Natan Sharansky has lived an unusual life, spending nine years as a Soviet political prisoner and nine years as an Israeli politician. In this brilliantly analytical yet personal book, Sharansky and his longtime friend and advisor Ron Dermer make the case for democracy. The authors put nondemocratic societies under the microscope to reveal the mechanics of tyranny that sustain them, and explain why democracy is essential for our security.
Freedom, Sharansky claims, is rooted in the right to dissent, and societies that do not protect that right can never be reliable partners for peace. But lasting tyranny can be consigned to history’s dustbin if the free world stays true to its ideals. The question is not whether we have the power to change the world, but whether we have the will to move beyond Right and Left and start thinking about right and wrong.
Natan Sharansky, writer, former Soviet dissident, and former deputy prime minister of Israel, was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal in 1986 for his struggles against tyranny. He is a distinguished fellow at the Shalem Center, heading its strategic studies institute, and is president of Beit Hatefutsot, the Jewish diaspora museum.
Ron Dermer, a native of Florida, worked in Israel as a political consultant and as a columnist for the Jerusalem Post. He lives in Jerusalem with his wife and son.
Simon Vance is a critically acclaimed narrator who has recorded over eight hundred audiobooks and has received over fifty Earphones Awards. A twelve-time Audie Award winner and frequent finalist, he has been named an AudioFile Golden Voice, an AudioFile Best Voice, and the first Booklist Voice of Choice. A former BBC Radio presenter and newsreader in London, he currently lives in California, where he also pursues stage and television acting.