The Withering Rain: America's Herbicidal Folly

by Thomas Whiteside

224 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1971

About the author

Thomas Whiteside was a distinguished American journalist and author whose investigative reporting for The New Yorker frequently spurred major legislative reform. After studying at the University of Chicago and serving in the Office of War Propaganda, he became a formidable voice in advocacy journalism. He is perhaps best known for his instrumental role in exposing the ecological and human devastation caused by Agent Orange; his meticulous reporting served as the primary catalyst for Congressional hearings and subsequent federal restrictions on the chemical.
Whiteside’s diverse body of work often challenged corporate and political power, from revealing the use of ethylene gas in industrial tomato farming to documenting police violence against journalists at the 1968 Democratic Convention. A prolific author, his books explored topics ranging from cigarette advertising and computer crime to the "blockbuster complex" of the publishing industry. In recognition of his enduring impact, he was named a MacArthur Fellow in 1986.