Blood and Politics: The History of the White Nationalist Movement from the Margins to the Mainstream

by Leonard Zeskind

More than fifteen years in the making, Blood and Politics is the most comprehensive history to date of the white supremacist movement as it has evolved over the past three-plus decades. Leonard Zeskind draws heavily upon court documents, racist publications, and first-person reports, along with his own personal observations.
 
An internationally recognized expert on the subject who received a MacArthur Fellowship for his work, Zeskind ties together seemingly disparate strands—from neo-Nazi skinheads, to Holocaust deniers, to Christian Identity churches, to David Duke, to the militia and beyond. Among these elements, two political strategies—mainstreaming and vanguardism—vie for dominance. Mainstreamers believe that a majority of white Christians will eventually support their cause. Vanguardists build small organizations made up of a highly dedicated cadre and plan a naked seizure of power. Zeskind shows how these factions have evolved into a normative social movement that looks like a demographic slice of white America, mostly blue-collar and working middle class, with lawyers and Ph.D.s among its leaders.
 
When the Cold War ended, traditional conservatives helped birth a new white nationalism, most evident now among anti-immigrant organizations. With the dawn of a new millennium, they are fixated on predictions that white people will lose their majority status and become one minority among many. The book concludes with a look to the future, elucidating the growing threat these groups will pose to coming generations.

Genres: History, Politics, Nonfiction, Race, American History, Social Justice, Terrorism

672 pages, Hardcover

First published May 12, 2009

About the author

Leonard Harold Zeskind was an American human rights activist. He was president of the Institute for Research and Education of Human Rights (IREHR), a social justice and public affairs watchdog organization.

Reviews

[Bill Kerwin · Rating 4 out of 5]

An exhaustive exploration of white racist organizations from the end of World War II to the beginning of the Obama era, this book is even more timely today in the era of Donald Trump, Steve Bannon, and the alt-right's Richard Spencer.

Zeskind really knows his subject, and is particularly good at 1) making connections between the obvious racists and the more mainstream operations, like Pat Buchanan's and Ron Paul's and 2) showing how the white power crowd has become more intellectually sophisticated and better dressed, and are therefore more dangerous because they look a great deal like us.

I liked and admired this book a lot, but I think I would have liked it even more if it had been shorter.

[Brett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Zeskind's book is an utterly absorbing study of hard right politics, especially focusing on the second half of the 20th century. The essential fact that the book is communicating is that some very unpleasant ideologies are significantly more widespread than we might wish to believe in our country, and have found ways to survive and sometimes thrive over many decades.

Blood and Politics is very wide-ranging, occasionally to its detriment. However, the main thrust of Zeskind's book follows two important figures on the hard right. One, William Pierce, was a leader of what Zeskind terms the "vanguardist" wing of the movement, inciting violence and preaching about the need for armed insurgency. The other, Willis Carto, was a major figure in attempting to promote far-right ideas in more mainstream venues, founding the Liberty Lobby and pushing the agenda through small newspapers and think tanks. By tracing the career arcs of these two individuals, Zeskind is able to discuss many of the aims, successes, and failures of white nationalist activists.

I was also fascinated by chapters devoted to the career of David Duke, the Louisiana klansman turned politician that came much closer than anyone would have imagined to being Governor, and the chapters devoted to studying the rise of racist record labels and skinhead culture.

I have long believed that "populist" hard-right movements exert more influence in American life than is commonly acknowledged, and that the ideas espoused by these kinds of organizations turn up with surprising frequency. Along with Berlet and Lyon's more historically minded work "Right-Wing Populism in America," Zeskind's book is essential reading for those us that are keeping tabs on the hard-right in the United States.

[Lauren · Rating 3 out of 5]

I finished this book several days ago, and I still have no idea how to write a concise review about it. This is a monster of a book – 545 pages (without notes), covering over forty years of the white nationalist movement and picking up on many of the small details within both the movement and wider American culture. I can’t even wrap my head around the amount of time and effort this book took to research and write (publicity materials say fifteen years, and I’d well believe it). In short, I feel like a jerk for saying that all of that effort did not lead to a top-notch book, and it’s only the amount of research that makes me label it a good book. The writing and organization derail this book. There are too many tangents, odd pacing, and, at times, a weak grasp on the material (mostly when Mr. Zeskind journeys to topics outside of white nationalism). Unnecessary adjectives are liberally scattered throughout the book and consistently undermine the analysis. I could see where Mr. Zeskind wanted to go, but the book falls short. Not recommended (although, if you can find a short article on this subject written by Mr. Zeskind, it’s likely worth the time).

