Past Masters is a series of concise, lucid, authoritative introductions to the thought of leading intellectual figures of the past whose ideas still influence the way we think today. The most up-to-date and accessible introduction to Alexis de Tocqueville's life, work, and contribution to modern political theory, this concise work demonstrates both the force and the subtleties of his ideas, and their importance for societies newly embracing democracy. Making clear Tocqueville's growing alarm at the dangers of new tyranny--centralization--and his personal evolution toward becoming the first great European liberal, this powerful introduction covers such works as Democracy in America (1835-1840), written after he travelled to America to observe a federal society in evolution, and his examination of the roots of the French Revolution in The Ancien Regime (1856). Offering a succinct and readable introduction to a man whose thoughts on democracy are especially resonant today, Toqueville is a book that anyone interested in politics and history will want to read.