Bound To Stay Bound

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 Strongman : the rise of five dictators and the fall of democracy
 Author: Davis, Kenneth C.

 Publisher:  Holt (2020)

 Dewey: 321.9092
 Classification: Collective Biography
 Physical Description: 256 p., ill., 23 cm

 BTSB No: 263071 ISBN: 9781250205643
 Ages: 10-14 Grades: 5-9

 Subjects:
 Hitler, Adolf, -- 1889-1945
 Stalin, Joseph, -- 1878-1953
 Mao, Zedong, -- 1893-1976
 Hussein, Saddam, -- 1937-2006
 Mussolini, Benito, -- 1883-1945
 Dictators -- Biography
 Dictatorship -- History -- 20th century
 Democracy -- History

Price: $6.50

Summary:
A nonfiction account of some of the deadliest dictators in modern history.

Accelerated Reader Information:
   Interest Level: MG+
   Reading Level: 9.40
   Points: 8.0   Quiz: 513782

Reviews:
   School Library Journal (11/01/20)
   Booklist (09/01/20)
 The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books (A) (00/11/20)
 The Hornbook (00/01/21)

Full Text Reviews:

School Library Journal - 11/01/2020 Gr 9 Up—Davis profiles five ruthless dictators: Adolf Hitler, Benito Mussolini, Joseph Stalin, Mao Zedong, and Saddam Hussein. Three of the book's eight chapters discuss democracy and other forms of government, the times in which the dictators lived, other "strongmen," and the need for vigilance against authoritarianism. Each biographical chapter features a time line of the dictator's life and quotes by or about the man and his regime. Davis deftly opens these chapters with a narrative about the subject, followed by a chronological account of his life. The time line and quotes give readers a sense of both the historical context and the character of the profiled person. Davis describes the brutality inflicted by the dictators but, aside from the chapter on Hussein, most of the descriptions are not graphic. The text also explains the role that the Western powers had in allowing these men to gain dominance. The abuses committed by the United States, as in the case of the Abu Ghraib prison scandal, are also mentioned. The prose can be dry at times, and there are a few instances where the historical context is not explained well. Relevant black-and-white photographs, which are credited and captioned, maintain readers' interest. An extensive bibliography, which contains adult and young adult titles, and endnotes support further research. VERDICT A title that satisfies research and general interest needs, and one that libraries serving high schoolers will want to have.—Hilary Writt, formerly at Sullivan Univ., Lexington, KY - Copyright 2020 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.

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