Leaders are often blamed for economic downfalls and praised for vital social reforms, but rarely do people question what makes some leaders successful while others falter.

To assist this theory, Archie Brown, a renowned Oxford politics professor, wrote this wide-ranging survey of political leaders over the past 100 years.

He challenges the widespread belief that strong leaders – meaning those who dominate their colleagues and the policy-makers process – are the most successful and admirable.

Brown illuminates the achievements, failures and foibles of a broad array of 21th century politicians. Whether speaking of redefining leaders like Franklin Roosevelt, Lyndon Johnson and Margaret Thatcher, or the transformational leaders like Charles de Gaulle, Gorbachev and Mandela, the author challenges commonly held beliefs about political efficacy and strength.

The book compels to reassess the leaders who have shaped the world and to reconsider how to choose and evaluate those who will lead their countries into the future.

The full title of the book is “The Myth of the Strong Leader: Political Leadership in the Modern Age”. Published by Vintage (April 2015).

Compiled and reviewed by: Clara Rayess