[Nathan · Rating 2 out of 5]

The strengths of this book lie largely in the fact that it does precisely what the subtitle indicates: illuminates the shadowy world of white nationalism to reveal that its reach is far more pernicious than we might realize. Zeskind calls for a reevaluation of the movement that goes beyond skinhead stereotypes and KKK caricatures, forcing us to come to grips with the trickle-down effects of hatred in the more palatable, mainstream modes of the movement: for every Timothy McVeigh, there is also a Pat Buchanan. As a fulfillment of this overarching (and incredibly important) goal, "Blood and Politics" succeeds admirably.

It's when Zeskind tries to broaden his scope beyond the white nationalist movement proper, that I think he steps on shakier ground. His condemnations of anti-abortion violence, anti-gay violence and classist rhetoric, while shrewd and necessary, are given too little space to be analyzed effectively, nor are they securely placed in context of nationalist and racist movements, proper. His focus also blurs slightly when analyzing the ideological particulars of these movements. He makes no functional differentiation between white nationalism, for instance, and modern national socialism proper, instead lumping several movements into a singular right-wing trend. This is too simplistic, and is a hindrance if only in understanding more clearly the specific ideologies that power these dangerous movements.

In the final analysis, this is a broad and useful work of synthesis, a sharp and clear point de depart for a more specialized study that many will find necessary after reading Zeskind's sober and knowledgeable book.

[Sugarpuss O'Shea · Rating 4 out of 5]

(Book 8 referenced in Sisters in Hate)

**3.5 Stars**

Holy #%@! If you're looking for a roadmap as to why DT was elected, this is your book. It's a deep dive into the white supremacy/nationalist movement from the mid 1950s to the mid 2000s. And when I say deep, I mean deep--which can be a blessing & a curse. (It's also the reason why every other book I've read on this topic, has referenced this book.) It reads like you are in a 400 level class & Mr Zeskind is a professor. He makes sure to bring you back to whatever topic he is discussing & does a good job connecting all of the dots. What I could've lived without, is the discussions about the different periodicals these hate mongers produced, but all in all, this is a remarkable work of non-fiction. I highly recommend it if you are curious about the times we are living in today. The election of DT, the sycophancy, & the Capitol Insurrection will all make much more sense after reading this book.

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PS: In the midst of reading this book, I also read 2 books that came due at my local library, so don't let the amount of time it took me to read this book scare you off. It's worth the effort.

[K. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall, this was quite a good book. It starts in the late 60s (roughly 1965, but with some material from after Brown v. Board) and moves up to around 2004-05. I was made familiar with a number of names I hadn’t heard of. It was also interesting to see where, when, and to what extent, the crazier wing of the white nationalists intersected with broader conservative politics. Answer: it is less that a lot of liberals might believe, but certainly more than the average conservative should be comfortable with.

There are some particular strengths to the book. Given the controversial nature of the material, the book is surprisingly even-handed and non-polemical in its tone The author’s feelings are obvious, but he manages to stand at enough of a distance to give a more-or-less accurate view of things. Even more startling is his treatment of the religious aspects of the movement, which have taught some truly ludicrous things. The author fairly represents what they taught, doesn’t engage in unnecessary mud-slinging, but it is still abundantly clear how disastrously wrong these particular people are.

The author is also willing to acknowledge when the government mishandled events the movement was involved in. His coverage of Ruby Ridge was, at least to someone who is only somewhat familiar with the incident, both honest and fair.

