Ideological Storms

"Ideological Storms is another terrific collection edited by Vladimir Tismaneanu and Bogdan C. Iacob for Central European University Press. Leading with a superb introductory essay by the editors, the volume brings together twenty of the top intellectual historians in Europe and North America to discuss "the totalitarian temptation." The book should be of great interest to historians of twentieth-century Europe, scholars of communism and postcommunism, and anyone who cares about the fate of liberal democracy in dark times. I highly recommend it."—Jeffrey C. Isaac, James H. Rudy Professor of Political Science Indiana University, Bloomington

"The slogan "speaking truth to power" assumes that intellectuals are more willing than others to challenge the highest authorities. The superb collection of essays in Ideological Storms, edited by Vladimir Tismaneanu and Bogdan C. Iacob, raises serious doubts about this notion. Far from wanting to challenge murderous despots, intellectuals over the past century have been eager to rationalize and glorify extreme abuses of power. All too often, the world's most repressive tyrants have attracted legions of myrmidons willing to sing their praises. Courageous intellectuals like Václav Havel and Nelson Mandela have been far more the exception than the norm. This book, bringing together many of the world's leading experts on the relationship between intellectuals and brutal dictatorships, will allow readers to understand why intellectuals so often have been willing to abet tyranny rather than challenge it."—Mark Kramer