Far-right political ideologies and movements Books

Book SynopsisProfessor Hans Mommsen, one of the world's leading experts on the history of the Third Reich, has gathered together a group of historians who are engaged in pioneering research into national socialism. This book covers such topics as the Viennese background to Hitler's career; the development of fascist tendencies amongst the German population during the Weimar period; the nature of popular support for national socialism; the myth of the Nazi economic boom and the ideological concepts and political developments which culminated in the mass murder of European Jews. It makes accessible to a wider public controversial arguments which have resulted from recent reassessments of Hitler's movement and his Nazi regime.Trade Review'This is a superb work, one that all students of German history will cite for years to come.'Choice'[The papers'] quality is uniformly high and, read together, they offer a valuable set of reflections on the relationship between the Third Reich's visionary propoganda and its violent, destructive reality.'History 'A worthwhile study that provides an interesting glimpse into the German perspective on the rise of the Third Reich...'German Studies Review

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Book SynopsisHow far did women support Oswald Mosley's Black Shirts? This reference aims to fill a significant gap in the historiography of British fascism, which has generally overlooked the contribution of the women's movement to Britain's fascist experience. Looking at female fascist activism and the influence of feminist ideology on the fascist agenda, Gottlieb shows the significant impact of feminist thought in this area. In spite of its mainstream vocal opposition to fascism, parts of the women's movement as Gottlieb demonstrates, had an implicit connection with the British Union of Fascists.Trade Review'...it must be emphatically stated that this is both an original and important book which has major significance for both gender studies, and the history of British Fascism.' -English Historical Review 'If anyone was tempted to believe, given the plethora of works on British fascism, that there was little left to say, Julia Gottlieb's Feminine Fascism would disabuse them.' -Times Higher EducationTable of ContentsIntroduction - feminine Fascism - women in Britain's Fascist movement, 1923-45; feminized Fascism - Rotha Lintorn-Orman and the British Fascists, 1923-35; women in the British Union of Fascists - organization and forms of participation; the ideology of feminine Fascism; the legacy of the suffragettes to British Fascism; Mosley's women and Mosley's woman - the leader's sexual politics; behind bars and barbed wire - women's experiences of internment under defence regulation 18B, 1940-45; conclusion -women, Fascism and fanaticism, past and present; appendix - who's who in the history of women and Fascism in Britain.

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Book SynopsisThe runaway #1 New York Times bestseller''A ripping read. . . . The parallels to the present day are strong, even startling'' New York Times''A chilling history lesson... Vivid, urgent, smart'' Washington PostAs Hitler''s ascendancy began to make a Second World War inevitable, a clandestine network flooded the United States with disinformation aimed at sapping the strength of its war effort and persuading Americans that their natural alliance was with the Nazis.It was a sophisticated and shockingly well-funded campaign to undermine democratic institutions, promote antisemitism, and destroy citizens'' confidence in their elected leaders, with the ultimate goal of overthrowing the US government and installing authoritarian rule. Some of the country''s most influential elected officials, including senators and members of Congress, worked to disseminate Nazi talking points, while fascist paramilitaries stockpi

