The Age of Insurrection: The Radical Right's Assault on American Democracy

by David Neiwert

"An important book, offering the clearest explanation of how dark forces conspired to overthrow our democratically elected government and install a fascist regime in its place. And it’s a warning that what comes next might be even worse... His prose is passionate, thoughtful, at times blisteringly funny and always deeply morally engaged with the importance of the work." -- The Seattle Times

"A brisk and searing history... It's a disturbing look at how hard extremism is to stamp out." --Publishers Weekly

The strange and terrible tale of the far right’s long war on American democracy . . .
 
From a smattering of ominous right-wing compounds in the Pacific Northwest in the 1970s, to the shocking January 6, 2021 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, America has seen the culmination of a long-building war on democracy being waged by a fundamentally violent and antidemocratic far-right movement that unironically calls itself the "Patriot" movement.
 
So how did we get here? Award-winning journalist David Neiwert — who been following the rise of these extremist groups since the late 1970s, when he was a young reporter in Idaho — explores how the movement was built over decades, how it was set aflame by Donald Trump and his cohorts, and how it will continue to attack American democracy for the foreseeable future. Neiwert especially studies how the Pacific Northwest has long been a breeding ground of extremist violence, from the time when neo-nazis migrated to the area from southern California in the 1970s, through the great battles in Portland and Seattle and neighboring towns over the last decade. 
 
Laying out how these groups organize their terroristic violence and attacks on democratic institutions at every level—including local, state, and federal targets—Neiwert details what their strategies and plans look like for the foreseeable future.

Genres: Politics, Nonfiction, History, Audiobook, Far Right, Current Affairs, Journalism

543 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 27, 2023

Reviews

[Lizzie S · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Age of Insurrection is the most recent non-fiction book by David Neiwert, an American freelance journalist. The Age of Insurrection focuses on the events of January 6th and on the factors that led up to and culminated in the storming of the capitol on 1/6/2021. Neiwert discusses the ways in which rightwing extremist groups have grown and changed over the preceding decades and gives frameworks for fighting extremism and election denialism on local levels.

This was a good book about an important topic, but it was fairly dry. With such a fascinating topic, I wish this had been a little easier to get into.

Thanks so much to David Neiwert and Melville House Publishing for this ARC through NetGalley. The Age of Insurrection is available now!

[Matt · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have once again decided to embark on a mission to read a number of books on subjects that will be of great importance to the upcoming 2024 US Presidential Election. This was a great success as I prepared for 2020, with an outcome at the polls (and antics by both candidates up to Inauguration Day) that only a fiction writer might have come up with at the time! Many of these will focus on actors and events intricately involved in the US political system over the last few years, in hopes that I can understand them better and, perhaps, educate others with the power to cast a ballot. I am, as always, open to serious recommendations from anyone who has a book I might like to include in the process.

With the events of July 21, 2024, when Joe Biden chose not to seek re-election, the challenge has become harder to properly reflect the Democratic side. I will do the best I can to properly prepare and offer up books that can explore the Biden Administration, as well as whomever takes the helm into November.

This is Book #29 in my 2024 US Election Preparation Challenge.

David Neiwert delivers a chilling and eye-opening exploration of groups who have used insurrection in America for the last number of years. The issue has not strictly been tied to the Trump Administration, but the 45th president’s presence brought these groups into the limelight and shown the parallels between what he supported and these groups sought to offer. As Neiwert delivers significant histories of many groups who felt the need to wrest control away from the standards accepted by the current state, he presents some of the ruthless steps they will take to ensure complete control of American freedom through violent acts. Stunning and disgusting in equal measure from start to finish.

While David Neiwert spends a great deal of time exploring and explaining numerous groups hoping to use violent acts and insurrections to get their points across, his focus is primarily those who might be called right-wing supporters. Referring to the state and those who support the curent government as cultural Marxists or communists, these groups go so far as to insist only they could ensure the state was saved and that violence was likely needed to wrest control away from the worst elements. Their need to be isolationists or feel small towns are the only places to find true believers, Neiwert explores many of those who have these odd mental checklists as to who stands within the tent and the problems with those on the outside.

