The Case For Democracy : The Power of Freedom to Overcome Tyranny and Terror ([New] ed)

Natan Sharansky believes that the truest expression of democracy is the ability to stand in the middle of a town square and express one's views without fear of imprisonment.

He should know: as a dissident in the USSR, Sharansky was jailed for nine years for challenging Soviet policies.

His time in prison reinforced his moral conviction that democracy is essential to both protecting human rights and maintaining global peace and security.

Since his release in 1986 and subsequent emigration to Israel, Sharansky has become a leading figure in the Israeli government.

In the last eight years, he has served in four different Israeli cabinets, including a brief stint as Deputy Prime Minister, and is now Minister for Jerusalem.

During this time he has been pilloried by those who say he has been a disappointment as a liberal activist.

He says he has been as consistent as he has been stubborn: tyranny, whether in the Soviet Union or the Middle East, must always be made to bow before Democracy.

His views have already had a powerful impact: On November 11th George W Bush invited Sharansky to the White House to discuss the ideas put forward in the "The Case for Democracy".Originally scheduled for 45 minutes, the meeting lasted for over an hour.

The influence of the meeting with Mr Sharansky was almost immediate, as reflected in the President's speech, with Tony Blair the following day, much of which could have been lifted directly from the pages of the book.

This is a passionately argued book, which draws on Sharansky's lifetime of experience of democracy and its absence to maintain that the spread of democracy everywhere is not only possible but also essential to the survival of our civilization.

His views are sure to stir controversy on all sides; this is arguably the great issue of our times.