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White Storm: How Racism Poisoned American Democracy
A piercing examination of America's struggle with racism and why this now threatens the survival of the nation's democracy
When the U.S. Capitol was stormed in 2021, it was an attack on the very idea of America as a pluralist democracy. It was also a reminder that the worst threat to the United States today doesn’t come from any foreign despot, but from domestic racism. In The White Storm, the journalist and author Martin Gelin looks back at two decades as a political correspondent and three centuries of American history to understand this moment of crisis. In the vein of Alexis de Tocqueville or Tony Judt, fellow Europeans who traveled America searching for answers to its political contradictions, this is a journey across time and space, from Thomas Jefferson's Monticello to the slave plantations of Louisiana, from mass prisons in rural Arizona to memorials for lynching victims in Alabama.
The book reveals how every step forward for Black Americans is met with a fierce backlash from white Americans, taking two recurring violent extremism and a flight from the commons. The white backlash always grows in proportion to the black advances. After Joe Biden was declared the winner of the 2020 presidential election, a Black man at a polling station in Detroit "We used to pick cotton, now we pick presidents." It is precisely this Black agency that white nationalists refuse to accept.
The White Storm reveals how racism has permeated almost every significant conflict in America’s past. Now it threatens American democracy itself.
When the U.S. Capitol was stormed in 2021, it was an attack on the very idea of America as a pluralist democracy. It was also a reminder that the worst threat to the United States today doesn’t come from any foreign despot, but from domestic racism. In The White Storm, the journalist and author Martin Gelin looks back at two decades as a political correspondent and three centuries of American history to understand this moment of crisis. In the vein of Alexis de Tocqueville or Tony Judt, fellow Europeans who traveled America searching for answers to its political contradictions, this is a journey across time and space, from Thomas Jefferson's Monticello to the slave plantations of Louisiana, from mass prisons in rural Arizona to memorials for lynching victims in Alabama.
The book reveals how every step forward for Black Americans is met with a fierce backlash from white Americans, taking two recurring violent extremism and a flight from the commons. The white backlash always grows in proportion to the black advances. After Joe Biden was declared the winner of the 2020 presidential election, a Black man at a polling station in Detroit "We used to pick cotton, now we pick presidents." It is precisely this Black agency that white nationalists refuse to accept.
The White Storm reveals how racism has permeated almost every significant conflict in America’s past. Now it threatens American democracy itself.
- GenresNonfiction
400 pages, Hardcover
Published January 21, 2025
9 people are currently reading
123 people want to read
About the author
Martin Gelin
17 books41 followersI'm the US Correspondent for Dagens Nyheter and the author of nine books on American politics and culture.
I have written for The New York Times, Foreign Policy, Boston Review, The New Republic, LA Review of Books and Granta.
I have also translated several works from English to Swedish.
I have written for The New York Times, Foreign Policy, Boston Review, The New Republic, LA Review of Books and Granta.
I have also translated several works from English to Swedish.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
January 21, 2025
The White Storm takes you through the history of racism- from slavery all the way up until current events. This book was definitely heavily researched and very easy to read. definitely heartbreaking with events that were talked about but SO important to talk about. with the hatred on the rise from the republican party it's so important to remember history so we can do better.
thank you to the publishers and netgalley for the ARC!
thank you to the publishers and netgalley for the ARC!
December 16, 2024
Just as Alexis de Tocqueville concluded in the 1830s that our dehumanization of Black people was incompatible with American virtues of freedom and liberty, Martin Gelin warns that we have not left that path. This is not an optimistic book, but it is a hopeful one, and a good one.
January 15, 2025
It’s funny how I managed to pick a book that has already been published in Swedish and thus breaking my longstanding New Year’s resolution of reading more books in Swedish one week into the new year.
This book is likely written for a Swedish audience to begin with and that reflects in some of the examples used by Gelin (Swedish kings, politicians etc.), but it’s not shallow in its analysis like some books written for an international audience can be. You can absolutely read and enjoy this as an American or any other nationality. This is a book for anyone who is interested in the history of racism in the United States. It’s thorough and well-researched.
One gripe I have with this book is that it brings up past sins of currently alive people without engaging with what they’ve said at a later point. It’s obviously fine to point out the Clintons’ overt racism in the 90s (I wrote a whole dissertation about the implications of how the Presidents’ policies devalued Black individuals’— in particular Black women’s — citizenship) but it feels a bit disingenuous to not bring up more recent statements attempting to rectify past wrongs. You can either think that 1. It’s not enough or a bad apology and engage with the why or 2. Believe decision-makers are capable of evolving and work with that as a path forward. Just dropping past statements and not engaging with them opens the argument up to being dismissed as not valid anymore.
Overall, I’m very impressed with the book and enjoyed reading it. I do hope Gelin follows up because the original Swedish version is already a few years old and things have happened since — the French coalition broke down, the German ditto and trump was re-elected. It would be interesting to see in a few years what more there is to say because I’m guessing plenty.
Thanks to Prometheus via NetGalley for providing an ARC of this very interesting book! The review is given freely and is an honest review.
This book is likely written for a Swedish audience to begin with and that reflects in some of the examples used by Gelin (Swedish kings, politicians etc.), but it’s not shallow in its analysis like some books written for an international audience can be. You can absolutely read and enjoy this as an American or any other nationality. This is a book for anyone who is interested in the history of racism in the United States. It’s thorough and well-researched.
One gripe I have with this book is that it brings up past sins of currently alive people without engaging with what they’ve said at a later point. It’s obviously fine to point out the Clintons’ overt racism in the 90s (I wrote a whole dissertation about the implications of how the Presidents’ policies devalued Black individuals’— in particular Black women’s — citizenship) but it feels a bit disingenuous to not bring up more recent statements attempting to rectify past wrongs. You can either think that 1. It’s not enough or a bad apology and engage with the why or 2. Believe decision-makers are capable of evolving and work with that as a path forward. Just dropping past statements and not engaging with them opens the argument up to being dismissed as not valid anymore.
Overall, I’m very impressed with the book and enjoyed reading it. I do hope Gelin follows up because the original Swedish version is already a few years old and things have happened since — the French coalition broke down, the German ditto and trump was re-elected. It would be interesting to see in a few years what more there is to say because I’m guessing plenty.
Thanks to Prometheus via NetGalley for providing an ARC of this very interesting book! The review is given freely and is an honest review.
October 13, 2024
*Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*.
The White Storm looks at American racism by detailing American slavery all the way up to the Capitol Riots in 2021. Domestic terrorism is on the rise in the US and this work looks at how the Republican Party has become the party for racists. The book looks at Monticello and Thomas Jefferson’s slaves. James Baldwin is discussed and personally I did not know how involved he was in racial politics in America so that was really interesting. The zero tolerance of the police was discussed alongside the increase in militarised policing which was an important read. The capitol riots were discussed in detail and I gained a lot of insight into how and why they started.
I really enjoyed reading this and I’m giving this 5 stars. The writing was good and this was incredibly well researched. I appreciate how many people were referenced in this and how the author did his own research by actually going and meeting people in this book such as Alex Jones. This helped to make the book more balanced because the author has first hand knowledge of certain situations and isn’t just putting a personal opinion down as fact. I was personally touched at times because this is not an easy read and I did tear up at the end when Trayvon Martin was mentioned and when the National Museum of African American History and Culture was spoken about simply because of how much history has passed. I really appreciate this novel and it’s strange to consider how much has changed since slavery was widely practiced to now in the modern day but also how little has changed in people’s attitudes. I would definitely recommend this book, it’s an incredibly important read that has touched me on a personal level.
“A single American life bridges the gap between the birth of America and our own time. History is that close.”
The White Storm looks at American racism by detailing American slavery all the way up to the Capitol Riots in 2021. Domestic terrorism is on the rise in the US and this work looks at how the Republican Party has become the party for racists. The book looks at Monticello and Thomas Jefferson’s slaves. James Baldwin is discussed and personally I did not know how involved he was in racial politics in America so that was really interesting. The zero tolerance of the police was discussed alongside the increase in militarised policing which was an important read. The capitol riots were discussed in detail and I gained a lot of insight into how and why they started.
