Books

The world is entering a new era of authoritarianism, oligarchy, and democratic backsliding. Seeking to understand how free societies lose their way—and how citizens resist—Brian Gruber travels overland from Lisbon to Istanbul in the summer of 2024, interviewing historians, journalists, activists, artists, political thinkers, and ordinary Europeans about the rise of fascism, nationalism, and illiberal democracy.

The expanded second edition includes Stop Stealing the Future: Chronicles of the Ukrainian Resistance, an extended journey across six Ukrainian cities in the summer of 2025. Traveling across the breadth of Ukraine during wartime, Gruber explores how ordinary Ukrainians work, volunteer, grieve, celebrate, and persevere while defending their country’s independence. Together, these parallel journeys examine both the rise of authoritarianism and the extraordinary resilience of those resisting it.

Part travel narrative, part political investigation, and part personal reflection, My Fabulous Fascist Summer Vacation asks one of the defining questions of our time: How do democracies survive when authoritarianism regains its appeal?

This first-ever full-length nonfiction book on Koh Phangan’s characters, communities, and magnetic appeal is an oral history, with stories gathered from 25 diverse perspectives.

What attracts Phangan’s eclectic range of adventurers? What makes this island so uniquely interesting and attractive to visitors seeking a new life, transcendence, restoration or, simply, a memorable, gorgeous respite from the world? There are many beautiful islands and tropical beaches. But there seems a special dose of magic in the island’s coves and mountains. People come for three weeks, then stay 13 years.

These 25 longtime residents share their answers to those questions.

“Surmountable” is the first book explicitly written for the millions of people who have taken part in protests or demonstrations but were left wondering what they achieved, and the millions more who sat out events because they questioned the potential for results. The book addresses these lingering doubts and offers a powerful response in the voices of front line social activists, political thought leaders, and every day citizens.

“Surmountable” chronicles the victories and setbacks of ten American and three international civic movements from the past century. Authors Brian Gruber and Adam Monier Edwards uncover the details behind some of history’s most iconic events such as the Selma to Montgomery marches for civil rights, lesser known successes including one man’s mission to resurrect an unratified Constitutional amendment, and insights from how citizens overcame seemingly insurmountable odds to achieve their goals.

Few musicians have transformed a genre like Panama-born, New York-raised Billy Cobham. “SIX DAYS AT RONNIE SCOTT’S: Billy Cobham on Jazz Fusion and the Act of Creation” is a one-of-a-kind oral history of a legend’s life work. From his early days with Horace Silver and Dreams to the epochal Bitches Brew sessions with Miles Davis to the breakthrough Mahavishnu Orchestra and beyond, here is a first-ever deep dive into six decades of musical innovation. The book’s setting is six days at iconic London jazz club Ronnie Scott’s, as Britain’s hottest arranger Guy Barker orchestrates and leads a big band performing Cobham’s greatest works. Jazz greats such as Ron Carter, Randy Brecker, and Jan Hammer, family members, club owners, critics and superfans provide colorful insights and remembrances. Readers are given an unprecedented behind-the-scenes look into rehearsals, performances, adjustments and preparations between shows, and the evolution of a sold-out six-day run.

“WAR: The Afterparty” is a round-the-world tour through countries that have received American military forces in the pursuit of freedom, democracy, justice, and the free flow of commerce. In Southeast Asia, the Greater Middle East, the Balkans and Central America, author Brian Gruber records oral histories from political and religious leaders, writers, teachers, mothers and combatants who witnessed history from the other end of the gun barrel. Do we accomplish in war what we say we will? After the party is over, what are war’s real effects? This is the story of the Afterparty, in the words of those uniquely able to make an assessment.

“Dauphin, Dorian and Dead” is a tragicomic romp through four continents that answers the question: can two twice- divorced baby boomers find love in the modern world? Peter meets Monica through an elite dating agency, opening a whole new world of romance. The book tracks the ascent and descent of midlife romance, and documents the relationship in a year-long blog. What do we expect of love at midlife, when it’s not about procreation, and how do we sustain it?