Study of our recent political past finds few reasons to be cheerful

Empire of Democracy by Simon Reid-Henry demonstrates the necessity of inquiry into our recent past. It yields insights that help us understand our present and imagine the possibilities of our future

Tony Blair and Bill Clinton: both politicians led a renewed focus on the individual Pic: Getty

POLITICS: Empire of Democracy, The Remaking of the West Since the Cold War 1971-2017, By Simon Reid-Henry, John Murray, €34.50

An American tycoon storms to unexpected political success. A leader skilled in the arts of modern communication governs Italy. An anti-immigrant party surges forward in an Austrian election.

The tycoon is Steve Forbes contesting primaries for the Republican Party; the Italian politician is Silvio Berlusconi and the Austrian political party is the Freedom ...