Powers (History/CUNY, Staten Island), author of Secrecy and Power
(1987), on one of the defining concepts of 20th-century American
politics. Few things have provided as clarifying a political acid
test - as well as rallying point - in American politics as
anticommunism. From President Wilson to President Reagan,
politicians were defined in large part by their stance on this
crucial issue, especially in the Cold War years following WW II.
Powers characterizes American anticommunism as a "complex,
pluralistic movement," and in his overview of its history it
becomes apparent that anticommunism has encompassed a broad
spectrum of beliefs, from uninformed paranoia to intellectual
neoconservatism. Less strong is the author's assertion that the
movement's story is not one of extremism. His own pages are full of
vivid examples of anticommunist heavy-handedness, starting with the
24-year-old J. Edgar Hoover, who conducted a brutal, iniquitous,
glory-seeking bust of communist groups in 23 states in 1920. In
later years Joseph McCarthy famously imagined Reds throughout
American political and cultural life, while Richard Nixon fanned
paranoid anticommunist flames and rode that paranoia to power. On
the responsible side? Well, there is historian Arthur Schlesinger
Jr., who redefined anticommunism for American liberals as the
struggle between free and totalitarian societies in his 1948 book
The Vital Center. Powers sums up anticommunism as a positive force,
citing a 1990 article from Foreign Policy: "Anticommunism
envisioned a strong and positive purpose for America, a leadership
role not just in containing Soviet communism but in expanding and
perfecting democratic capitalism." Perhaps it is a testament to his
evenhandednesss, perhaps it is due to the memorable lunacy of
American anticommunist rage, that this statement, made at the end
of his book, retains a wistful quality. Anticommunism informed and
twisted the political discourse of this country and this century,
and Powers provides a knowledgeable view of the phenomenon. An
illuminating book. (Kirkus Reviews)
The American anticommunist movement has been viewed as a product of
right-wing hysteria that deeply scarred our society and
institutions. This book restores the struggle against communism to
its historic place in American life. Richard Gid Powers shows that
McCarthyism, red-baiting, and black-listing were only one aspect of
this struggle and that the movement was in fact composed of a wide
range of Americans-Jews, Protestants, blacks, Catholics,
Socialists, union leaders, businessmen, and conservatives-whose
ideas and political initiatives were rooted not in ignorance and
fear but in real knowledge and experience of the Communist system.
"Not Without Power is superbly written and richly detailed.
Perceptive and thoughtful, it is an impressively thorough and
valuable book."-David J. Garrow "One of the contributions of
[Powers's] provocative narrative history is to bring to life
certain segments of anti-Communist opinion that have largely been
forgotten."-Sean Wilentz, New York Times Book Review "[Powers]
makes extensive use of primary sources and uncovers much that is
new. He vividly recreates the complex relationships within and
between several ethnic and radical communities within the United
States, including their firsthand and often disillusioning
experience with communism. . . . The depth and range of his work
add a great deal to knowledge."-Journal of American History "A
valuable, well-executed study and summation of a vast topic, one
whose various threads the author has woven into a rich
tapestry."-Richard M. Fried, Reviews in American History
General
Is the information for this product incomplete, wrong or inappropriate?
Let us know about it.
Does this product have an incorrect or missing image?
Send us a new image.
Is this product missing categories?
Add more categories.
Review This Product
No reviews yet - be the first to create one!
Welcome to Loot.co.za!
Sign in / Register |Wishlists & Gift Vouchers |Help | Advanced search
(2)