That said, its biggest flaw is to occasionally elide the differences between white nationalism and the conservative movement more than is warranted. In particular, his treatment of Pat Buchanan is, if not totally unfair, at least uncharitable. As well, his treatment of the Bell Curve may be the sloppiest part of the book. He treats it as nothing more than a long tome trying to prove the superiority of White IQ, offhandedly mentions that its findings have been refuted, and moves on. It is well-established that the Bell Curve was not primarily about this subject and not intended by its authors to be controversial, but this author did not appreciate that context.

Even with those issues, the book is well worth reading if you are interested in the subject. It is, however, quite long, and not the most breezily written history I’ve ever come across.

M

[Daniel DeLappe · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is inane and boring. Before I start-Yes, Racist and Anti-Semites are bad and pretty much insults to other human beings, but this is would include racist of all colors and kinds. This is just re-hashed crap that says if you are a conservitive or want immagration controled you are a racist. Make it easy on yourself just watch MSNBC for a week and you will be getting the same thing. This book is easy to review. Don't waste your time.

[Sarah Copeland · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got to meet Zeskind at an event organized by First U of Omaha. I bought his book there as I’m always interested in the topic of hate groups and to prevent their rise having to understand their mechanics.

This is an excellently researched one.

[Janet · Rating 1 out of 5]

Probably my failing. This book just isn't for me. Honestly? I wanted a recounting of the why of the dynamics. This didn't do that for me.

[Marsha · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is horrifying and just when you think it can't get worse, it does. The Author does a great job explaining how the Klan evolved into the current white nationalist movement. You'll be stunned and aghast at how calculated this progression came about. Everyone should read this to better understand how the fringe groups are coming right into the mainstream....and we need to get what's going on in their minds and their motivation. This book, although it's long, is excellent at helping grasp what happened right up to the Obama years. I only wish there was a 2nd volume that updated from those early 2000s to now.

I read this in order to try and better understand the rioters/terrorists that attacked the Capitol. I came away realizing that all these groups have been around A LONG time. But they lacked a charismatic leader that brought them together...they seem to be really good at self-destruction. We've witnessed a leader that can call all these dangerous, violent, disgusting groups together into one force.

To be honest I skimmed through the first 350 pages...it was just too long and too much for me to read. But I did carefully read the last 250 pages. Be prepared. It's sad. It's depressing. But it's something I really needed to learn.

[EOB · Rating 5 out of 5]

A thoroughly researched, well-written, terrifying and extremely necessary account of the history & current state of the international white supremacist movement. For those trying to understand the encroachment of the far right into the political mainstream - from the Tea Party, to Ron Paul's newsletters, to extreme anti-tax sentiment, to the epidemic of racist violence and now mass murders in the decade since 9/11 and Obama's election. Zeskind traces not just the major figures and movements and their intricate relationships, but also the evolution of their ideology and most important to understand, the transformation of their tactics from the mass Klan rally to Tom Metzger's "lone wolf" strategy - a horrifically effective method put to escalating use since 2008.

If you really want to understand the far right, the scope of their reach, their success in penetrating the mainstream / electoral politics, the sheer amount of guns they have waiting up in them there hills, this is the best place I've seen to start.

[Ian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Twice as long as it needs to be, but a good summary of a murky, paranoid subset of American society. Survivalists, Federal Reserve conspiracies, 9/11 'inside job' theorists, the fringes of the Republican party (Pat Buchanan) and the religious right (Jerry Falwell) are all tied into the same narrative as Klansmen, old-style Hitlerites, neo-nazi skinheads, bank robbers, gangs, abortion clinic bombers, and truck-bombing mass murderers.

An unexpectedly good companion to Mitch Horowitz's 'Occult America'.

[Shane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book to get a broad overview of racist movements from 1978-2005, though it often focuses on some of the more exhausing legal battles and personal stories. At over 500 pages, it can be a little long winded, but also miss some deeper analysis about the social and political dimensions in the changing far-right. In all it is a solid book that will be great for anyone interested in getting a handle on how racist movements have evolved in the last thirty years.

[Jen Well-Steered · Rating 3 out of 5]

What I liked about it: This is a great book for nerds who like to know literally everything about a subject. Fortunately I'm a nerd and now I know, for example, about the connection between neo-nazis, the Christian Identity movement, and the killing of abortion doctors.

