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The Secret War Against Hate: American Resistance to Antisemitism and White Supremacy
From the author of Pulitzer Prize finalist Hitler in Los Angeles, the definitive story of the rise and fall of hate groups in America from 1945 until the late 1970s, and of the intrepid activists and spies who brought them down.
Americans today like to believe that the end of World War II brought a decrease in hate and a new era of tolerance in the United States. Nothing could be further from the truth. Antisemitism and racism went up-not down-after the war's end. Violence broke out in cities across the country, and the number of organized hate groups more than doubled from 1940 to 1946. In this shocking account of a resurgence of white supremacy in America, celebrated historian Steven J. Ross reveals how four key leaders-Emory Burke, J. B. Stoner, James Madole, and George Lincoln Rockwell-worked together to “finish the job Hitler had begun,” launching deadly attacks on Jews and African Americans and building a network of terrorists across the U.S. In response to this “war of hate,” three New York–based men-Robert Forster of the Anti-Defamation League, George Mintzer of the American Jewish Committee, and James Sheldon of the Non-Sectarian Anti-Nazi League-along with dozens of men and women, launched a multipronged They infiltrated, monitored, and undermined these hate groups, putting their own safety on the line and scoring important victories that, today, have been all but forgotten.
Tracing the extraordinary work of these unsung heroes, The Secret War Against Hate provides a groundbreaking reconsideration of the legacy of the “Good War,” and essential reading on how America today can beat hate once again and build a just and united nation.
Americans today like to believe that the end of World War II brought a decrease in hate and a new era of tolerance in the United States. Nothing could be further from the truth. Antisemitism and racism went up-not down-after the war's end. Violence broke out in cities across the country, and the number of organized hate groups more than doubled from 1940 to 1946. In this shocking account of a resurgence of white supremacy in America, celebrated historian Steven J. Ross reveals how four key leaders-Emory Burke, J. B. Stoner, James Madole, and George Lincoln Rockwell-worked together to “finish the job Hitler had begun,” launching deadly attacks on Jews and African Americans and building a network of terrorists across the U.S. In response to this “war of hate,” three New York–based men-Robert Forster of the Anti-Defamation League, George Mintzer of the American Jewish Committee, and James Sheldon of the Non-Sectarian Anti-Nazi League-along with dozens of men and women, launched a multipronged They infiltrated, monitored, and undermined these hate groups, putting their own safety on the line and scoring important victories that, today, have been all but forgotten.
Tracing the extraordinary work of these unsung heroes, The Secret War Against Hate provides a groundbreaking reconsideration of the legacy of the “Good War,” and essential reading on how America today can beat hate once again and build a just and united nation.
416 pages, Hardcover
Published April 28, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
May 23, 2026
This is a well-researched book complete with extensive notes. The title indicates that the focus would be on the people who exhibited great courage and intelligence in spying on and becoming immersed in hate groups in the US following WWII. It exposes the extraordinary amount of activity by hate groups focused on Jews and Blacks, primarily. What seemed to be missing, and the reason I gave it 4 rather than 5 stars is that the focus seemed to be more on the members of the hate groups than on those opposing them. During these times I was very interested in reading about the good guys rather than all the corruption in the government. Still, it was well written and thorough.
May 19, 2026
Jesse Benjamin (JB) Stoner. George Lincoln Rockwell. James H. Madole. Emory Burke. Connie Lynch. Ever heard of them?
These men, their underlings and their organizations are the children of the Klan and the grandparents of The Proud Boys, The Oath Keepers, The Three Percenters and a thousand other white supremacist groups around the country.
Ross, an American historian and professor at USC, has produced a disturbing chronicle of the white supremacist movement, picking up it malevolent evolution from the early 1900's to the present. Detailed and heavily sourced, Erik Larson'esk in feel and deeply unsettling, it is the story of the Anti-Defamation League, the American Jewish Committee and the Non-Sectarian Anti-Nazi League efforts to infiltrate and spy on these organizations and their members at a time when the FBI and other law enforcement agencies not only turned a blind eye to them but in many cases were members of the organizations.
Undressing the shameful history of southern white male bigotry, he provides a glimpse into the existential threat to the America we think we know, only to reveal that what we sense today is really who we are.
Our work is cut out for us.
These men, their underlings and their organizations are the children of the Klan and the grandparents of The Proud Boys, The Oath Keepers, The Three Percenters and a thousand other white supremacist groups around the country.
Ross, an American historian and professor at USC, has produced a disturbing chronicle of the white supremacist movement, picking up it malevolent evolution from the early 1900's to the present. Detailed and heavily sourced, Erik Larson'esk in feel and deeply unsettling, it is the story of the Anti-Defamation League, the American Jewish Committee and the Non-Sectarian Anti-Nazi League efforts to infiltrate and spy on these organizations and their members at a time when the FBI and other law enforcement agencies not only turned a blind eye to them but in many cases were members of the organizations.
Undressing the shameful history of southern white male bigotry, he provides a glimpse into the existential threat to the America we think we know, only to reveal that what we sense today is really who we are.
Our work is cut out for us.
May 20, 2026
An excellent book but difficult to read because of all the scary things that hate groups have done in the past. Even more disturbing are the reports of the white supremacy groups who are continuing to function today.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews