William Collins acquires 'timely' new global history of strongmen

William Collins has acquired Ozymandias: A World History of Strongmen by Ayşe Zarakol, professor of international relations at the University of Cambridge.

Editorial director Jamie Birkett bought UK and Commonwealth rights from Eric Henney at Brockman in a "significant" five-figure deal, for publication in 2027. North American rights were acquired by Bridget Flannery-McCoy at Grove Atlantic.

The word "Ozymandias" refers to the Egyptian pharaoh Ramesses II. "In Ozymandias, Zarakol considers the role of absolutist rulers over the length of human history, arguing that rather than emerging as a distinctly modern phenomenon, strongmen have been a feature since ancient times – ‘the original political problem’," the synopsis states. "Approaching strongmen from a non-western perspective, Zarakol – who was born under the Turkish military junta – argues that there are general patterns which endure in how strongmen rise and rule, offering lessons from history to counteract the threat of the strongmen today."

Birkett said: "I was impressed by the scope and originality of Ayse’s proposal. Ozymandias will offer a fresh historical perspective on a centuries-old problem, helping readers to consider how we can learn lessons from the past to curtail the worst excesses of strongman rule today."

Zarakol added: "My goal with this book is to place the current global trend of strongmen in historical perspective, and to consider how we can use the lessons of the past to meet our current political moment."