Extremism in America: A Reader

By Jeanne Flavin

Book Overview

Extremism takes many forms: racial, political, religious, economic. Despite the diversity of extremist thought, this collection of extremist ideologies and writings highlights the one thread that unites the various brands of extremism, whether leftist or rightist, historical or contemporary. The unifying motif is that there is always an enemy. The enemy can take the form of the government, communism, the patriarchy, African-Americans, gays and lesbians, men, welfare recipients, Jews, or corporations, but the presence of a clearcut ideological foe is always an intrinsic component of extremism. Providing a panoramic perspective on American extremism from the earliest days of the republic, the book is divided into thematic chapters, communism and anti- communism; race; social concerns, such as the family, education, and gender relations; economic matters, such as taxes and welfare; intentional communities, such as The Covenant The Sword and The Arm of the Lord; and organizations or individuals advocating radical decentralization, such as the Left Green Network or the Students for a Democratic Society. Familiar extremist forces--the Ku Klux Klan, the Aryan Nation, Phyllis Schlafly--here meet lesser-known forces to paint a vivid and powerful portrait of life and thought on the political fringe.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0814780113
• ISBN13: 9780814780114
• Release Date: May 1995
• Publisher: New York University Press
• Length: 402 Pages
• Weight: 1.15 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 5.9" x 8.9"

Customer Reviews

Excellent Original Source Material

Sargent does an exceptional job of putting together original source documents form groups with such a wide range as The Communist Party of America to the United Klans of America to the Covenant, the Sword, and the Arm of the Lord (CSA)and many more groups that cover the ground in between. Any person intrigued by radical groups will find this compendium a useful jumping off point for further in-depth research. Sargent's editorial comments on each group are insightful and neutral. Readers may find it helpful to use this book in conjunction with a philosophically based book on radicalism or extremism such as Eric Hoffer's "The True Believer."

great eye-opener on the topic of extremism

This book does a great job at discussing extremist groups from all apsects of the Left to the Right. Discussed are tactics which terrorist groups use, history of the groups, and social concerns which drive some groups (from economics & politics to race).