80,000+ Books in-stock in NZ 📚

Blog updates ✍️ Shirl’s May Reads & Book Briefing

Confronting Leviathan

A History of Ideas
By David Runciman
0.0 (0 reviews)
4.19 goodreads logo

Ratings/reviews counts are updated frequently.

Check link for latest rating. ( 245 ratings, 33 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Confronting Leviathan by David Runciman draws on his History Of Ideas podcast to explore pivotal political thinkers and concepts that shape our modern world. Spanning figures from Hobbes to Gandhi and themes from democracy to patriarchy, the book reveals how crises like revolutions, wars, and pandemics have historically spurred new political ideas. It offers a clear, accessible history of political thought to illuminate contemporary challenges.
Read More
Format: Paperback / softback
$2799
AVAILABLE WITH SUPPLIER Ships from our Auckland warehouse within 4-6 weeks

Found a better price? Request a price match

Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

This book is ideal for readers interested in political philosophy, history of ideas, and current political debates, suitable for both newcomers and those seeking deeper understanding of the state and its challenges.

Book Hero thinking about your next read

A primer on political theory from bestselling author and host of Talking Politics David Runciman.

A primer on political theory from bestselling author and host of Talking Politics David Runciman

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

Bracingly intelligent ... a wonderful read - Guardian

Incredibly timely ... presented [with] wonderful elegance and clarity - Irish Times

Based on the History Of Ideas podcast series by Talking Politics host David Runciman, Confronting Leviathan explores some of the most important thinkers and prominent ideas lying behind modern politics - from Hobbes to Gandhi, from democracy to patriarchy, and from revolution to lockdown.

While explaining the most important and often-cited ideas of thinkers such as Constant, De Tocqueville, Marx and Engels, Hayek, MacKinnon and Fukuyama, David Runciman shows how crises - revolutions, wars, depressions, pandemics - generated these new ways of political thinking. This is a history of ideas to help make sense of what's happening today.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Mark Mazower calls it 'bracingly intelligent' and 'a wonderful read.' Paschal Donohoe praises its 'wonderful elegance and clarity' in presenting complex ideas, noting it makes thinking about the state genuinely enjoyable. Joshua Pugh Ginn describes it as a 'brilliant introduction for anyone looking to engage with political debates beyond the headlines.' Times Higher Education labels it 'a studiously accessible work.'

Book Hero reading reviews

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781788167833

Publisher: Profile Books Ltd

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 07 July 2022

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Profile Books Ltd

Edition: Main

Illustration: integrated b/w photos

Audience: Tertiary education, Professional and scholarly

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 22.0mm

Width: 128.0mm

Height: 196.0mm

Weight: 239g

Pages: 288

Collections

David Runciman Education & Reference Non-Fiction Politics & Current Affairs

About the Author

David Runciman is Professor of Politics at Cambridge University. He is the author of six previous books, including Where Power Stops, How Democracy Ends, Political Hypocrisy and The Confidence Trap. He writes regularly for the London Review of Books and hosts the widely acclaimed weekly podcast Talking Politics, which has been downloaded 25 million times.

Also by David Runciman

View all

More from Education & Reference

View all

Why buy from us?

Book Hero is not a chain store or big box retailer. We're an independent 100% NZ-owned business on a mission to help more Kiwis rediscover a love of books and reading!

Service & Delivery

Service & Delivery

Our warehouse in Auckland holds over 80,000 books and puzzles in-stock so you're not waiting for your order to arrive from overseas.

Auckland Bookstore

Auckland Bookstore

We're primarily an online store, but for your convenience you can pick up your order for free from our bookstore, which is right next door to our warehouse in Hobsonville.

Our Gifting Service

Our Gifting Service

Books make wonderful thoughtful gifts and we're here to help with gift-wrapping and cards. We can even send your gift directly to your loved one.

The Latest at Book Hero

View all