Strongmen: Trump / Modi / Erdoğan / Duterte / Putin

by Vijay Prashad (Editor), Danish Husain, Lara Vapnyar

Five noted writers and thinkers profile five of the world’s leaders. For some of us, these leaders are heroes; for others, villains; for all of us—strongmen.



In this short book, five brilliant artists and writers confront five strongmen:



American playwright Eve Ensler (The Vagina Monologues) burrows beneath the skin of Donald Trump.
Danish Husain, Indian storyteller and actor, finds himself recounting the story not only of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, but also of the ascension of the extremism of the Sangh Parivar.
Burhan Sönmez, Turkish novelist, ferrets about amidst the bewildering career of the Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
Lara Vapnyar, Russian-American novelist and journalist, ponders the Stalinist origins of the Supreme Leader of All the Russias.
Ninotchka Rosca, Filipina feminist novelist, unravels the macho world of Rodrigo Duterte.



These essays do not presume to be neutral. They are by partisan thinkers, magical writers, people who see not only the monsters but also a future beyond the ghouls. A future that is necessary. The present is too painful.

Genres: Politics, Nonfiction, History, Biography, Essays

Kindle Edition

First published March 29, 2018

About the author

Vijay Prashad is the executive director of Tricontinental: Institute for Social Research. He is the author or editor of several books, including The Darker Nations: A Biography of the Short-Lived Third World and The Poorer Nations: A Possible History of the Global South. His most recent book is Red Star Over the Third World. He writes regularly for Frontline, The Hindu, Alternet and BirGun.

Reviews

[Ina Cawl · Rating 3 out of 5]

am kinda disappointed by the quality of these essays

[Fiona · Rating 3 out of 5]

This short collection of essays is introduced by a structural Marxist summary of the current global political environment. It’s a bit of an inflammatory rant and I don’t think it serves its purpose well. The first essay is by Eve Ensler and is disappointing. It’s a ‘Trump fable’ which I found puerile and so quickly skimmed through it. The second essay, by Danish Hussain, is about India’s Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, focusing on his time as Chief Minister in Gujarat.

The two most interesting essays for me are those on Turkey’s President Erdogan and Russia’s President Vladimir Putin. The rise of populist leaders across the globe is worrying and both of these men exemplify their shared tenet of ‘if you’re against me, you’re against the nation’. Putin is seen by his people as having restored Russian pride and they turn a blind eye to his ruthlessness and the curbing of only recently gained freedoms. Both have egos the size of their countries and both are misogynists. Erdogan has stated many times that women are not equal to men. In Russia, husbands who beat their wives previously went to jail. Now they receive a paltry fine which, as it hurts the whole household, acts a barrier to women reporting the crime. And yet Putin’s cynical and stomach churning reinvention as ‘sexy alpha male’ appears to resonate with many, including young women. [Because my review copy is a draft, there are no photos of Putin’s bare chest and for that I’m exceedingly grateful!]. The final essay is on President Duterte of the Philippines whose enthusiasm for dictatorship appears to be flagging right at the moment.

All of the populist leaders discussed here have many things in common. For a summary, see my review of or read What Is Populism? The stability of our fragile world is increasingly falling into their hands and of that we should be very afraid. I’m not sure this collection of essays adds anything fresh to the debate except that it’s always interesting to read different points of view. For me, it’s just okay so 3 stars.

With thanks to OR Books and NetGalley for a free review copy.

[Anuradha Shah · Rating 3 out of 5]

A compilation of essays by different writers, Strongmen offers a peep into the rise of these men in their particular contexts and the opportunism that each has presented. The parallels are striking in markedly different political conditions. The pieces on Modi and Erdogan were well sketched.

The drawback of a book such as this one is that each author brings a different style and approach to their own essay, thus making the book seem starkly disjointed. Moreover, there isn't much by way of analysis or insight building in the book which leaves one wanting more. The biggest let down was Eve Ensler's piece on Trump. A big fan of her work otherwise, this particular essay seemed like a hackneyed attempt at creating a metaphor.

[Fiona · Rating 3 out of 5]

This short collection of essays is introduced by a structural Marxist summary of the current global political environment. It’s a bit of an inflammatory rant and I don’t think it serves its purpose well. The first essay is by Eve Ensler and is disappointing. It’s a ‘Trump fable’ which I found puerile and so quickly skimmed through it. The second essay, by Danish Hussain, is about India’s Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, focusing on his time as Chief Minister in Gujarat.

The two most interesting essays for me are those on Turkey’s President Erdogan and Russia’s President Vladimir Putin. The rise of populist leaders across the globe is worrying and both of these men exemplify their shared tenet of ‘if you’re against me, you’re against the nation’. Putin is seen by his people as having restored Russian pride and they turn a blind eye to his ruthlessness and the curbing of only recently gained freedoms. Both have egos the size of their countries and both are misogynists. Erdogan has stated many times that women are not equal to men. In Russia, husbands who beat their wives previously went to jail. Now they receive a paltry fine which, as it hurts the whole household, acts a barrier to women reporting the crime. And yet Putin’s cynical and stomach churning reinvention as ‘sexy alpha male’ appears to resonate with many, including young women. [Because my review copy is a draft, there are no photos of Putin’s bare chest and for that I’m exceedingly grateful!]. The final essay is on President Duterte of the Philippines whose enthusiasm for dictatorship appears to be flagging right at the moment.

