By Christina Leadlay / The Hill Times

Historian and author Ken McGoogan weaves a cautionary non-fiction tale in his new book that argues the world has entered a “Second Age” of authoritarianism. Shadows of Tyranny: Defending Democracy in an Age of Dictatorship, published by Douglas & McIntyre, examines dictatorships of the 20th century.
The book jacket spells out the author’s efforts to “sound this crucial alarm about the possibility of democratic collapse in the U.S. and its implications for Canada.” It takes a biographical approach to major events tied to the rise of fascism, and celebrates the people who resisted Nazism and communism, for example, during key historic moments.
In a recent interview with Guelph Today McGoogan called former U.S. president Donald Trump “a game changer,” warning the Republican candidate is “a major threat” as America hurtles towards the November election.
“My message is, wake up people! This really is more serious in this particular election. It really is a battle between democracy and autocracy. And It is going to bleed right into Canada, no question about it. We have to do whatever we can to prepare ourselves in the event that things go wrong,” the Montreal-born McGoogan, who lives in Guelph, Ont., told his hometown media outlet. “My contention is that whatever happens in the U.S., has a major impact around the world, and certainly, here in Canada.”
McGoogan’s work has earned praise from a couple of influential former Hillites, including publisher and past CTV Power Play host Evan Solomon who called it “a timely, controversial well-researched book” that stands as a “perfect reflection of a polarizing time.” Canada’s ambassador to the United Nations Bob Rae, meanwhile, described the book as “a truly brilliant account of what happens when we let our guard down – when we ignore the signs of deep authoritarianism all around us.”
The deeply sourced 320-page hardback includes the historian’s research references and comes with a complete index. McGoogan is the author of 17 books, with the latest available on Aug. 24.