Marek Bankowicz, born in 1960, is professor of political science and head of the Department of Contemporary Political Systems at the Institute of Political Science and International Relations at the Jagiellonian University (UJ) in Cracow. He is the author and co-author of many publications on comparative political science and the history of modern global politics.

• Contents: Coup d’état – Conceptions and contexts – Coup d’état, revolution, rebellion, civil war and guerilla warfare – Technique of coup d’état – Scheme of coup d’état – The most important coups d’état in the years 1900-2012 – Present political leaders, who gained power by means of coup d’état.