I really enjoyed reading this and I’m giving this 5 stars. The writing was good and this was incredibly well researched. I appreciate how many people were referenced in this and how the author did his own research by actually going and meeting people in this book such as Alex Jones. This helped to make the book more balanced because the author has first hand knowledge of certain situations and isn’t just putting a personal opinion down as fact. I was personally touched at times because this is not an easy read and I did tear up at the end when Trayvon Martin was mentioned and when the National Museum of African American History and Culture was spoken about simply because of how much history has passed. I really appreciate this novel and it’s strange to consider how much has changed since slavery was widely practiced to now in the modern day but also how little has changed in people’s attitudes. I would definitely recommend this book, it’s an incredibly important read that has touched me on a personal level.
“A single American life bridges the gap between the birth of America and our own time. History is that close.”
April 10, 2025
And you may ask yourself, “Well, how did I get here?”
To gain an understanding of why we are where we currently are in this country, author Martin Gelin makes the quite successful argument that what we are currently experiencing with Donald Trump, Republicans, and the rise of White Nationalism all have their roots in the racism that has pervaded the United States throughout its history. He goes back into the history of the United States and highlights pivotal moments that highlight when the white population chose prejudice, discrimination, and fear over embracing those who had a different skin color than they did.
Although The White Storm was published in the United States in January of 2025, it is quickly apparent that the book was written at least a year or more before then. Trump has not been re-elected as of this writing, nor has there been the upheaval in the Democratic Party that substituted Kamala Harris as the nominee for President. I have to wonder what Gelin would make of the current climate and deportations without due process.
Gelin has been a Swedish correspondent in the United States for more than twenty years. He has written a number of books about his observations during that time. I haven’t read any of his other works, but this is a solid piece of research and writing that all too accurately sums up how racism has brought us to this moment. He goes back to the enigma that is Thomas Jefferson, a white President who owned slaves and fathered numerous children with one of them. Gelin makes the point that as much as Jefferson wrote that there would one day be a reckoning for the sin of slavery, he still had twelve-year-old boys whipped and did not free his slaves upon his death as George Washington did.
To read my complete review, please go to The White Storm: How Racism Poisoned American Democracy by Martin Gelin – Understanding Racism’s Role in America’s Current Climate
To gain an understanding of why we are where we currently are in this country, author Martin Gelin makes the quite successful argument that what we are currently experiencing with Donald Trump, Republicans, and the rise of White Nationalism all have their roots in the racism that has pervaded the United States throughout its history. He goes back into the history of the United States and highlights pivotal moments that highlight when the white population chose prejudice, discrimination, and fear over embracing those who had a different skin color than they did.
Although The White Storm was published in the United States in January of 2025, it is quickly apparent that the book was written at least a year or more before then. Trump has not been re-elected as of this writing, nor has there been the upheaval in the Democratic Party that substituted Kamala Harris as the nominee for President. I have to wonder what Gelin would make of the current climate and deportations without due process.
Gelin has been a Swedish correspondent in the United States for more than twenty years. He has written a number of books about his observations during that time. I haven’t read any of his other works, but this is a solid piece of research and writing that all too accurately sums up how racism has brought us to this moment. He goes back to the enigma that is Thomas Jefferson, a white President who owned slaves and fathered numerous children with one of them. Gelin makes the point that as much as Jefferson wrote that there would one day be a reckoning for the sin of slavery, he still had twelve-year-old boys whipped and did not free his slaves upon his death as George Washington did.
To read my complete review, please go to The White Storm: How Racism Poisoned American Democracy by Martin Gelin – Understanding Racism’s Role in America’s Current Climate
January 13, 2025
Thank you, NetGalley and Prometheus Books for this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
Author, Martin Gelin's main point of this book is the perpetual target that Black Americans have had on their backs since 1619. The United States, while founded on freedom, this freedom did not include Black Americans or other ethnic minorities.
From enslavement to systemic murder to being murdered by police, this story of racism in America needs to be told. The alt-right ultra-conservative Republicans want to keep this information out of our schools because they feel that it will look down on white supremacy which still has a stronghold in our nation. One interesting thought from the book by Alex de Tocqueville that still rings true today is that American ideals of freedom and democracy were not compatible with these ideals. He declares that racism is the Achilles heel of the United States and it is our greatest weakness and our foreign adversaries want to take advantage of it.
