Haig Patapan, The Modern Tyrant: Authoritarian Leadership in Theory and Practice – Edinburgh University Press, March 2026

Explores the nature of modern authoritarianism to confront and counter the increasing dangers it poses to contemporary democracies

• New understanding of the character and motives of modern authoritarian leaders
• Examination of the distinction between populists and authoritarians
• A new typology of authoritarian leaders, distinguishing between the nationalist, religious and ideological tyrants
• A new ‘manual’ of authoritarian leadership, providing a novel theoretical account of the techniques deployed by ‘smart’ authoritarians
• An assessment of the modern tools employed by authoritarians, including propaganda and communication technology
• An evaluation of the theoretical and political vulnerability of democracy to modern authoritarianism

The Modern Tyrant argues that modern authoritarian leaders resemble classical tyrants but are distinctive in three ways: their ambitions for wealth and glory are shaped by modernity (especially nationalism, religion and ideology); their techniques are novel, combining authoritarian and democratic forms, and finally, they are much more powerful, able to exploit modern propaganda techniques and technology to enhance their control and dominance.