone is thinking critically.
There were only 3 comments when I said that. And one of them was really impressive on how wrong it was. I then deleted my because saw it was inappropriate.
"Critical thinking seems to be on vacation 👀" is what this comment originally said in case anyone was wondering what kind of spirit was being facilitated for discussion.
this type of passive aggression is not really helping your cause imo. people have expressed their concerns with the list and this is just mean and not in any way engaging in a constructive conversation.
I thought so too. I thought people would understand this is a list to study how dictators think and create strategies to sieze power. But oh well...
Maybe dont call the list “HOW TO BE A DICTATOR”. Doesn’t exactly give the impression that you made it for academic purposes
I thought the irony was obvious 👀 apparently not. My bad 🙄
Now that you’ve amended the title and description it is clearer, but Pipsy when you first published this it really did not come across that way and the comment section is a result of that!
Ok I can see that now. But damn, would I ever think people would assume I was recommending fascism? It's so far from my thoughts and it's so obviously not it that I didn't even consider it
At the time I'm seeing this there's -9 votes. Why? Not sure if everyone is simply not liking the topic of dictatorship (aka not wanting to read about it), but this is an interesting list! It would be fascinating and challenging to read through these books from some of history's most unsavory and evil political players! 😬 Kudos for making the list!
EDIT: As the discussion has progressed further, I thought I would amend my comment - I originally had the impression this list was a collection of books from history's dictators' minds/points of view. (The description had not been updated yet). Controversial? Yes. But interesting? Maybe to some.
I do not recognize every book/name here, as I don't have the largest knowledge of political history around the world. IF this list is instead to be a critique of dictatorship, then I agree there should be changes, and many people have added suggestions.
THANK YOU. Dear lord I was not expecting people to be so literal 🤦🏻♀️🤦🏻♀️🤦🏻♀️🤦🏻♀️🤦🏻♀️🤦🏻♀️🤦🏻♀️
I'm sorry for some of the reactions you're now getting! Helpful feedback is different than unexplained criticism. It's also your list, so you can include the books that you want on it. 🤷♀️ Even if some people disagree on some of them being included - if I see a list where some books are included that I don't agree with, but most of them fit the vibe/topic, I typically take the route of not saying anything (and usually still upvote cause we all have different opinions lol). I think it's safe to say that because it's a non-fiction (and overtly political) list, it drew a lot of strong feelings and opinions. 😅
I think that's exactly it... 🤔
Lists are public for a reason. You can make whatever list you want, but you can't be surprised and upset when you get push back.
Yes... I think with lists that deal with politics and history, though, there are going to be some differing opinions and beliefs. (History is "written by the victors," after all, among other subjectivity.) So people can voice that dissent for sure. But also, if it's a political stance (or view of history, or thought on what is helpful to read) one disagrees with, does one need to comment or downvote? There's lots of discussion here on PB about downvoting not always equating being mean or disliking things, but instead being primarily a form of redirection. "Redirecting" a list gets tricky when people have different stances on important topics where people may feel morals get involved, like politics.
I think some of the comment here ARE providing helpful feedback. But some seem to be rooted in differing views on what is helpful to read, from my interpretation.
I down voted because I don't like this list. I think making a jokey list about being a dictator is problematic. I don't know how much fixing you can do to make it so that it's in good taste in my opinion. I think it's disingenuous to include books about judo and cinema written by dictators and make an argument that the intention of the list is to learn from historical wrongs.
Gotchya, thank you for explaining your position and thoughts on the list!
Edit: I see I've gotten at least one downvote on this... and while everyone is free to do what they wish with up/downvoting, just to clarify to any readers, this was said with sincerity. I felt like kittygoons and I were having a true discussion, and I appreciated hearing their point of view.
No problem, I'm very free with my down votes, but I agree that they're more useful if they have an explanation along with them. I also think it's great that you edited your comment to clarify, I think that can always be helpful too, I'll do that when I feel like I've been misunderstood or if I didn't make myself clear enough originally. 🙂
For sure! And I was using "you" in a general sense as well, in case someone reading along with our conversation assumed I was being snarky when I wasn't; my edit was not particularly directed at you!! :) (edited again just now to add a more general "you" phrasing haha)
i downvoted because i like the List idea but i think it's totally irresponsible to include books by Marx and Guevara, who weren't even political leaders, into your list of authoritarian strongmen. collapsing leftist politics into "dictators" and "authoritarianism" is so dangerous in a time where anti-left sentiment is at an all-time high. it's intellectually lazy imo
agree! i did the same for similar reasons
I can see that, but I think it’s more helpful to say what you disagree with. Otherwise people won’t really know why they are being downvoted, and the list won’t be revised rather than removed.
Okay I originally didn't get the amount of downvotes but this makes sense. Any ideology can fuel a dictator.
Very good point! Someone abusing another's ideas does not make the ideas inherently dictatorial and you cannot be a dictator if you're not also a politician. Making a list that originally had no disclaimers and treating everything so lightly is not communicating any degree of nuance or in-depth understanding (which I would hope you have before creating a list like this).
Because dictators based their thoughts and speeches on their good intentions, to sieze power. Their lifes are intrinsically connected to dictators, whether we like it or not. The intent of the list is to study how dictators think and how they reach power. Seems intellectually lazy to not make that connection, imo.
We can study authoritarianism and the systems that enable it, but that’s very different from making a casual 'dictator rec list.' If anything, the focus should be on books that actually examine resistance, propaganda, and the human cost of tyranny, not on the dictators themselves.. We sensationalize and glamorize when the focus is on their charisma and strategy without acknowledging the real harm they inflicted (which a lot of these books and manifesto's do).
This!!
very well said!
Okay yes I can see this point. Like I would not read the majority of this list but I also want to understand how they decided to become a dictator etc.
That's exactly the point of the list. 😊
Dictator rec? Oh dear lord! You can make that list if you want, it is a different thing completely. And it would be interesting too. My list if from their pov so we can see inside their heads and learn patterns to detect them early in today's society.
i'm not cool with the way you respond to things with passive aggression while pretending you are engaging in good faith - that's gonna be a block from me, respectfully.
Exactly same
Agreed. In fact, similar books were on my daughter’s European History AP reading list. “Know thy enemies” is wise counsel.
I read MK and the Mussolini Hourly History (they also have Hitler and Hirohito, but HH's bio line books are not as well written as their topic books) but haven't heard of most of these. I do have a different Mao book, think it's called Mao: The Untold Story, on my WTR. **Unknown, not Untold
Should I add that, too?
Perhaps. It was recommended to me by someone so not sure how well it holds up. ☺️
I have that book on my shelf. It is recommended reading for a university class on introductory Chinese studies. I plan to read it. The cultural revolution and the period of starvation and the other horrid things he did are important to learn about. So, too, is learning about how he got to where he did.
I came here to make a joke about the Laws of Power book but I see there’s some big feelings so I’m gonna see myself out 👀
✨ Seems a sensible thing to do 🤭
I’ve been debating for quite a while whether I should comment on this, especially since so many people have already spoken up — but I can’t just leave this unaddressed. Finding Mein Kampf in any kind of book list is genuinely horrifying to me, and the way it’s presented here has been sitting with me in a really uncomfortable way. So I do feel the need to add my voice, even if it’s just to make sure the unease I feel doesn’t go unsaid.
I honestly find this list deeply concerning — especially the inclusion of Hitler’s writings and Mein Kampf without any explicit framing or warnings. There is a fundamental difference between studying dictators through rigorous historical analysis and amplifying their own propaganda texts directly.
"Being informed" does not require reading the original ideological manifestos of mass murderers. Historians, political scientists, psychologists, and — crucially — survivors have spent decades dissecting how fascism works, how people were radicalised, and how these regimes maintained power. Their scholarship provides actual insight. Dictators' own writings provide no such thing — they are crafted instruments of manipulation, dehumanisation, and incitement.
And when it comes to Mein Kampf, the situation is not comparable to the rest of the books here at all. As a German, it’s honestly hard to see it presented so casually in a list with Putin’s Judo book or analyses of Kim Jong Un. There is a reason why Mein Kampf can only be accessed in Germany in critical, heavily annotated editions: it’s still used today by neo-Nazis, and spreading it without commentary isn’t “educational” — it is dangerous. Pretending that reading unfiltered propaganda somehow immunises you against its influence underestimates how propaganda works in the first place.
If the intention is really to learn, then why not recommend works that explain why people fell for these ideas, how fascism took hold, what mechanisms of manipulation were used, and which social and political conditions made it possible? Survivor testimonies, sociological analyses, and historical case studies — these sources actually educate. Dictators’ manifestos do not.
Putting Mein Kampf on a “how to be a dictator (irony)” list trivialises its impact and the scale of suffering it justified. And honestly, if this list truly aims to prevent history from repeating itself, then centring the voices of victims, scholars, and critics would be the responsible way to do it — not giving dictators the microphone yet again.
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