Accidental Tyrant: The Life of Kim Il-sung
Cover of the book | |
| Author | Fyodor Tertitskiy |
|---|---|
| Audio read by | Gildart Jackson |
| Language | English |
| Subject | Kim Il Sung |
| Genre | Biography |
| Publisher | Hurst Publishers, Oxford University Press |
Publication date | 13 Feb 2025 |
| Publication place | United Kingdom |
| Pages | 352 |
| Awards | A Financial Times Best Summer History Book 2025 |
| ISBN | 978-0197800881 |
Accidental Tyrant: The Life of Kim Il-sung is a 2025 biography of Kim Il Sung, the first leader of North Korea, written by Fyodor Tertitskiy. It was published by Hurst Publishers in the United Kingdom, and by Oxford University Press in North America.
The book argues that Kim Il Sung's rise to power was driven more by historical contingencies than a deliberate long-term strategy.
Reviews
The book received generally positive reviews from several major publications. The Financial Times included it in its list of the ten "best summer books of 2025 in history",[1] describing it as a "comprehensive biography".[2] The Wall Street Journal also gave a favorable review, calling it a "rare and impressive biographical feat".[3] NK News highlighted the book's use of multilingual sources, referring to it as meticulously researched.[4] The Telegraph gave the book a four-out-of-five-star rating.[5]
Reviewers noted the book’s use of an extensive array of primary and secondary sources in Korean, Chinese, Japanese, and Russian. Several remarked that the book offered new insights into the historical development of North Korea.[4][6] Asian Review of Books highlighted the author's exploration of alternate historical scenarios, suggesting that Kim Il Sung’s fate and Korea’s trajectory could have been drastically different.[6]
References
- ^ Studemann, Frederick (June 19, 2025). "Best summer books of 2025: History". Financial Times. Retrieved July 4, 2025.
- ^ Mallet, Victor (February 17, 2025). "Accidental Tyrant — the making of the darkest figure in Korean history". Financial Times. Retrieved July 4, 2025.
- ^ Varadarajan, Tunku (March 28, 2025). "'Accidental Tyrant' Review: The Unlikely Rise of Kim Il Sung". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved July 4, 2025.
- ^ a b Jia, Oliver (April 18, 2025). "Book review: How Kim Il Sung 'accidentally' became North Korea's brutal tyrant". NK News. Retrieved July 4, 2025.
- ^ "How North Korea became hell on earth – thanks to one man". The Telegraph. June 30, 2025. Retrieved July 4, 2025.
- ^ a b ""Accidental Tyrant: The Life of Kim Il-sung" by Fyodor Tertitskiy". Asian Review of Books. April 30, 2025. Retrieved July 4, 2025.