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White Supremacy: From Eugenics to Great Replacement
Buffalo, New York, 2022. Ten black people murdered. The killer, 18-year-old Payton Gendron, says he was driven by 'Great Replacement' – the conspiracy theory that a Jewish-led elite is replacing white people with black and brown people. This, and a spate of similar hate crimes, begs the question: what are the origins of such behaviour?
Gavin Evans traces the historical roots of white supremacy. He begins in the 19th century with Charles Darwin and his cousin Francis Galton's race-based theories before looking at the spread of eugenics ideas throughout the UK, Europe and the United States, their Holocaust-prompted decline after the Second World War, and their revival in a different guise through the promotion of race science from the late 20th century. Evans also examines the hatching of 'Great Replacement' conspiratorial ideas in the 21st century – and their expression via alt-right forums to the minds of troubled young men with access to assault rifles.
White Supremacy breaks new ground in showing the links between mainstream 'Replacement Theory' and the terrorist version cited by far-right killers. It also traces the thread between these ideas and the race science promoted both by the far right and establishment figures. It looks at what these ideas have in common with those promoted by, for example, the founder of eugenics.
Gavin Evans traces the historical roots of white supremacy. He begins in the 19th century with Charles Darwin and his cousin Francis Galton's race-based theories before looking at the spread of eugenics ideas throughout the UK, Europe and the United States, their Holocaust-prompted decline after the Second World War, and their revival in a different guise through the promotion of race science from the late 20th century. Evans also examines the hatching of 'Great Replacement' conspiratorial ideas in the 21st century – and their expression via alt-right forums to the minds of troubled young men with access to assault rifles.
White Supremacy breaks new ground in showing the links between mainstream 'Replacement Theory' and the terrorist version cited by far-right killers. It also traces the thread between these ideas and the race science promoted both by the far right and establishment figures. It looks at what these ideas have in common with those promoted by, for example, the founder of eugenics.
- GenresHistory
192 pages, Hardcover
Published October 10, 2024
36 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
April 17, 2025
Gavin Evans’ White Supremacy: A Brief History of Hate is a wide-ranging and often difficult to digest book that investigates how eugenics and the myth of white supremacy was behind some of the largest atrocities of our time. Evans traces these ideas from their genesis in pseudo-evolutionary science, to the modern-day Alt-right message boards on 4chan and 8chan where they proliferate today. In doing so, he paints a bleak picture of just how prevalent and persistent racism remains. And while Evans believes that race-based discrimination can be challenged through ongoing exposure of racist ideas and exposure to other races, it is difficult to see the rise in fascism around the world as anything other that an uptick in these ideas.
This book is important as a reminder of how we still have a long way to go to addressing overt and implicit racism and need to find innovative ways to reach those that are being lost to Alt-right messaging boards and populist ideas. However, I wish that the book had more proactive, forward-looking elements to instruct people in how to combat racism and racist ideas in their everyday lives and wish that Evans had used footnotes throughout the book.
This book is important as a reminder of how we still have a long way to go to addressing overt and implicit racism and need to find innovative ways to reach those that are being lost to Alt-right messaging boards and populist ideas. However, I wish that the book had more proactive, forward-looking elements to instruct people in how to combat racism and racist ideas in their everyday lives and wish that Evans had used footnotes throughout the book.
April 3, 2025
This is not a DNF because this is a bad book but because it's so well written, I reached a point where I found it too upsetting to continue.
I don't often listen to non-fiction on audio but if you have the opportunity, I recommend this one. The reader is excellent and absolutely pulls no punches with the slurs. It's very impactful to hear those words spoken aloud. I know if I'd been reading, my eyes would have jumped over them, inadvertently dulling what was being said.
The first 8 chapters are an accessible and engaging dive into the history of white supremacy, along the way challenging the pernicious claims made by those 'just asking questions,' and bringing facts to dispel any claims that racism has scientific justification.
Chapter 9: Eight Killers, 202 Bodies is where I had to gracefully withdraw. The author vividly describes the acts of 8 killers and I didn't have the stomach for it.
A well written and important book.
I don't often listen to non-fiction on audio but if you have the opportunity, I recommend this one. The reader is excellent and absolutely pulls no punches with the slurs. It's very impactful to hear those words spoken aloud. I know if I'd been reading, my eyes would have jumped over them, inadvertently dulling what was being said.
The first 8 chapters are an accessible and engaging dive into the history of white supremacy, along the way challenging the pernicious claims made by those 'just asking questions,' and bringing facts to dispel any claims that racism has scientific justification.
