Fool's Paradise: A Carey McWilliams Reader

by Carey McWilliams

A collection from one of the twentieth century's great activist journalists ''It suddenly occurred to me that, in all the world, there neither was nor would ever be another place like this City of the Angels. Here the American people were erupting, like lava from a volcano; here, indeed, was the place for a ringside seat at the circus.''--Carey McWilliams, in Southern California Country Carey McWilliams (1905-1980)--lawyer, activist, historian, and editor of The Nation for two decades--wrote the history of California as no one else could, or would. Alternately scathing, amusing, and disturbing, his sharp and literate accounts shatter the myths meant to obscure the real workings of the state, revealing always the relationship between the exploited and those who would exploit them. Readers will find that McWilliams's writing on history and the issues of his day is still relevant--in fact, it is the basis for the field that we now call California studies. His painstakingly researched accounts on topics ranging from racism to the intricacies of commerce, from farm labor to the cults of California, have opened the door for generations of writers and thinkers. Introduction by Gray Brechin; Preface by Wilson Carey McWilliams

Genres: Journalism, History

320 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2001

About the author

Father of Wilson Carey McWilliams/Carey McWilliams Jr.

Reviews

[Shane Papendorf · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a wonderful little intro to the clear prose and rousing radicalism of Cary McWilliams.

From cults to evangelicalism to McCarthyism, from farm revolts to L.A. water theft/real estate cons, to zoot-suit riots and internment camps, to insightful readings and interpretations of Nathanael West and Upton Sinclair, and finally to chronicling the rise and fall and rise of Nixon as well as dissecting the hidden racism laced language behind Reagan's campaign, this book lays bare the oddity of California and it's legacy on our current state of affairs.

[Richp · Rating 4 out of 5]

This selection of essays by Carey McWilliams is a sampler of California history, including a number of pieces in which he was there at the time as a chronicler or participant. His political leanings are clear: he is no conservative or liberal, but a progressive or radical along the lines of Howard Zinn .

His contempt for most of the big time press is obvious, and he gives quite a few examples why it was well deserved.

In his later pieces, he failed to anticipate Nixon's comeback after 1962, but also saw through what became the Reagan Revolution before Reagan took office as Governor in 1967.

Overall, I was quite pleased. I had no idea what to really expect.