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Book SynopsisThe first book to unearth the Christchurch massacre’s fascist roots and examine what it represents and threatens. The massacre of more than fifty worshippers at mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, shocked the world. The murders were not random. They expressed a particular ideology, one that the alleged perpetrator described as ‘fascism’. But what does fascism mean today — and what kind of threat does it pose? Jeff Sparrow traces the history of the far right, showing how fascists have adapted to the new politics of the twenty-first century. Burgeoning in dark places online, contemporary fascism exults in violence and picks its targets strategically. Today, it is Muslims; tomorrow, it will be Jews or gays or Asians. With imitative massacres already occurring around the world, Christchurch must be a wake-up call. This book makes a compelling, urgent case for a new response to an old menace.Trade Review‘This short but incisive book builds to a stirring and well-argued conclusion ... What Sparrow does so eloquently ... is overtly link fascism, historically and theoretically, with political violence.’ FOUR STARS -- Kelsey Oldham * Books + Publishing *‘With conceptual clarity and meticulous research, Jeff Sparrow has produced an indispensable guidebook to the intellectual and political sewers from which the Christchurch mass murderer emerged. Sparrow understands the role social media has played in the rebirth of fascism. He also understands that ideas matter.’ -- Robert Manne, emeritus professor of politics and vice-chancellor's fellow at La Trobe University‘This is a very good book and well worth a read.’ -- James Pierson * NB Magazine *‘Part history lesson, part detective story, part deep-dive into an online swamp, Fascists Among Us is essential reading for anyone who wants to take a stand against hate.’ -- Scott Ludlam‘Jeff Sparrow charts the ideological underpinnings of fascism with uncommon clarity, demonstrating the importance of confronting the truth rather than retreating from its horrors. Read. This. Book.’ -- Sisonke Msimang‘Lit with insight and urgency. Read it, just read it.’ -- Chloe Hooper‘This is succinct, steady writing, well-informed and organised. With the advantage of having recently completed a book on the rise of the right (Trigger Warnings), Sparrow has managed to deal with the problems associated with writing about such a sensationally awful event.’ -- Rosemary Sorensen * Daily Review *‘Sparrow’s analysis is poignant and confronting, yet avoids being voyeuristic or disrespectful.’ -- Ellen Muller * ArtsHub *‘[A]rgues that we need more information, rather than information blackouts, in response to fascist terrorism … He shows how and where fellow fascists form shadowy internet communities to foment violence against immigrants and minorities and spur dialogue on the “Optics War,” “ecofascism,” and “accelerationism” … Sparrow convincingly argues that the more we understand about the last terrorist, the better we can prevent the next one.’ * Kirkus Reviews *

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Book SynopsisThis contributed volume is the first in-depth analysis of the health policies of populist radical right (PRR) parties worldwide and their actual involvement in health care. The prominence of authoritarian, nationalistic, and populist parties is expanding steadily. However, it is often difficult to discern what kind of policies they really stand for, particularly with regard to the welfare state and public health, where research remains sparse. This book fills this critical gap. The text connects PRR parties and leaders with actual health and social policy effects in Eastern and Western Europe as well as in the United States, Brazil, and the Philippines. The chapters highlight ten individual country case studies authored by young scholars and professors with political science and health experts: The Austrian Freedom Party in Government: A Threat to Public Health? The Alternative for Germany (AfD) and Health Policy: Normalization or Containment of Populist Radical Right Tendencies? Populist Radical Right Influence on Health Policy in the Netherlands: The Case of the Party for Freedom (PVV) The Evolution of the Populist Radical Right and Their Impact on Health in Italy The Populist Radical Right and Health in Hungary Is the Polish 'Law and Justice' (PiS) a Typical Populist Radical Right Party? A Health Policy Perspective The Case of the United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP) Rhetoric and Reality in the United States of America: Trump, Populism, and Health Policy Ruling Through Chaos in Brazil: Bolsonaro's Authoritarian Agenda for Public Health An Authoritarian Reaction to COVID-19 in the Philippines: A Strong Commitment to Universal Health Care Combined with Violent Securitization The Populist Radical Right and Health is exceptionally timely and essential reading for political science and health colleagues researching and writing about PRR parties and leaders; students and faculty in public health, health and social policy, and political science; and anyone interested in learning more about this topic.Table of ContentsI. Introduction (Falkenbach, Guicciardi, and Moise)• Current layout of PRR parties - who they are, how they are classified, and why we think a new classification is necessary.• Difference between Left and Right and why we focus on the Right (see image in original proposal - attachment tab).• Current layout of PRR parties and their impact on health - who made it into government and a brief overview of the very limited resources available on this topic.• Policies important to these parties while in government. o Compare PRR parties’ manifestos to what they actually accomplished.• Limitations to the definition of health policy.II. Framework (Falkenbach, Guicciardi, and Moise)• The development of a new framework to identify PRR parties worldwide• Placing them on a spectrum (perhaps 2- or even 3-dimensional) - see below example (attachment tab), third-dimension economics could be added. o Add clientelism and corruption for eastern countries as neededIII. Case Studies – the case studies chosen for this project represent countries that either have or had PRR parties in government and continue to struggle with their electoral strength or have been experiencing a steady increase in support for PRR parties.• INTRO - Short history of the party, with a focus on the cultural/social background of the country. § How did the PRR party develop? § What kind of a role did they play in politics and were they accepted by other parties (SD/CD)? § Did the party’s tactics change over time, why? § Current strength/influence of the party in relation to other parties.• Reasons why we can consider the party as being PRR – follow conceptual framework.• POLICY FOCUS - Starting point for policy focus beginning 2000s unless there were influential policies previously passed that still have an impact today.• List relevant health policies adopted or proposed in the suggested table format.• CONCLUSION - Impact of the PRR party’s policies, with references to quantitative/qualitative studies.• Prediction of PRR parties influence in general over the next years - i.e., will they still be in government, why, why not?• Potential new health policies in the next few years.• Summary box with the most important 4 or 5 “take-home messages”.a. Austria – Falkenbach & Heissb. Italy - Guicciardic. Hungary – Moise & Loblovad. Poland – Moise & Loblovae. UK - Jarmanf. USA – Willisong. Germany – Wackerh. Netherlands – Bekker & Rinaldii. Denmark & Sweden – McManus & Falkenbach TBDj. Brazil k. Philippinesl. Switzerlandm. TBDIV. ConclusionTying together the cases with overall findings.• Health is typically ignored by the PRR, often too controversial.• If there is a coalition partner (in most cases there will be), they will usually be of a Christian Democratic nature and will usually have more power/say than the PRR that will result in the PRR getting stuck with partially unpopular ministries (other than defense and interior), where they will be forced to make rather unpopular reforms that serve the agenda of the stronger coalition party (CD)• Highlight possible outcomes.