Chapter 9: Eight Killers, 202 Bodies is where I had to gracefully withdraw. The author vividly describes the acts of 8 killers and I didn't have the stomach for it.
A well written and important book.
May 18, 2025
تاريخ عنصرية تفوق الرجل الأبيض من نظرية اليوجينيا (تحسين النسل) إلى وقتنا الحاضر مع تركيز المؤلف على السنوات القليلة الماضية. المؤلف جمع مجموعة من المعلومات الأولوية التي تحتاج إلى تحليل وربط ، المؤلف تعب بتتبع الأحداث العنصرية التي حصلت في الولايات المتحدة الأمريكية ولكنه لم يحسن تحليل هذه الحوادث.
فلا يوجد تحليل منطقي للأسباب التي جعلت البيض الأمريكان ينساقون حول هذه النظريات العنصرية التي في جميع الحالات لا تملك الحد الأدنى من الحقيقة. كان يمكن للكتاب أن يكون مفيد لو قام المؤلف بتحليل هذه البيانات وربطها بأسبابها الاقتصادية أو الاجتماعية.
فلا يوجد تحليل منطقي للأسباب التي جعلت البيض الأمريكان ينساقون حول هذه النظريات العنصرية التي في جميع الحالات لا تملك الحد الأدنى من الحقيقة. كان يمكن للكتاب أن يكون مفيد لو قام المؤلف بتحليل هذه البيانات وربطها بأسبابها الاقتصادية أو الاجتماعية.
March 9, 2025
White Supremacy by Gavin Evans is a searing, trenchant investigation into the real dangers of eugenics and the pervasive myth of white supremacy. Evans traces the lore that seduces many mass race-killers without placation or excuses. Racist ideas are framed scientifically and disseminated through more palatable media where they are remixed, reinterpreted or just reiterated. These pseudo-scientific ramblings informed the misguided eugenic ideologies of world leaders like Hitler, Churchill and even Theodore Roosevelt.
History and science are distorted to support the superiority of one race. The hyper-fixation on farm murders in South Africa had to be framed as White Genocide (aka The Great Replacement Theory) for global attention; with Australia and the US offering humanitarian asylum for white South African farmers. (However, the official numbers on this are eye-opening when compared to general crime stats in the country).
Unflinching and at times difficult to digest, the stories retold in this book are more harrowing because they are fact not fiction: the micro-and macro-aggressions, the pseudo-science and the hateful online rhetoric all add up! Reading this in 2025 feels surreal and prescient. History is cyclic: the current political climate should concern us all. WORDS MATTER: whether in online commentary or political slogans, their influence is irresistible.
It isn't all doom-and-gloom. The author believes that people can become less racist through exposure to other races, cultures and religions - with some evidence to support this.
Equally challenging and rewarding, 'White Supremacy' might shock and anger some people, but it is highly-recommended reading for everyone!
History and science are distorted to support the superiority of one race. The hyper-fixation on farm murders in South Africa had to be framed as White Genocide (aka The Great Replacement Theory) for global attention; with Australia and the US offering humanitarian asylum for white South African farmers. (However, the official numbers on this are eye-opening when compared to general crime stats in the country).
Unflinching and at times difficult to digest, the stories retold in this book are more harrowing because they are fact not fiction: the micro-and macro-aggressions, the pseudo-science and the hateful online rhetoric all add up! Reading this in 2025 feels surreal and prescient. History is cyclic: the current political climate should concern us all. WORDS MATTER: whether in online commentary or political slogans, their influence is irresistible.
It isn't all doom-and-gloom. The author believes that people can become less racist through exposure to other races, cultures and religions - with some evidence to support this.
Equally challenging and rewarding, 'White Supremacy' might shock and anger some people, but it is highly-recommended reading for everyone!
September 18, 2025
So disheartening to read of such intense hatred. It's also heartbreaking to read of South Africa, unfortunately, being such an 'inspiration' for white supremacists all around the world.
I think for this type of subject matter you need to include a sociology or psychology lens of some sort in order to give you a fuller picture of why exactly these ideas are staying around. The answer can't just simply be social media.
While the author did touch on the fact that white supremacy (or atleast violent white supremacists) seem to always be men, it would have been interesting to analyse that part a bit further.
I think for this type of subject matter you need to include a sociology or psychology lens of some sort in order to give you a fuller picture of why exactly these ideas are staying around. The answer can't just simply be social media.
While the author did touch on the fact that white supremacy (or atleast violent white supremacists) seem to always be men, it would have been interesting to analyse that part a bit further.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews