The Light that Failed

By Ivan Krastev, Stephen Holmes,

Book cover of The Light that Failed: A Reckoning

Book description

*Winner of the 2020 Lionel Gelber Prize*
FINANCIAL TIMES, ECONOMIST, PROSPECT and EVENING STANDARD BOOK OF THE YEAR PICK

A landmark book that completely transforms our understanding of the crisis of liberalism, from two pre-eminent intellectuals

Why did the West, after winning the Cold War, lose its political balance?

In…

Shepherd is reader supported. When you buy books, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Why read it?

1 author picked The Light that Failed as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

A profound analysis of why the apparently global triumph of Western liberalism in 1989 turned sour for millions of those who believed they were joining a new world order – but came away disappointed.

This book traces how, following the collapse of the Soviet Union, the hubris of Western elites helped spawn the populist and opportunistic leaders – from Russia’s Putin, to Hungary’s Orban and Donald Trump in the US – that emerged after the 2008 global financial crisis.

That systemic failure cracked the veneer of the competence of Western capitalism (which had long masked rising inequality and flat middle-class…

From Peter's list on Britain after Brexit.

Want books like The Light that Failed?

Our community of 11,000+ authors has personally recommended 100 books like The Light that Failed.

Browse books like The Light that Failed

5 book lists we think you will like!

Interested in liberalism, Donald Trump, and presidential biography?

11,000+ authors have recommended their favorite books and what they love about them. Browse their picks for the best books about liberalism, Donald Trump, and presidential biography.

Liberalism Explore 42 books about liberalism
Donald Trump Explore 62 books about Donald Trump
Presidential Biography Explore 19 books about presidential biography