★★★★★ 5
Timely and insightful
Format: Hardcover
As Clay Risen thoughtfully makes clear, the Red Scare of this era had roots in earlier decades, and its effects continue to be felt today. The parallels between those years, which included the HUAC and the Hollywood blacklist, and today provide an important examination of 20th century American history.
As he writes in the Preface, "Self-described patriotic organizations proliferated, intent on ridding their communities of Communism; one, the Minute Women, had some four hundred chapters nationwide. Parent-teacher organizations, school boards, civic clubs, and Boy Scout troops all came under scrutiny. Hundreds of books were purged from public and school libraries." Reading about the people and stories of that time, you will recognize them again today.
I also very much enjoyed his description of how the idea for this book first came to him--as moments from childhood memories which inspired years of research and analysis, and finally this engaging, thoughtful book!
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Reviewed in the United States on March 25, 2025