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Book SynopsisComplicated Complicity is about the forms taken, motives and spectrum of actions of European collaboration with the Nazis. State authorities, local military organizations and individual players in different countries and areas including France, Scandinavia, Lithuania, Poland, Ukraine, Romania, Hungary, Slovakia, Greece, Italy, Portugal and the countries of the former Yugoslavia are discussed in the context of the history of World War II, the history of occupation and everyday life and as an essential influencing factor in the Holocaust. New forms of right-wing populism, nationalism and growing intolerance of Jewish fellow citizens and minorities have made such historically sensitive studies considerably more difficult in many countries today. In this time of increasing historical revisionism in Europe, such elucidating discourse is particularly relevant.

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Book Synopsis20 July 1944 is usually associated with the bomb plot to murder Hitler. However, what distinguishes Colonel Stauffenberg’s plan from all others is that the attempt on the Führer’s life was only to be the initial stage of a full military coup d’état. The aim was to overthrow the murderous regime, and to end the war as soon as possible. The conspiracy has long been analyzed from political, social, religious, or moral points of view. This book asks what the military dimension of the plan was. What traditions in the German army were at work, how was planning and preparation done, and why did the plot fail eventually? What is more: how did the conspiracy affect the German armies created in East and West after World War　II, and also the Austrian Army? As the politicians among the conspirators thought in categories of Imperial Germany or at least the Weimar Republic, the officers among them were conditioned by the Reichswehr. Yet, Stauffenberg and some others were also bright intellectuals who were willing to incorporate their war experience into their plans, rendering them surprisingly modern at times. The coup d’état had been planned as meticulously as circumstances in war-torn Berlin allowed. However, as most officers had foreseen, once it became public knowledge that Hitler had survived Stauffenberg’s bomb, army units refused to act. The myth surrounding the "Führer" effectively prevented any military action against him. Still, the failed uprising had its effects: the regime took the opportunity to tilt the balance of power further in favor of Himmler and his fiefdom (SS, Gestapo, Police), to the detriment of the army which Hitler felt was too reactionary anyway. The leadership of the West German Bundeswehr always saw the failed uprising as part of its tradition, but it took time for this attitude to percolate down to the rank and file. For decades, some of the former Wehrmacht soldiers viewed Stauffenberg and his friends as "traitors". The book is the first to approach this important event in German history from a specifically military point of view, and that results in some surprising new results.

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Book SynopsisHow do scholarship and practices of remembrance regarding Nazi Germany benefit from digital tools and approaches? What challenges arise from "doing history digitally" in this field – and how should they best be dealt with? 　The eight chapters of this book explore these and related questions. They discuss the digital initiatives of various archives and source databases, highlight　findings of research undertaken with digital tools, and examine how such tools can be used to present history in education, exhibitions and memorials. All contributions focus on recent or, in some cases, ongoing digital projects related to the history of National Socialism, World War II, and the Holocaust.

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Book SynopsisAvailable for the first time in English language translation, the third volume of Totalitarianism and Political Religions completes the set. It provides a comprehensive overview of key theories and theorists of totalitarianism and of political religions, from Hannah Arendt and Raymond Aron to Leo Strauss and Simone Weill. Edited by the eminent Professor Hans Maier, it represents a major study, examining how new models for understanding political history arose from the experience of modern despotic regimes. Where volumes one and two were concerned with questioning the common elements between twentieth century despotic regimes - Communism, Fascism, National Socialism, Maoism â this volume draws a general balance. It brings together the findings of research undertaken during the decade 1992-2002 with the cooperation of leading philosophers, historians and social scientists for the Institute of Philosophy at the University of Munich.Following the demise of Italian Fascism (1943-45), German National Socialism (1945) and Soviet Communism (1989-91), a comparative approach to the three regimes is possible. A broad field of interpretation of the entire phenomenon of totalitarian and political religions opens up. This comprehensive study examines a vast topic which affects the political and historical landscape over the whole of the last century. Moreover, dictatorships and their motivations are still present in current affairs, today in the twenty-first century. The three volumes of Totalitarianism and Political Religions are a vital resource for scholars of fascism, Nazism, communism, totalitarianism, comparative politics and political theory.Table of Contents1. Introduction: On the Interpretation of Totalitarian Rule 2. The Classical Understanding of Tyranny and Despotism 3. The New Approaches 4. On the Concept and Theory of Political Religions 5. Fascism and Non-Democratic Regimes 6. Interpreters of Totalitarianism: A Lexicographical Survey 7. Bibliographic Index

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Book SynopsisSince the 1990s, there has been a growing concern about the resurgence of extremist and radical movements in the Western world. Although a variety of challenges to the liberal democratic order have emerged, the main focus of concern among academics, policy-makers and practitioners within Europe and beyond has been on the growth and activities of Islamists and to a lesser extent the extreme right. However, these forms of extremism are seldom placed alongside each other, and in a manner that is sensitive to both the causes and consequences of extremist mobilization. This book presents new empirical research on the causes of these two new' extremisms in 21st Century Britain and the appropriate responses to it by both the state and civil society. Both forms of extremism pose vital questions for those concerned with the development of a more cohesive and stable society. Unlike many studies, this volume adopts a holistic approach, bringing together experts from a variety of Trade Review'[The New Extremism in 21st Century Britain] offers a fresh approach to understanding extremism, which other works in recent years have missed. The anthology is a timely contribution after the BNP sending its first elected members to European Parliament in 2009. The book is an excellent contribution to the study of extremism and radical British politics.' - Ryan Shaffer, Journal of British Studies, Vol. 51, 1, January 2012‘This work is an ambitious attempt to examine in detail the causes and impacts of far right extremism alongside Islamist inspired extremism. Many may be uneasy about such comparisons but this volume lays to rest such concerns. Above all, it contains choice articles by a strong team of experienced researchers and commentators. There are superb contributions on state-group relations, policing issues and public attitudes. It should be consulted by all those interested in extremism in modern Britain.’ - Shamit Saggar, Professor of Political Science, University of Sussex‘The New Extremism in 21st Century Britain is by far the most important consideration yet of the two principal extremist challenges to the existing political order, namely militant Islamism and far right politics. Eatwell and Goodwin have assembled an expert range of contributors to explore the causes, challenges and coping strategies associated with the rise of extremism in a hitherto largely benign polity. Chapters draw upon a range of attitudinal and electoral evidence to assess the levels of potential and actual support for the British National Party amongst the white working class and for Islamic militancy among British Muslims. Measured, informed and well-researched throughout, The New Extremism needs to be read by any student interested in the ongoing challenges to consensus in British politics.’ - Professor Jon Tonge President, Political Studies Association of the UK, University of Liverpool.‘This book provides some real academic rigour to support the growing development and practice of community cohesion. It will help academics, policy makers and practitioners to understand how this agenda fits together and how national and local interventions in this complex but crucial area can be underpinned by empirical research.’ - Ted Cantle CBE, Executive Chair, Institute of Community Cohesion (iCoCo)‘This book sheds considerable light on the causes and consequences of extremism in society. The evidence and argument presented by an expert set of authors is convincing and compelling. This book deserves a wide readership in academia and also among practitioners and policy-makers.’ - Professor Gerry Stoker, Centre for Citizenship, Globalization and Governance, University of Southampton. ‘For too long politicians have failed to understand, or chosen to ignore, the reasons for the rise of the BNP. It might make uncomfortable reading but Britain, and Britain’s politicians, need to wake up to the realities of the rise of Nick Griffin’s racist party. This book provides one of the most challenging and in-depth studies of the BNP. The authors lifted up the stone and peered beneath. It may be an unpleasant picture, but it must not be ignored.’ - Eric Pickles, Chairman of the Conservative PartyTable of ContentsIntroduction: The 'New' Extremism Roger Eatwell and Matthew J. Goodwin Part 1 1. Religious Extremism in Britain and British Muslims: Threatened Citizenship and the Role of Religion Maria Sobolewska 2. Mobilization, Recruitment, Violence and the Street: Radical Violent takfiri Islamism in Early 21st Century Britain Jonathan Githens-Mazer 3. Faith and State: British Policy Responses to ‘Islamist’ Extremism Erik Bleich 4. Policing the ‘New Extremism’ in 21st Century Britain Frank Gregory 5. Policing within a Counter-Terrorism Context Post 7/7: The Importance of Partnership, Dialogue and Support when Engaging with Muslim Communities Basia Spalek and Robert Lambert 6. Preventing Violent Extremism: Why Local Context Matters Vivien Lowndes and Leila Thorpe Part 2 7. Who Might Vote for the BNP? Survey Evidence on the Electoral Potential of the Extreme Right in Britain Robert Ford 8. In Search of the Winning Formula: Nick Griffin and the ‘Modernization’ of the British National Party Matthew J. Goodwin 9. Who Votes Extreme Right in Twenty-First Century Britain? The Social Bases of Support for the National Front and British National Party Matthew J. Goodwin, Robert Ford, Bobby Duffy and Rea Robey 10. Responses to the Extreme Right in Britain Roger Eatwell. Conclusion Roger Eatwell and Matthew J. Goodwin

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Book SynopsisThe best known but least understood organ of the Nazi state, the SS grew from a minor politician''s small, unpaid bodyguard into a force which dominated the racial, cultural and professional spheres of the most powerful empire Europe has ever seen. Often referred to as ''the state within a state'', the SS was Heinrich Himmler''s personal fiefdom and its influence pervaded all walks of German life, both private and public. Its tentacles extended into the army and police, the business world and of course the death camps.The author reveals Himmler to be a man despised but indulged by Hitler who was obsessed with crackpot theories of Germanic mythology and deeply involved in the Final Solution. He assesses the career of Reinhard Heydrich, who put the organisational muscle and ruthlessness into the SS. The Totenkopt Brigade, set up specifically to run the concentration camps and death camps, is examined, as is the Waffen-SS, the military formation which killed thousands of Jews and partisans across Eastern Europe and fought bitterly against the Allies in Normandy.The postwar story of the SS is also outlined, from clandestine organisations of former SS men to the activities of ex-Nazis today. Supported by photographs and the words of former SS men, their close friends and colleagues, Guido Knopp brings back to life a generation whose fanaticism and violence shaped the identify of the Third Reich.

