This weighty (in several senses) book has gone through several editions and though not an easy or comfortable read, remains a cautionary study in the misuse of power. The Age of the Dictators, which ran roughly from the 1920s to the decade after the second World War, is a phenomenon which historians have yet to deal with or explain adequately, and these two men were its most terrifying creations. The careers of both are followed in detail, both apart and in tandem, and while it is plain that circumstances often played into their hands, men of genuine calibre did so too - often with tragic results. They shared a pessimistic, even a cynical view of human nature, and a total lack of scruple; both had powerful personalities and knew how to impose their will on others, as well as a deep belief in their historical missions. Though the book runs to nearly 1,200 pages, it is factual and unrhetorical throughout.
Brian Fallon
