Blood and Splendor: The Lives of Five Tyrants, From Nero to Saddam Hussein [Paperback]

Daniel Myerson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 9, 2001

Nero, Ivan the Terrible, Stalin, Hitler, and Saddam Hussein. The names evoke horror and bloodshed -- but also awe at the range of power of these despots and their accomplishments. What makes a tyrant? And why, when history has taught us time and again that they must be stopped, do such leaders continue to exist? The five short but substantial biographies in this volume help answer these questions as they tell the stories of five diabolical geniuses, exploring who they are, what they did, and what they drove them to such cruel lengths. You'll read about how the extragance of their lives and the complexity of their obsessions were played out through their political actions, often with global consequences. And you'll discover what conditions could create a tyrant just as horrible today. Spanning centuries and continents, these biographies offer a fascinating glimpse into history's darkest hearts and minds.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Daniel Myerson recieved his M.A. in Comparative Literature from Columbia University, where he was an Ellis Fellow. He has taught writing at Columbia University, New York University, and Bennington College. He lives in New York City.

Product Details

• Paperback: 300 pages
• Publisher: Harper Paperbacks (January 9, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0380804891
• ISBN-13: 978-0380804894
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.3 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,549,174 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Is this historical fact or historical fiction?, May 27, 2001

By 

Jamieson F. Chua (Quezon City, Metro Manila Philippines) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Blood and Splendor: The Lives of Five Tyrants, From Nero to Saddam Hussein (Paperback)

Blood and Splendor is an interesting read, since unlike most historical textbooks, the book reads more like a fictional novel. In fact sometimes you get lost in the literary style that you feel you're getting a first-hand account of the events. The downside is that the accuracy of some of the events is subject to question. For one the section on Hitler is very controversial with regards to the last days of the war, but the book seems to suggest that the facts stated were in fact what happenned. Overall this is a good book to read to get you started on researching more on the characters presented, but don't take everything written as the gospel truth.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Blood and Splendor, April 7, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Blood and Splendor: The Lives of Five Tyrants, From Nero to Saddam Hussein (Paperback)

The book is very well written and entertaining. I recommend it for someone who wants an easy introduction to the topic at hand.
However, I can't take it completely seriously. There are no sources detailed for the information the author has gathered. There are no footnotes for the quotes used, there are no corroborating documents listed. Much of the analysis given seems to be the author's opinions about the people, including their mental states, motives, values, and reasons for particular actions, rather than an actual factual analysis based on what can be proven. I would not recommend that any of the information in this book be used for research papers, etc., unless it is corroborated elsewhere. Too much seems to be imagined as opposed to discovered.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Unusual, making it good., January 19, 2002

By 

Harmony Miles - See all my reviews

This review is from: Blood and Splendor: The Lives of Five Tyrants, From Nero to Saddam Hussein (Paperback)

Most of us are used to a particular way of writing and reading, Daniel breaks that like so many good published writers. The biography apsect is broken by making conclusions on the individuals, adopting the most likely reason each person in question lived the way they did. That of course is done from the research this author in fact did do, and did a accurate job of that. That leaves the book biased, but here is the clincher as to what is biased, things we don't know or have had any evidense on these persons. I like that, made me think of other motivations as well. This book isn't just about these 5 persons, it's worth the buy if this is an interest.
I have to recommend another book that speaks of one more coming horror tryrant, also predicted our current situation accurately, SB 1 or God by Karl Mark Maddox