Martin Gelin thoroughly researches this topic from the founding fathers of our country to our current political climate. Interviewing historians and study books from foreign observances, the author accurately delivers his message that America needs to hear. I recommend this book to everyone in America so they will know the truth without the whitewashing to protect the fragile egos of the white supremacists who hide behind the word patriots. I am buying a final copy to add to my home library so that my children will read this book in the future.
Author, Martin Gelin's main point of this book is the perpetual target that Black Americans have had on their backs since 1619. The United States, while founded on freedom, this freedom did not include Black Americans or other ethnic minorities.
From enslavement to systemic murder to being murdered by police, this story of racism in America needs to be told. The alt-right ultra-conservative Republicans want to keep this information out of our schools because they feel that it will look down on white supremacy which still has a stronghold in our nation. One interesting thought from the book by Alex de Tocqueville that still rings true today is that American ideals of freedom and democracy were not compatible with these ideals. He declares that racism is the Achilles heel of the United States and it is our greatest weakness and our foreign adversaries want to take advantage of it.
Martin Gelin thoroughly researches this topic from the founding fathers of our country to our current political climate. Interviewing historians and study books from foreign observances, the author accurately delivers his message that America needs to hear. I recommend this book to everyone in America so they will know the truth without the whitewashing to protect the fragile egos of the white supremacists who hide behind the word patriots. I am buying a final copy to add to my home library so that my children will read this book in the future.
October 9, 2024
You can also see this review, along with others I have written, at my blog, Mr. Book's Book Reviews.
Thank you, Globe Pequot / Prometheus Books, for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Mr. Book just finished The White Storm: How Racism Poisoned American Democracy, by Martin Gelin.
This book will be released on January 21, 2025.
This was an excellent history of racism in the United States. The author started the book with an excellent and devastating critique of Thomas Jefferson and slavery. There were so many great chapters in this chapter, including ones on reconstruction, segregation, January 6, the “Lost Cause” revisionist history of the Civil War, the militarization of the police and so much more.
One sign of a great book is how much highlighting I did in the text. This one was off the charts.
I give this book an A+ and inducted it into the Hall of Fame. Goodreads and NetGalley require grades on a 1-5 star system. In my personal conversion system, an A+ equates to 5 stars. (A or A+: 5 stars, B+: 4 stars, B: 3 stars, C: 2 stars, D or F: 1 star).
I hope that this book is also released as an audiobook, so I can also listen to it.
This review has been posted at NetGalley, Goodreads and my blog, Mr. Book’s Book Reviews
Mr. Book finished reading this on October 9, 2024.
Thank you, Globe Pequot / Prometheus Books, for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Mr. Book just finished The White Storm: How Racism Poisoned American Democracy, by Martin Gelin.
This book will be released on January 21, 2025.
This was an excellent history of racism in the United States. The author started the book with an excellent and devastating critique of Thomas Jefferson and slavery. There were so many great chapters in this chapter, including ones on reconstruction, segregation, January 6, the “Lost Cause” revisionist history of the Civil War, the militarization of the police and so much more.
One sign of a great book is how much highlighting I did in the text. This one was off the charts.
I give this book an A+ and inducted it into the Hall of Fame. Goodreads and NetGalley require grades on a 1-5 star system. In my personal conversion system, an A+ equates to 5 stars. (A or A+: 5 stars, B+: 4 stars, B: 3 stars, C: 2 stars, D or F: 1 star).
I hope that this book is also released as an audiobook, so I can also listen to it.
This review has been posted at NetGalley, Goodreads and my blog, Mr. Book’s Book Reviews
Mr. Book finished reading this on October 9, 2024.
June 9, 2025
This is not necessarily a heartwarming or uplifting read, but it's vital in modern America to realize that so much of our nation's history is intertwined with racism. This book chronicles efforts by white supremacists from the Declaration of Independence (and earlier) through the insurrection of January 6 to maintain power by sewing fear and mistrust amongst the population. I can't get this book out of my mind and have stopped myself midthought in order to consider whether or not I'm being influenced by centuries of propoganda.
November 14, 2025
A great read with so many truths about recent history and the history that I forgot, or was never was taught.
January 11, 2026
very comprehensive, well researched book by swedish author, who from outsider perspective explains how racism has destroyed the fabric of american civility
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews