The ultimate influencers

The modern era saw the emergence of individuals who had command over a terrifying array of instruments of control, persuasion, and death. Whole societies were re-shaped and wars fought. At the summit of these societies were leaders whose personalities had somehow given them the ability to do whatever they wished.

Ian Kershaw's Personality and Power is a compelling and lucid attempt to understand these rulers, whether operating on the widest stage (Lenin, Stalin, Hitler, Mussolini) or with a more national impact (Tito, Franco). In a contrasting group of profiles, from Churchill to de Gaulle, Adenauer to Gorbachev, and Thatcher to Kohl, Kershaw uses his exceptional skills to think through how strikingly different figures wielded power.

Additional Book Details