Neiwert stresses that these groups have been around for decades, having risen into the mainstream with the emergence of the John Birch Society in the 1960s. Most hold firm that there has been an erosion of the state they used to know and that the alienation of society cannot be left to continue ruining their freedoms. These groups seek to rectify things and remove those who they see as the problem, usually with a penchant for violence to break the ongoing trends towards the left and government control of the masses. At their core appears to be use of racist, bigoted, and highly xenophobic rhetoric, standing firm that this is accepted because of free speech, rather than offering constructive arguments as to why it should continue,

While there is much talk about the soldiers on the ground who are willing to shed blood and take lives, Neiwert mentions that those who pour gasoline onto the fires are just as troubling and prove to be even more filled with vitriol. This is where Trump, Alex Jones, Tucker Carlson, and a number of others who prefer to spew hatred and rile up the various groups come into play. These sentiments are wrapped in conspiracy theories and fabricated lies segments of the public drink as readily and pre-poured Kool-Aid. To say that these are warnings for the right to protect themselves against oncoming attacks on their rights and the erosion of freedom across America is embarrassing, yet they do so with a straight face. Neiwert uses media reports, including those from Fox News itself, to show what was being reported and how it was at odds with the rhetoric these (and other) influential, purposely-misdirecting men push as complete truths.

Neiwert does not forget about the group many use as a whipping boy for the entire mess. He explores Antifa and what it stands for in America, as well as their historical creation. The group has long been reactionary, answering the violence and bloodshed fascist groups began as far back as the 1930s. They have long arrived to defend once the fighting began and to make it known about the need for freedom and need to see the limitations some would place upon the populace. Neiwert provides evidence of when and how Antifa arrived to answer the Proud Boys, Oathseekers, or any other group seeking to suppress and intimidate those who would calmly protest. Their emergence came out of nowhere in the latest permutation, though they have long been treated like a hidden and weapons-compiling group. The need for an antagonist (or for some of the groups central to this book, a protagonist) to create the needed clash helps groups on both sides explain themselves. While it is curious to see just how strong hurling ‘Antifa’ can be to send groups into a frenzy, their use as bait can be disproved with ease, much to the chagrin of Trump and his supporters.

What can be done now? As David Neiwert explains at various points, the only way to end the violence and ongoing rumours is the cut off the fuel. Stop the need for using these groups and keep the truth above all the rhetoric. Unfortunately, Trump, Carlson, and even Jones will never stop their antics, as it brings them popularity and helps build flash idolatry of their personas. It will take a complete end to the influence to really nip things in the bud, which might need to be the end of anything Trump (his passing and a period of mourning thereafter). Media outlets have used the Trump bullhorn to push their ideas, so it would be a way to neuter Carlson and Jones, as well as many others. Still, it would be nice o end the ignorance before all this, though there will surely never be an end. Social media has helped spread the vitriol and that is going nowhere in the future. Surely, even the core of the right will see how outlandish and destructive it can be. I can only hope there are many within the Republican Party eager to inch themselves away from this craziness and try to serve the people in a level-headed manner.

Terrorism in America is by no means a new things. It can be traced back to the colonies and those who rose up with reason to push back against the tyrants. However, in no speeches or documents do I see Jefferson, Washington, Adams, or even Hamilton issuing pleas that the rebels kill and hunt down the peaceful Crown-supporters, or spew hatred simply because it helped keep the country from becoming too socialist and soft. As David Neiwert effectively argues in this book, the right has created many groups to ensure hate, xenophobia, and class divisions are rampant, while hiding it behind a sense of patriotism. There is nothing patriotic about killing for the sake of killing, no man or woman should be a proud boy (or girl) for this type of horrible behaviour, nor can one be expected to seek out oaths to pledge hatred and rise up with arms simply to see bloodied heads on the other side. Neiwert uses well-developed chapters to push his narrative and uses strong proofs to better explain the groups, their perspectives, and the vitriol spewed to egg them on. The reader will have to pay close attention to better understand what os happening and how things have advanced (or regressed) to this point. This was an eye-opening experience for me, as I sought to educate myself about the various groups in America that have feasted on racist and xenophobic views to justify their being. Make American Great by ridding the country of this vile group of people and their leaders who want to see more destruction.

Kudos, Mr. Neiwert, for this sobering piece I needed to read, so as to better understand the mind-numbing hate speech these groups hurl.

Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/

[Morgan · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Age of Insurrection covers these groups' history and tactics from the 1970s to the present day. The way Neiwert documents these groups (Neo-Nazis, Proud Boys, Boogaloo Boys, Patriot Prayer, Oath Keepers, Three Percenters, white nationalists, Christian nationalists, QAnon, etc) is an eye opening look at how their rhetoric (great replacement theory, cultural marxism, etc) has been mainstreamed and downplayed by republicans. David Neiwert is a must read author for anyone wanting to read up on far right "patriot" movement. This is the third book of Neiwert's I've read and I think it's some of his best writing.
Thanks to Melville House and Netgalley for the e-ARC in exchange of an honest review.

[Fiona · Rating 3 out of 5]

So thorough it's boring. Neiwert presents his evidence like a journalist would and his writing is clear but it's a bit amorphous in scope with far too many lengthy examples. An index would make it more useful and I'm puzzled it doesn't have one.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is valuable because it ties together and gives background on, all the various knuckleheads out there. I would rather it had extensive footnotes rather than endnotes. That's just my preference. Since we're living in an age where R politicians are eager to suck up to a dumbass and lie, excuse and minimize treasonous conduct, this book is a good scorecard, as it were, to keep track of the players dismantling our democracy bit by bit, both specific individuals and groups. Stay vigilant.

[Kazen · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Keith · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a much needed examination of the rise of the radical right in the United States. David Neiwert is a freelance journalist who has been covering extremism for years, and presents a wealth of evidence for his conclusions. The Age of Insurrection’s depiction of how people enter an “alternative universe” based on misinformation is particularly valuable. However, as an avid reader of nonfiction I do have to admit that I found Neiwert’s writing style a little dull. I also wish that the author could have shown more empathy for what drives many ordinary people into the radical right rabbit hole, providing more information on some of their legitimate concerns. Perhaps Neiwert already did this in his book Red Pill, Blue Pill (2020). 3.5 out of 5.

*
My favorite quote:

[Michael] German observed how blinkered our national culture—not just within law enforcement, but within the halls of officialdom and in the national media—has become about the real threat posed by white nationalists:

If the government knew that al-Qaeda or Isis had infiltrated American law enforcement agencies, it would undoubtedly initiate a nationwide effort to identify them and neutralize the threat they posed. Yet white supremacists and far-right militants have committed far more attacks and killed more people in the U.S. over the last 10 years than any foreign terrorist movement. The FBI regards them as the most lethal domestic terror threat. The need for national action is even more critical. (p. 411).

*
Title: The Age of Insurrection: The Radical Right's Assault on American Democracy
Author: David Neiwert
Year: 2023
Genre: Nonfiction - Politics, current events
Page count: 543 pages
Date(s) read: 8/29/23 - 9/3/23
Reading journal entry #165 in 2023

Additional quotes:

They all fundamentally dwell in the same alternative universe—a semi-functioning epistemological bubble composed of misinformation and disinformation and fabulist conspiracy theories leavened with a few grossly distorted facts, which I have elsewhere named Alt-America. They occupy varying zones of this universe, meaning that they differ at times on the details and emphasis, but are united in the essential view that the world—its politics, its media, its cultures—are being deviously manipulated by the same cabal that brought down Trump to impose their “New World Order” enslavement on us all. (p. 106).

*

Thus Patriot Prayer’s tactics settled into an established strategy that became a national blueprint: organizing right-wing activists primarily from rural and exurban areas to invade liberal urban centers and intimidate them with thuggish behavior. These tactics proved flexible enough to apply across a range of right-wing issues, succeeding in creating a violent Antifa/leftist bogeyman narrative that could translate readily on friendly right-wing media such as Fox News. It began showing up nationally in the context of other scenes of right-wing conflict across the nation. (p. 185).

*

Over the course of his political career, Donald Trump perfected a three-step tango with the radical right—a dance in which he’d pull them close in an embrace, spin away while staying connected, and then pull them back to close quarters. Acknowledge, deny, validate. Lather, rinse, repeat….It was a dance that enabled Trump to court and embrace the radical right with a wink and a nod while maintaining a plausible deniability that he supported them. All of them, Trump and extremists alike, were united in their shared reality: the alternative universe of right-wing conspiracism, founded on the essential belief that the world is being secretly controlled by a cabal of elite “globalists” whose agenda is to place the world, America particularly, under their totalitarian control. (p. 216).