What I didn't like about it: At 645 pages, if all you're looking for is a short introduction and summary, this is definitely not the book for you.

http://omnibrowbooks.blogspot.com

[Scot · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exhaustively researched, fantastically detailed, well written and compulsively readable. Zeskind's history of white supremacy in the U.S. since WWII is THE account to read. Never have I seen so much information between two covers; never have I been so fully convinced of how close to the mainstream so-called extremist white racists and anti-Semites are in the U.S. Truly, this book is amazing.

[Amanda Birdwell · Rating 3 out of 5]

For a 600 page book featuring Pat Buchanan and Ronald Reagan as the lesser of several evils, this was surprisingly readable. Zeskind illustrates, without making obvious, the way that chilling, violent overt haters exist on a continuum with more "understandable" racists, sexists and homophobes.

[Jess · Rating 3 out of 5]

Blood and Politics is chock full of facts; sadly, Zeskind isn't much of a storyteller, so it ends up being both dry and depressing.

[Stephen Schiavone · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent primer on the White Nationalist Movement.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Zeskind shines a light on how many of the objectives of white nationalists and supremacists have been rebranded to make them more palatable to the mainstream. No longer are the nativist racists hiding under white hoods, instead they have donned suits and wield research based on pseudo-science and revisionist history. He details their political ascent from barely noticeable third party candidates to the infiltration of the Republican party. Zeskind's book was published ten years too early to predict the extent to which the Republican party's platform would be built with the racist planks that originated with the white nationalist movement, but he showed the trajectory. The book was too long, and went into too much detail regarding Carto's legal travails, but I didn't find it as dry as the length would suggest. If you are really interested the mechanics of how the Republican party became the champion of white nationalists then this is a must-read.

[Ruth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked up this massive book as part of my research on the role of religion in 20th century American white supremacy fringe groups. I found a ton of info on that topic, and have come to see that those on the fringe are part of a larger white nationalist movement seeking to overthrow progressive policies and construct a white ethnic state in US territory. The author does an excellent job weaving a coherent narrative out of seemingly disparate racist groups from the 1970s to the year 2000. This text is exhaustive and highly illuminating. I recommend picking it up and reading any chapter to enhance your knowledge of white supremacy in America, especially if you are interested in stopping this new, mainstream 21st century wave (Trump, Bannon, Spencer, et al.).

[Courtney B · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would classify this book as an encyclopedia of white nationalism. There is no real coherent argument to tie the threads together and it is often hard to know what is important because of the lack of context. Some characters pop back up again and again, others are given the same weight early on and disappear. You can get into the weeds of every micro-faction of the movement without really having a moment to zoom out and see the wider cultural impact. For example, The Oklahoma City Bombing is given equal narrative weight as a small academic conference. Even events like Ruby Ridge and Waco are told without much narrative flair, reading as a timeline rather than a compelling story. I would not recommend this to a casual reader, but it holds utility from a research perspective.

[Evan · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW this is so much nitty-gritty information, so many names, so many moving parts that ends with 9/11 but from which you can draw a straight line until 1/6. It dawned on me and was reinforced while reading this that absolutely nothing is new--these groups and these people have always existed and been supported, clandestinely or otherwise, by politicians seeking to uphold white supremacy or by Christian nationalists who hope to use them to bring about the end times or by opportunistic believers looking to further their own notoriety. Their slow crawl toward the mainstream is horrifying yet unsurprising, and here in 2021, they've arrived.

[Mallory · Rating 5 out of 5]

An essential book for understanding the predecessors of the alt-right.

[TJ · Rating 3 out of 5]

More like a text book. Very in depth and dense

[Katielyn Vroman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a must read for anyone hoping to understand the previous and current racial turmoil in the United States.

[Ismael]

Me gustó eso de "mainstreamers" y "vanguardists".

[Sierra · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is a detailed history - so a little dry, but the information is so important and vital. All Americans should read this book.

[Jessica Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

Must read if you have any interest in the white power movement

[Emma Ratshin · Rating 4 out of 5]

phew this book is long, huh!

[H D · Rating 5 out of 5]

Comprehensive and very thorough history of the white supremacist movement in the US. Scarily relevant today.