Menace of Our Time: The Long War Against American Communism
Menace of Our Time: The Long War Against American Communism
Menace of Our Time: The Long War Against American Communism
Description
Description
A survey of the far-reaching measures the U.S. government brought to bear against the CPUSA, from poison-pen letters to the Red Scare and beyond.
Beginning at the turn of the twentieth century and ending only with the Soviet Union's collapse in 1991, the U.S. government and major elements in the wider society waged an unrelenting campaign to suppress and criminalize domestic communism. This long-overdue book details the longest and most extensive repressive operation ever undertaken by U.S. authorities against a domestic political organization that, however problematic, was largely operating within the scope of constitutionally mandated freedoms. Beyond that, this is the story of how systemic measures against U.S. communists--in contrast to the vaunted claims of American political freedom--defined the political landscape of the last century.
Menace of Our Time tracks the suppression efforts aimed at the group, including the state laws of the twenties that imprisoned the fledgling communist leadership; the tactics used by police and local authorities against communists as they fought for unions, racial equality, and the unemployed; the trials and imprisonment of communist leaders mid-century; the extra-legal efforts of the Counterintelligence Program (COINTELPRO) in the sixties; and the ongoing, relentless surveillance by the FBI that followed. In examining the far-reaching measures the government brought to bear against the Communist Party USA, Aaron J. Leonard provides a clearer picture of the mechanics of social and political repression that abound in the society we still inhabit.
About the Author
About the Author
Critical Reviews
Critical Reviews
"Leonard [is] the best living historian on the topic of political repression of the US Left in the United States. . . . In today's USA, Leonard's chronicles of political repression become even more important than before. . . . The history told in Menace of Our Time leads to a far different truth about freedoms and their fragility. Indeed, this book could not have come at a better time."
-- "Counterpunch" "Leonard's study of unparalleled political repression is both comprehensive and engrossing. For over sixty years, mass surveillance, sustained persecution, and frequent imprisonment were all used to silence American communists and, more broadly, cripple left-wing activism. Essential reading for students of American political history."--Phillip Deery "author of Red Apple: Communism and McCarthyism in Cold War New York" "This comprehensive and sprightly story suggests that the ascendancy of today's right wing is based in no small measure on their obsession of the previous epoch--anticommunism--which savaged progressivism under the guise of fighting Communists. This book is an important contribution."--Gerald Horne "author of Black Liberation/Red Scare: Ben Davis and the Communist Party""The book is so comprehensive. It's great to see all this material in one place. . . . It's excellent."
-- "TrueAnon" "The sordid story of the intense and prolonged repression of American communists has never been told better. Leonard's compelling and highly illuminating book is a must-read for everyone interested in US political history."--Geoffrey Roberts "author of Stalin's Library: A Dictator and His Books"
Publishing Information
Publishing Information
The Allstora Membership
Membership Perks:
- Save 30% on all online store purchases
- Exclusive access to author's content
- You pay less, but authors still earn double
Membership Terms:
- To access membership discount simply log in and add to cart, discount applied automatically.
- One month free trial, cancel anytime. Membership renews on the 15th of each month.