In the absence of the rule of law in government tyranny thrives and ‘fear becomes a way of life’ writes Ben Freeth in his second book. He gives examples from his own life under Mugabe in Zimbabwe, from the holocaust under Hitler, from Romania under Ceausescu and more. You can’t duck this fact; you must recognise fear for what it is: fear of physical harm, of incarceration in prison, even of death; fear for your family; fear for your friends and community. Freeth does not just give a remarkable testimony of the manner in which he found strength in his Christian belief to face fear, he also demands that others should stand up and be counted in the same manner. In a magisterial sweep through history he picks numerous examples of states that have foundered without a rule of law and others that have prospered on the firm footing of the law supported by Christian principles. In our troubled world Freeth asks us to search for and establish ‘the paramount principles of truth and justice’. When Governments Stumble is an important, provocative and stimulating book. A ‘must read’ as Archbishop Desmond Tutu has written.