The Shortest History of Democracy

“Shortest—and best! John Keane knows more about the history of democracy globally than one can imagine ... [The book is] indispensable for understanding democracy today. Don’t miss it!”—Michael Schudson, professor of journalism and sociology, Columbia University

“This is the best, most readable book on the history of democracy”—Takashi Inoguchi, professor emeritus, University of Tokyo; eminent scholar professor and J. F. Oberlin professor (Tokyo); former assistant secretary general of the UN

“This is a remarkable book. It draws on research and scholarship while remaining accessible and engaging. Modest in size, incredibly ambitious in content.”—Matthew Flinders, professor of politics, University of Sheffield; vice president of the Political Studies Association of the United Kingdom

“The Shortest History of Democracy outlines key variants of democracy and the many attempts to justify this messy, imperfect way of governing ourselves. An urgent, important book for a troubled time”—Glyn Davis AC, emeritus professor of political science, University of Melbourne

“A concise and informative history of democracy . . . packs far-flung details into . . . a provocative and enlightening survey of democracy’s ever-shifting nature”—Publishers Weekly