It remains a disconcerting fact that much of the world's history has been determined by autocrats and dictators—by rulers who gained and retained power with an iron fist and a ruthless disregard for the wishes of their people, and the views of the international community. Most people could readily list some of the world's most infamous dictators, particularly those of the twentieth century: Adolf Hitler, Benito Mussolini, Joseph Stalin, and Pol Pot. These volumes provide the reader with a more comprehensive survey of the men—mostly men, but a handful of women as well—who ruled their people with harsh, autocratic methods.