Be Careful What You Wish For

Princeton Professor of History David A. Bell’s latest book, Men on Horseback: The Power of Charisma in the Age of Revolution, shows how modern forms of political charisma have been inextricably entwined with modern forms of constitutional democracy, with the potential to both reinforce and undermine them. He will discuss the book with Bowdoin College Associate Professor of History Meghan Roberts. They’ll explore how democracies may come to crave strong rulers at their own peril—wherein great, charismatic leaders become authoritarian demagogues with folk hero status. The book ranges widely in its geographical scope, covering the United States, France, Saint-Domingue/Haiti, and South America.

David A. Bell is the Sidney and Ruth Lapidus Professor in the Era of North Atlantic Revolutions in the Department of History at Princeton University. He is a historian of early modern France with a particular interest in the political culture of the Old Regime and the French Revolution. He has been the recipient of fellowships from the Guggenheim Foundation, the American Council of Learned Societies, and the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, among others. He is an award-winning author of several books including The First Total War and Shadows of Revolution.