*

One of the peculiar realities of conspiracism is that people who believe in conspiracy theories rarely ever believe just one; most conspiracy theories are interconnected by the nature of their afactual grounding, and often this forms a web of theories that lead to radicalization. This is why anti-vaxxers’ conspiracies coalesced so seamlessly with far-right extremist movements in COVID denialism, and moreover why that commingling became a global phenomenon. (p. 278).

*

The 2020 election was the turning point for America’s epistemological crisis: the moment when the growing divide between people who believed in the old shared reality—based on reported facts and traditional authorities and institutions—and the people who believed in the new, alternative shared reality—the one concocted by Trump and the right-wing media ecosystem based on conspiracy theories, disinformation, wild conjecture, and flat-out falsehoods—became finally irreconcilable. (p. 287).

*

That, in fact, is how the American right had come to deal with reality: just throw so much misinformation out there that the public becomes unable to discern fact from fiction—at which point right-wing authoritarians will naturally embrace their lying propaganda. Ex-Trump adviser Stephen Bannon calls it “flooding the zone with shit,” creating so much uncertainty with a barrage of disinformation that many people default to the word of their preferred authority figures. (p. 293).

This is very similar to how many modern authoritarian dictatorships work nowadays. Peter Pomerantsev argues that this is true about modern Russia in his fine book: Nothing Is True and Everything Is Possible: The Surreal Heart of the New Russia (2015).
*

Exactly what is critical race theory? It’s an academic framework based on the idea—one well-grounded in factual history—that racial discrimination and inequality are built into the American systems of law and governance as well as its culture. Most of this framework emerged in the 1970s and afterward, with the first academic workshop on it occurring in 1989. For the most part, this framework is considered something of an academic niche, one that mostly comes into play in law schools and in political science. (p. 357).

This section of the book is misleading. Yes, it is not technically Critical Race Therapy (CRT) that is being taught in most undergraduate classes or K-12 schools. Instead, what right-wingers label “CRT” is Anti-Racism as taught by public intellectuals such as Robin DiAngelo. Anti-Racist ideas are directly influenced by CRT and parents are justified in objecting to it being taught to their children as a fact as opposed to one theory out of many. Val Thomas' definition in Cynical Therapies (2023) gets to the heart of why CRT is so upsetting to many people in the Western world: "Originating in Critical Legal Studies during the 1980s/1990s, CRT takes as axiomatic that Western culture is structured along racist lines by white supremacy. CRT does not ask if racism takes place; instead, it asks how. This particular Critical Theory is openly hostile to the Western Liberal position which advocates for [color] blindness" (p. 29). Many white people still believe in the Western Liberal tradition of equality and balk at academic theories that argue for special treatment of certain groups and vilification of other groups based on race. The resulting resentment/bitterness, in turn, leaves them vulnerable to other ideas that do not vilify them for the color of their skin, leaving them open to going down the far right rabbit hole.
*

[Alabama State Representative Chris] Pringle was asked by a reporter to define the term. He said that CRT “basically teaches that certain children are inherently bad people because of the color of their skin, period.” Who was teaching that? “Yeah, uh, well—I can assure you—I’ll have to read a lot more.” (p. 357).

This section is funny, showing a conservative politician being unable to provide an example of CRT being taught. Once again, I think he and other conservatives are referring to Anti-Racism not CRT. If I had been in his shoes I would have referred to any teachers that use concepts from Robin DiAngelo’s best-selling book White Fragility (2018). And yes, that book does teach that whites are “inherently bad” because of their race’s collective guilt of racism:

A positive white identity is an impossible goal. White identity is inherently racist. White people do not exist outside the system of white supremacy. This does not mean that we should stop identifying as white and start claiming to be some other type of race. To do so is to deny the reality of racism in the here and now, and this denial would simply be color-blind racism. I strive to be “less white.” To be less white is to be less racially oppressive.” (DiAngelo, 2018, pp. 149-50).

