The Origins of Totalitarianism: Hannah Arendt (Penguin Modern Classics)

I felt like I got my money’s worth after just reading the first three pages 🤣🤣 I feel really lucky to have come across this book. It doesn’t read like an academic tome at all - it’s easy to read. However her sentences can sometimes stretch over six lines. I got up to page 300, so I got halfway through the book, but then I seemed to grind to a halt. People who find German political history interesting may also enjoy the first part of “Terror and Democracy in West Germany” by Karrin Hanshew which gives a very interesting description of German politics between 1918 and 1969. People who enjoy this book might also enjoy “What Is Populism?” by Jan-Werner Muller.

Good book

It wasn't new. In OK condition, but was described as very good condition. Also the smelliest book I have ever owned. About the book itself, I could have done with skipping the first 6 chapters. Gets good in chapter 8, but I am still only at page 464. So I cannot give you the full overall review.

Everyone should read this, especially in today's world.

Divided into three sections, the book takes the reader through anti-semitism and imperialism onto totalitarianism. Most frightening are the parallels with what is happening in the US and elsewhere with the rise in populism and xenophobia. A quote from Arendt "Totalitarianism in power invariably replaces all first-rate talents, regardless of their sympathies, with those crackpots and fools whose lack of intelligence and creativity is still the best guarantee of their loyalty". Sound familiar?

I had this book on PDF but was so impressed by the writing that I ordered the paperback. Socrates said the unexamined life is not worth living, and this book is an examination of the life we all live and suffer in. To understand it is to understand the problems of the world that never appear to go away . Update : The paperback book arrived and it is absolutely beautiful. I was reading a 1 star comment about it being a photo copy and underlined . I can only think that the buyer has been slipped dubious copy because mine is a new pristine Penquin Classic . The text is on the small side but not atypical of a book of this density, and nothing a pair of reading glasses can't cope with.

Full of challenging concepts and interesting analysis. Her comparison of the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany as totalitarian states is thorough and convincing. The recounting of history leading to the birth of these states and their modes of ruling was illuminating and challenged many of my preconceived notions. Her style of writing is easy and pleasant to read, often with incredibly memorable summations. I did find it a slow read mainly because re-reading sections to get an absolute grip of them and the amount of detail included in the references, which as someone immensely interested in the subject matter, I was appreciative of. Has become one of my favorite books.

I'm very puzzled by this book, which is clearly a photocopy of an original book that has simply been re-bound. I will contact the publishers.

Mientras leía este libro pensaba una y otra vez en el dicho que: "los que desconocen la historia están condenados a repetirla". Con una minuciosa metodología y conocimiento Hannah Arendt despieza los movimientos totalitarios europeos desde el siglo XVII hasta la segunda guerra mundial. Las similitudes de estos movimientos con muchos que hoy aspiran a la consolidación de una ideología como base de un movimiento universal es escalofriante. Este libro libro, con un punto de salida del antisemitismo, al principio no parece que tendría una estructura lógica, pero poco a poco va consolidando la idea que para los movimientos ideológicos cualquier razonamiento es valido. Y, si no tienen una piedra angular basada en la realidad mas seguidores se apuntan al movimiento. Considerando todos los problemas que esta afrontando la humanidad uno termina el libro rascándose la cabeza y dudando mucho de un futuro utópico y benevolente para todos.

More important now than ever Reading this today is an eye-opening experience. Arendt explains how propaganda, the erosion of truth, and the breakdown of social structures paved the way for the unthinkable. While it focuses on the origins of the Nazi and Soviet regimes, its lessons about the fragility of democracy are universal. It’s an essential guide for anyone trying to navigate the complexities of modern politics and protect the "right to have rights."

That book must be read and can be used not only by many teachers but also by managers at all hierarchy levels. It is very interesting for people we lead working people because nowadays some head managers are governing through an on-off authority which sometimes conducts their subordinates to suffer from psychical and physical diseases and even to suicide.

Iconic work by Hannah Arendt. I was glad to see it’s still available. Reasonable price. Quick delivery. All fine.

Though very difficult to read it through, it's totally worth the effort. Hannah Arendt was really an independent thinker and I found the book still very relevant to current totalitarian movements or developments, in China (Mao Era was totalitarianism, and followed by some limited freedom and fresh air, now again, fresh air were long gone, and it's on the road to a better totalitarianism or Totalitarianism 2.0).