A Question of Order

Praise

“In the past year, our focus on the rise of right-wing populism has centered mostly on the West. The British vote for Brexit, the triumph of President Trump, the electoral surge of far-right leaders in Austria, the Netherlands and France—all were seen as part of the phenomenon of Western voters rejecting liberal dogma and turning toward a more aggressive nationalism. But as Basharat Peer, an international opinion editor at the New York Times, notes in his new book, you can’t consider the broader appeal of ‘majoritarian’ politics without looking further east.” Washington Post

“Peer’s illuminating little book provides a ground-level account of this phenomenon in India and Turkey, revealing striking parallels between the two cases.... With a keen journalist’s eye, Peer observes how various kinds of people—politicians, shopkeepers, intellectuals—experience these regime transitions. He finds that the most profound change is also the most subtle: a slow and sometimes imperceptible erosion of civic culture and political norms that undermines the democratic spirit.” Foreign Affairs

“In the midst of a complex global story of democratically-elected autocrats, Basharat Peer makes sense of what is going on in both countries.... A very timely and important book.” Huffington Post

“Hobsbawm would have approved of this new book by Basharat Peer.... Peer’s analysis of how these two strongmen have risen to supreme power in their respective countries is incisive and compelling.” Los Angeles Review of Books

“One thing we need now more than ever is intelligent, accessible, lively writing that is rooted in careful research and solid reasoning and engages with varied issues and parts of the world.... Basharat Peer’s A Question of Order ... lived up to each of the stated aims of the series.” National Book Review

“An impressive and sharply written book. Peer quotes Isaiah Berlin: ‘Freedom for the wolves has often meant death to the sheep.’ Recent events in democracies of both East and West are stirring fears of destructive majoritarianism. Strongmen everywhere are rediscovering ‘the art of converting citizens’ fears and insecurities into electoral support. This timely book sounds an ominous warning.” Hürriyet Daily News

“Basharat Peer's new book is impeccably timed. Amid all this loose talk of an authoritarian wave, an in-depth comparison of two oft-cited cases is welcome.” Bookforum

“A knowledgeable journalist astutely delineates a troubling global move toward the right wing.” Kirkus Reviews