Dr. DiAngelo does vilify white people and infantilizes black people in this book and a free thinking person of any race has every right to feel resentful about the influence of these ideas. Those of us on who are moderate and liberal need to push back against this kind of thing. If we can refrain from blindly accepting and propagating hateful ideas such as anti-racism , than there will be less risk of our fellow citizens falling down the radical right rabbit hole.
*

A central feature of the spread of far-right politics is the intimidation directed at mainstream liberals and even Republicans who refuse to participate in their incoherent conspiracism: As with all authoritarian movements, aggression directed at anyone who fails to submit to their rule is a foundational component of their real-world behavior. And in the rural areas where their politics already dominate, they often have free rein to threaten their neighbors with impunity. (p. 428).

*

Many observers, including historians, compared it to previous periods of societal strife in the United States, including the Civil War and the Civil Rights era. “What’s different about almost all those other events is that now, there’s a partisan divide around the legitimacy of our political system,” Owen Wasow, a Pomona College political scientist, told The New York Times. “The elite endorsement of political violence from factions of the Republican Party is distinct for me from what we saw in the 1960s. Then, you didn’t have—from a president on down—politicians calling citizens to engage in violent resistance. (p. 433).

*

[Michael Donahoe · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was very informative and interesting, yet so aggravating and worrisome. Very well researched about events in our nations recent history. It brought to light the dangers and extremism of some of the alt-right groups such as Proud Boys, Oath Keepers, Nazi terror organizations and white supremacists operating with our country. It is good for the everyday citizen to know what is going on and what groups are promoting the hate, discrimination, fighting and upheaval within our nation. This book definitely makes it clear. The aggravating part is so many of these groups and their hateful actions seem to go unpunished since many law enforcement agencies seem to ignore their hateful acts. We need to take the domestic terror groups and organizations seriously and start standing up and doing something to bring their reign to a close.

[Tina Panik · Rating 5 out of 5]

Important and enlightening.

This was an ARC. Reviewed for Library Journal.

[J Earl · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Age of Insurrection by David Neiwert is an essential read for anyone interested in understanding the radical right, especially with an eye toward thwarting their continued terrorism.

This book primarily covers the period from the 1970s until now, largely because Neiwert has firsthand knowledge of this period from his research and journalism activity. This means that, while including explanations of many of the conspiracies and ideas, this is much more "on the ground" than many books. Those books are important, we have to be able to think both abstractly about the ideas as well as pragmatically about the actions. Neiwert offers some of both but is focused on the actions and strategies of the radical right.

Ideally this book will be read not simply to understand these movements but to formulate countermeasures. This will hopefully serve as a call to action (or to arms if the radical right continues to insist on armed confrontation) for activists and a wake-up call for any politicians or policymakers who might be conservative but still prefer the idea of a democracy over some form of authoritarian rule.

I would recommend this to anyone interested in what is happening in the US (as well as the rest of the world). If you have high blood pressure (as I do), just make sure you're taking your meds because this book will anger you as well as make you question those around you who pretend to not be like these extremists but still spew the same nonsense (we all know these people, probably related to a few of them).

Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley.

[Corey Pool · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had a good understanding of the insurrection on Jan 6, 2021, but had no idea the breadth of events in the US leading up to Jan 6, and after. This book covers it all, from the Black Lives Matter protests to Covid and mask mandates. I feel much more informed about the historical event and am really glad I read this book.

It does go around in circles at times, revisiting events and people associated with those events, but I see how it’s relevant to revisit throughout the book.

I highly recommend reading this if you’re wanting to understand how the insurrection came to be, and what we’re facing now in its wake.

[Literatures Movies · Rating 3 out of 5]

DNF 40%

A very important book on various important topics but it is so dry and dense that it was hard to get through. It was just facts on facts on facts. No emotions to the writing at all that it’s really hard to swallow especially as someone who is not well versed in right wing politics.

It was a very well researched book however and extremely informative.


Blog; http://literaturesandmovies.com/

[James Murphy · Rating 4 out of 5]

David Neiwert's book "The Age of Insurrection: The Radical Right's Assault on American Democracy" examines the various American extremist right-wing groups, how these groups became mainstream, and their actions at the US Capitol on January 6, 2021. Readers concerned about American democracy and its future should seek "The Age of Insurrection: The Radical Right's Assault on American Democracy."

[Meghan · Rating 4 out of 5]

From a writing perspective, this book could have used a more cohesive narrative arc. It kind of jumped all over the place and was therefore somewhat dry. But I like that he didn’t pull any punches calling these extremists what they are, and he clearly knows the topic. It’s both chilling and terrifying that so much hate is so deep rooted in these people.