All of the populist leaders discussed here have many things in common. For a summary, see my review of or read What Is Populism? The stability of our fragile world is increasingly falling into their hands and of that we should be very afraid. I’m not sure this collection of essays adds anything fresh to the debate except that it’s always interesting to read different points of view. For me, it’s just okay so 3 stars.

With thanks to OR Books and NetGalley for a free review copy.

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a mixed bag and likely that some essays will interest more than others but they are all well written and disturbing in different ways. I especially liked the essays on Erdogan and Putin. Eve Ensler (Vagina Monologues) writes an intriguing fable about Donald Trump which is disturbing in a different way than learning about killers in politics. I liked the different slants which meant each essay stood separate and each despot stayed an individual. This way they are clearly described within the context of their own type of horror. Hard to say this is a fun read but it's important that people know what these people are like.

I was given a copy of this book by Netgalley in return for an honest review.

[Susan Miller · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a compact little book consisting of short portrayals of Putin, Erdogan, Duterte, Modi and Trump. These essays, which are by no means unbiased, demonstrate how these individuals used lies, intimidation, chaos, and charisma, to attain and maintain power. In the case of the first four you can also add murder of both citizens and opponents. I have read quite a bit about Trump and Putin, but my knowledge of Erdogan, Duterte and Modi was gleaned only from news reports, podcasts and references in other resources, so the book was enlightening for those individuals. The chapter about Trump is more of an allegory than a biography.

I will donate this book to the Berkley Public Library in Michigan, once libraries are again open.

[Ali Hassan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This small book is a collection of fables. The stories of five monsters across the globe i.e., Modi, Erdogan, Putin, Trump and Duterte. They, ostensibly, seem strongmen but they are not in the real sense because they have contributed a lot in destroying the social fabric of their countries. How they damaged their countries? The answers are in this book.

[Altaf Hussain · Rating 4 out of 5]

The essays on Modi and Erdogan are really amazing and informative. I found essay written on Trump a beautiful metaphorically written piece of writing ever. The essay on Duterte shocked me. He is a killer man. Overall a good and informative read.

[Cheryl Rowland · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book wasn't what I thought it would be and was difficult to read especially the chapters on Modi and Erdogan with words that I had to guess how they should be pronounced. It would have been nice to a pronunciation guide.

[Susan Cotten · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was not the book I was after (another „Strongmen“ by Ruth Ben-Ghiat), but it was a quick read. All of the subjects share dictatorial tendencies, but the essays are not of equal quality. I most enjoyed (for lack of a better word) the essays on Erdogan and Putin.

[TimEs · Rating 3 out of 5]

pretty much just a hit piece on modi, trump, erdogan, duterte, and putin. all of whom deserve it but each writing doesn't really tackle the poor policies of each politician but rather their character.

[Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

F'ing trump and his idols

[Abhijeet · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Trump chapter is a misfire but the others are interesting and provocative reads.

[Jonathan Choi · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are many things that make political essays great. The ability to discuss a politically relevant topic in a way that reverberates in an artistically and aesthetically significant way despite maintaining a partisan bent is one thing that distinguishes such writers from the rabble. In this book, there are five essays featuring the regimes of five leaders linked through the excesses and violence of their respective politics. These writers engage, not through nuanced discussion but through a detailed portrayal of the actions and the consequences of those actions to the parties, countries, and the peoples that are affected. It is largely pessimistic. And also very abstract and hard to grasp. Expositions about organizations and entities in these countries may go over the heads of those not even remotely familiar with the issues at hand. But other topics are viscerally familiar; drug war deaths, sectarian violence, terrorism- these themes that flash on our television screens daily are pronounced in an interconnected narrative tied directly to the hearts of these regimes. But, at the same time, despite the poor prognosis detailed by the authors, the crimes committed are shown in stark relief. Not to discourage or cause apprehension and fatalism. But to head off any calls for nuance and apologetics for these regimes. These autocrats are here to stay; therefore, we must learn to accept them instead of explaining them away. Resist them instead of ignoring them completely.

[Daniele Bergesio · Rating 2 out of 5]

Una stellina in più per l'aggiunta da parte dell'editore italiano della parte su Bolsonaro, mezzo gradino più su delle altre insieme a quella che racconta Erdogan.
Mi aspettavo saggi critici che arricchissero la mia conoscenza di personaggi loschi e nebulosi, con i cui metodi e ideologie non vado affatto d'accordo, neppure marginalmente. Di due di questi (Modi e Duterte) confesso non sapevo proprio nulla ed ero particolarmente affamato di informazioni.
Alla fine, ogni articolo mi ha più o meno deluso. Orribile quello della Ensler su Trump, semplice dileggio vomitato senza remore. Prolisso ma senza approfondire il necessario quello su Modi. Sempliciotto e banale quello su Putin. Poco contestualizzata la parte su Duterte, mille nomi cento fatti poche spiegazioni. Erdogan e Bolsonaro contengono qualche dato in più, c'è una sensazione più chiara di approfondimento dalle fonti certe.
Per il resto, il tono è quello del Travaglio più livoroso che azzanna Berlusconi: accuse a profusione, qualche timido fatto citato, molto mito e 'si dice' a cui non mi sento sicuro ad aggrapparmi.
Pochino, ecco; una lettura troppo 'pasionaria' che forse semplicemente non faceva per me.

[Samantha · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesting read. Eve Ender's fable about Trump is even more fitting in the age of COVID - 2 years after she wrote it.
Amazing to learn how many horrid leaders are in charge of countries and those who support them. Very eye opening.