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Book SynopsisA book of everyday objects which unlock the secrets of the pastTrade ReviewExtraordinary … History at its most sensitive and evocative. Pearson’s astonishing detective work has uncovered stories so poignant and original that they cannot fail to leave an indelible mark. A remarkable book that takes us to the very core of human experience -- Julia Boyd, author of Travellers in the Third Reich: The Rise of Fascism Through the Eyes of Everyday PeopleJoseph Pearson has found an exceptional approach to narrate a time that has become increasingly difficult to write about. By looking at objects that shaped the Second World War, My Grandfather’s Knife uses an original, unideological angle to approach historical truth. Literary non-fiction at its best -- Norman Ohler, author of Blitzed: Drugs in Nazi GermanyMy Grandfather’s Knife is that important and genuinely insightful work that comes along all too infrequently. Through his deft employment of artefacts as touchstones of history, Pearson links the past with the present in a most emotive and tactile fashion, which sweeps the reader down a harrowing yet sentimental path of war, history and fickleness of human memory -- David O'Keefe, author of One Day in August: Ian Fleming, Enigma and the Deadly Raid on DieppeI hugely enjoyed My Grandfather's Knife, which is both sophisticated and accessible, an engrossing and moving story of global entanglements which still resonate today. Pearson strips back each layer of the past with the forensic skill of the detective. He also writes extremely well -- Brendan Simms, author of Europe: The Struggle for SupremacyJoseph Pearson invites us to ponder what rich hidden stories can be gleaned from seemingly ordinary inanimate objects and how this can help us better understand the complexities of history, particularly that of the Second World War ... My Grandfather’s Knife makes a powerful case for those who wish to study the Second World War to become ‘material historians’, too, and use objects as hooks to uncover hidden strands of this vast and overwhelmingly complex part of 20th-century history ... Its original approach makes My Grandfather’s Knife an intriguing addition to the vast field of literature on the Second World War -- Katja Hoyer, Engelsberg Ideas

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Book SynopsisDrawing on the work of Hannah Arendt and Theodor W. Adorno, Claudia Leeb discusses guilt and democracy in the case of Austrian Nazi perpetrators and recent public controversies surrounding Austria's involvement in the Nazi atrocities. She shows us that only by guilt can individuals and nations take responsibility for their past crimes.

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Book SynopsisDrawing on the work of Hannah Arendt and Theodor W. Adorno, Claudia Leeb discussesguilt and democracy in the case of Austrian Nazi perpetrators and recent public controversies surrounding Austria's involvement in the Nazi atrocities. She shows us that only by guilt can individuals and nations take responsibility for their past crimes.

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Book SynopsisIt is difficult for Italians to have much faith in the future. The last Labour Minister said it was a good thing if young people emigrated, to stop them 'getting under our feet'; one recent Prime Minister said that young Italians should not invest their hopes in securing a stable job, for that would be 'boring', anyway.Examining Italy's history since the end of the Cold War, Italy is the Future argues that its dismal situation should not be understood in terms of a stereotyped narrative of Italian chaos or backwardness. In a country that could once boast Europe's strongest Left, Italy today epitomises the crisis of democracy in the West.The scandals of Silvio Berlusconi's rule, the pervasive corruption of public life and sky-high youth unemployment are indicators of a particularly sick society. Yet what is also apparent is the difficulty of any new force emerging to renew Italy's institutions, as its atomised citizens lose hope in political change.What has broken apart in Italy is not just its once-mighty Left but the very bases of social solidarity. The parties of the 1990s and 2000s directly express the social demolition wrought by neoliberalism, as isolated and endangered individuals face the consequences of the crisis alone. Not this or that political party, but public life itself, is in full-scale collapseTrade ReviewIn this well-researched and engagingly written book David Broder shows how the rise of Lega and of its current leader Matteo Salvini emerged out of decades of economic stagnation, social despair and political nihilism in Italian society. And how the abject failure of the Italian Left to represent workers' interests has contributed to the success of the Lega's nativism. -- Paolo GerbaudoExpertly dissects the political and social trends that account for the League's revival since 2013. -- Tony Barber * Financial Times *No other book offers such a clear and concise analysis of just how much Italy has changed, for the worse in this neo-liberal world. -- Chris Bambery * Brave New Europe *Highly useful in understanding how politics have changed since the Second World War, and where Italy is going in the very unpredictable Europe of today. -- Nicholas Dima * Newsmax *David Broder has done us a great service with this succinct account of Italian neoliberal democracy, and he tells it well. If we see what has occurred in Italy as exceptional then we not only don't understand what has taken place, but we don't get the warning that what happens there can happen here. We have been warned. -- Chris Bambery * Counterfire *Broder unravels the mystery of how one of Europe's most stable democracies, boasting superb labour rights and a thriving manufacturing economy, became a basket case almost over night - plagued by political instability, poverty, and mass emigration. -- Robert Maisey * Tribune *Insightful -- Derek Gadd * The Article *

