“Strongmen: Mussolini to the Present”

<p><a href="https://ruthbenghiat.com/">Ruth Ben-Ghiat</a> joins the podcast to discuss her book <a href= "https://wwnorton.com/books/strongmen">Strongmen: Mussolini to the Present</a>, which examines 100 years of authoritarian rule. She describes the characteristics of a strongman and the strange virility cult surrounding these leaders before turning to the central role of corruption in the autocrat’s playbook.</p> <p>(This episode was originally published in November 2021.)</p>