[Steve L. Weddle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Understanding the threat to our republic.

Do not read unless you want to become better aware of the very real threat facing democracies both here in the U.S. and around the world.
Well written with plenty of actual referrals to the articles and quotes used throughout the book.

[Samantha Caracciolo · Rating 1 out of 5]

The content of the book is great, and necessary for our time. My rating is really based on the writing style of the book, its reads like a textbook so the ease of the read on an already difficult topic isn’t great.

[Jenean Eichenholtz · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am a pretty liberal Democrat and I tend to lean towards that kind of writing in my reading. At the same time, I don’t like just reading stuff that feeds my own beliefs, so when I read something like this, I try really hard to keep in mind that it’s certainly written for a certain kind of audience, and remember that for (almost) every action on one side of the aisle, there’s (likely) a similar one on the other. That being said, this book horrified me with the level of hate and vitriol that exists on the far right, and - perhaps more importantly - how much of the far right messaging is invading more mainstream Republicanism. The book describes many of the groups that exist such as Proud Boys, Patriot ??, and XXX, and gives a lot of detail about their actions and spread. It jumps around in time, since it’s organized by group and not just chronologically. the January 6th insurrection was reviewed several times and in great detail.

I may experiment with some right-wing writing to get a different point of view (kind of like how my husband likes to occasionally watch Fox News, just to get the other side) - at least until it makes me want to pull my hair out. 😉

[Jeff Ellerbach · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you follow this stuff closely in the news, then you've heard almost all of this before. Maybe good as a refresher/summary or for more details if your news consumption is mostly broadcast level.

[Janna Stieg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding. Pages and pages of endnotes. I feel like I should immediately read it again, and take notes this time. I highly recommend it.

[R A · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lot of repetitions and kind of scattered timeline, but a good book.

[Leanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

All the planning, strategy, players and their communities who helped this come about in the USA. A must read to know the incredibly concerted effort and white collar crime to bring down our country.

[Alex Levine]

Filled with details, but with little analysis. Neiwert traces linkages between groups and actors, without much attention to the ideological and social divisions separating them. The main problem is probably organizational. Appreciated Eddington more after reading.

[Matthew · Rating 5 out of 5]

American culture and history has been a rollercoaster ride of change, both good and bad. The rise of the alt-right has been a part of that culture and history for several decades. The Age of Insurrection: The Radical Right’s Assault on American Democracy (Brooklyn: Melville House, 2023, 540 pgs, $39.99US $53.99CAN) by award winning journalist David Neiwert, is a real-life chronicle of the growth of the white nationalist movement and how that movement has changed civil discourse in the United States into an extremely negative and polarizing aspect of what once was a positive and powerful way of life. Neiwert uses meticulous research and a wide variety of sources to support his argument that the white nationalist movement is a deliberate attempt to undermine American democracy. The incidents that Neiwert cites as examples of the rise of the alt-right are not fabricated but can be read about in the newspaper or online. The narrative defines the battleground that is the American landscape.
Neiwert describes efforts by white nationalist organizations like the Proud Boys, the Christian Identity movement, and the Patriot Front to overturn the rule of law and institute an authoritarian state at the grassroots level. These efforts include threats, intimidation, physical assaults, and a lack of accountability or responsibility. Many of these white nationalist groups attempt to hide their activities behind a veil of free-speech and freedom of expression. However, Neiwert writes that the contacts these groups have made in law enforcement and in the political arena have both given the efforts credence and have exposed these groups to increased scrutiny and questioning. Neiwert also describes how these groups have been given a virtual carte blanche in cities like Portland and Charlottesville to practice their activities without fear of punishment.
The Age of Insurrection is modern history at its best. Neiwert’s use of a wide variety of newspaper accounts, blog postings, and social media support his argument that white nationalism is extremely dangerous and toxic to the American way of life. This is a book that should be read by anyone interested in figuring out a way to help banish white nationalism back to the fringe of society. It is a volume that is well written and easy to read. The Age of Insurrection is a true manual for how to deal with extremism.


Matt

[Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

A solid glimpse at some American extremism and hate groups and their unsettlingly successful incursion into mainstream republican thinking and politicking. An important book moving into our current election cycle and indicator of the specific, potential violence and violations of democratic process we might expect as the election heats up.