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Book SynopsisSeventy-five years ago, Henry Wallace, then the vice president of the United States, mounted a campaign about the "Danger of American Fascism." As fighting in the European and Japanese theatres drew to a close, Wallace warned that the country might win the war and lose the peace; that the fascist threat the United States. was battling abroad had a terrifying domestic variant, growing rapidly in power: wealthy corporatists and their allies in the media. Wallace predicted that if the New Deal project was not renewed and expanded in the postwar era, American fascists would use fear mongering, xenophobia, and racism to regain economic and political power. He championed a progressive postwar world-an alternative to the rising triumphalist "American Century" notion in which the United States rejected colonialism and imperialism.Wallace's political vision-as well as his nomination to remain vice president-was sidelined by Democratic big city bosses and southern segregationists. In the decades to come, other progressives would mount similar campaigns: George McGovern and Jesse Jackson most prominently. As John Nichols chronicles in this book, they ultimately failed-a warning to would-be reformers today-but their efforts provide us with insights into the nature of the Democratic Party and strategic lessons for the likes of Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.Trade Review"Every progressive must read this book. John Nichols reminds us that Henry Wallace was the true heir to Roosevelt's New Deal. He stood up against militarism, championed health care as a right, and fought for racial justice. When the party bosses denied Wallace a place on the Democratic Party's 1944 ticket, they chose caution over a bold vision for 'winning the peace' with an Economic Bill of Rights and the Four Freedoms. As Nichols reveals, that set a pattern for compromise that sold the party and the nation short. Now, seventy-five years later, as progressives again fight for the soul of the Democratic Party, Nichols gives us the history and vision for a new progressive era." -REPRESENTATIVE RO KHANNA "Henry Wallace is a political figure--one of the giants of the mid-twentieth century--who has kind of been pushed out of the national political discussion ... Nichols [tells us] that one of the reasons Wallace was not renominated in 1944 was because of his opposition to racism. The segregationists didn't want him around." -SENATOR BERNIE SANDERS "More than a history book--this is an examination of what progressives must do to retake our democracy. Nichols points the way toward how we can build a party based on peace, liberty, and justice for all." -REPRESENTATIVE ILHAN OMAR "Nichols is a remarkable thinker and writer. He recognizes that fights that were not won in the past by advocates of economic and racial justice and peace can now be won--if we are determined enough, and hopeful enough, to carry the struggle forward." -REVEREND JESSE JACKSON "Nichols is so good at exploring the roots of U.S. radical politics, including our long socialist history. He puts the fights we're in now into perspective--and gives us inspiration to carry on." -MARIA SVART, National Director of Democratic Socialists of America "Henry Wallace thought we could avoid the Cold War internationally and work on addressing racism at home. He was ahead of his time, and he was punished for that. Maybe, now, we can recognize he was right about a lot of things." -NOAM CHOMSKY

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Book SynopsisIn 1935–37 America passed several Neutrality Acts, vowing never again to take sides in a European conflict. In 1938 public attitudes changed, with the American people beginning to favour Britain and turn against Germany – but what caused this shift of opinion?One reason was a tip-off received by the FBI on the eve of the Second World War, which led to the exposure of a Nazi spy ring operating right there in America. The FBI was able to bring the group to justice and launch a campaign to warn the American people about the Nazi threat to their shores and society.In Ring of Spies, Rhodri Jeffreys-Jones reveals how this case helped to awaken America to the Nazi menace, and how it skewed American opinion, thus spelling the end of US neutrality. Using evidence from FBI files he uncovers a story straight out of a detective novel featuring honey traps, fast cars and double agents.

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