National Populism, Roger Eatwell
National Populism, Roger Eatwell
List: $11.25 | Sale: $7.88
Club: $5.62

National Populism
The Revolt Against Liberal Democracy

Author: Roger Eatwell, Matthew Goodwin

Series: Pelican Books

Narrator: Matthew Goodwin

Unabridged: 8 hr 5 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Pelican

Published: 01/31/2019


Synopsis

Penguin presents the audiobook edition of National Populism: The Revolt Against Liberal Democracy, A Pelican Book, written by Roger Eatwell and Matthew Goodwin and read by Matthew Goodwin.

A crucial new guide to one of the most urgent political phenomena of our time: the rise of national populism

Across the West, there is a rising tide of people who feel excluded, alienated from mainstream politics, and increasingly hostile towards minorities, immigrants and neo-liberal economics. Many of these voters are turning to national populist movements, which have begun to change the face of Western liberal democracy, from the United States to France, Austria to the UK.

This radical turn, we are told, is a last howl of rage from an aging electorate on the verge of extinction. Their leaders are fascistic and their politics anti-democratic; their existence a side-show to liberal democracy. But this version of events, as Roger Eatwell and Matthew Goodwin show, could not be further from the truth.

Written by two of the foremost experts on fascism and the rise of national populism, this lucid and deeply-researched book is a vital guide to our transformed political landscape. Challenging conventional wisdoms, Eatwell and Goodwin make a compelling case for serious, respectful engagement with the supporters and ideas of national populism - not least because it is a tide that won't be stemmed anytime soon.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Dan on July 10, 2025

In the wake of Brexit, Trump, and the increasing popularity of national populist movements in Italy, France, Hungary and elsewhere, this book promises to answer three questions: "What is behind the rise of national populism in the west?" "Who supports these movements, and why?" "And how will they chang......more

Goodreads review by Tim on May 06, 2019

Published in 2018, I suspect that this popular social science book on the relatively recent phenomenon of national populism is going to need an updated second edition quite soon. Political change has not only not faltered since the events of 2016 but seems to be accelerating. I have been recommending......more

Goodreads review by AnnaG on December 16, 2018

An international look at populist parties in different nations over the last 20 years. The authors situate Trump/Le Pen/Brexit as part of a broader trend. There is an especially interesting graph at the end which shows that right-of-centre parties have moved to more solidly right wing, but at the sa......more

Goodreads review by Tammam on May 17, 2019

I can write a thesis on how much I didn't like this book. But I won't because it will feel like a waste of time. However, a few points: - This is a book that pretends to be objective and academic. It isn't. It uses plenty of statistics but almost all of them are about the perceptions of white working......more

Goodreads review by Alex on November 20, 2020

The astonishing "Brexit" of the UK from the EU and elections of Donald Trump in the USA (2016), Jair Bolsonaro in Brazil (2018), and (re-election of) Boris Johnson in the UK has shocked pundits and the public in the West. Alongside these, support for "national populists" has grown in countries such......more


Quotes

Compelling ... Eatwell and Goodwin do a good job of demolishing lazy stereotypes about Trump and Brexit supporters being almost exclusively white and old ... Measured and insightful Sunday Telegraph

A fascinating new study ... the authors analyse the long-term demographic and socioeconomic trends shaping our age of upheaval. The attraction of this book lies in its cool, dispassionate tone. The authors intend to explain and inform rather than polemicise The Sunday Times

Intelligent, counterintuitive ... [ranging] far beyond Brexit and Britain ... they put a parochial debate in a much bigger context Economist

Valuable ... A finely organised, lucid explanation of the elements presently constituting the most dynamic political movements in Europe and the US Financial Times

A useful corrective... it demolishes the myth that young people aren't attracted to the populist right The Sunday Times

A reality check to any clinging to the hope that populism is a passing political squall ... Goodwin is one of the few academics to be vindicated by the political trends of the past few years. With a forensic grasp of the detail, Eatwell and Goodwin show how commentators have succumbed to "stereotypes that correspond with their outlook" rather than evidence-based conclusions Telegraph

Convincing, powerful and very definitely worth a read

An important and stimulating book .. well written, well argued, highly accessible to the lay reader, and mercifully free of political science jargon ... it leaves room for optimism for the future of our country Progress

An invaluable guide to the new politics of revolt ... Eatwell and Goodwin draw attention to the historic problem that liberalism has faced in accepting democracy. They give us the theoretical framework to understand national populism's rise ... Compelling Spiked

Informative and often compelling, providing clarity around a number of key debates within political science and political theory [...] Usefully, they provide copious evidence that rightwing populism has been a long time in the making. Guardian