The Strongman Spectacle: Populism, Performance, and the Theater of Power — From Mussolini to Trump and Beyond excavates politics as theater, showing how authoritarian leaders master spectacle from radio and cinema to social media. Strongmen do not simply govern—they perform. Mussolini’s balcony oratory, Reagan’s Hollywood charisma, and Trump’s Twitter theatrics exemplify authority staged and consumed by citizens as spectators. Power becomes inseparable from visibility: the leader as brand, myth, and broadcast. Populism thrives on virality, deploying cinematic tropes, evangelical scripts, and consumerist rituals that collapse governance into entertainment. Trump’s politics of fame and fear hollow democratic institutions, while religion, celebrity, and platforms intensify charisma. Yet spectacle politics is contested terrain. Building on Debord and Kellner, the book situates strongman theatrics within platform capitalism, showing how memes, protests, and parody expose fragility and reclaim visibility for democratic participation.

Adebowale “Ad” Akande, IR GLOBE Cross‑Cultural Inc., Vancouver, Canada, is a globally recognized scholar whose work spans leadership, culture, ethics, and the spectacle of power. Author of numerous books and more than 250 articles and chapters published in multiple languages, his scholarship has appeared in premier outlets including the Academy of Management Journal, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, Journal of Cross‑Cultural Psychology, British Journal of Social Psychology, Leadership Quarterly, and Journal of Business Ethics. Collaborating with eminent thinkers such as Douglas Kellner, Susan T. Fiske, Peter Glick, Richard Boyatzis, David Lester, and Robert J. House, Akande’s research interrogates leadership effectiveness, media culture, critical literacy, and the architecture of contemporary power. His contributions with collaborators have been honored with the Commonwealth Academic Fellowship, Frank Andrew Award, Schloss Leopoldskron Fellowship, Ursula Gielen Global Book Award, and Gordon W. Allport Prize. Renowned for advancing presidential studies, American politics, and cross‑cultural inquiry, Akande’s editorial vision fosters multidimensional dialogue while his scholarship continues to shape global conversations on sustainability, globalism, and the spectacle of leadership.