The Paranoid Style in American Politics

Name: The Paranoid Style in American Politics
Brand: Tantor Audio
Availability: InStock
Author: Richard Hofstadter
ISBN: 9781977378422

Author: Richard Hofstadter, Sean Wilentz

Narrator: Keith Sellon-Wright

Unabridged: 10 hr 44 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Tantor Media

Published: 05/15/2018

Categories: Nonfiction, Political Science, Political Process

Synopsis

This timely reissue of Richard Hofstadter's classic work on the fringe groups that influence American electoral politics offers an invaluable perspective on contemporary domestic affairs. In The Paranoid Style in American Politics, acclaimed historian Richard Hofstadter examines the competing forces in American political discourse and how fringe groups can influence—and derail—the larger agendas of a political party.

He investigates the politics of the irrational, shedding light on how the behavior of individuals can seem out of proportion with actual political issues, and how such behavior impacts larger groups. With such other classic essays as "Free Silver and the Mind of 'Coin' Harvey" and "What Happened to the Antitrust Movement?," The Paranoid Style in American Politics remains both a seminal text of political history and a vital analysis of the ways in which political groups function in the United States.

About Richard Hofstadter

Richard Hofstadter (1916-1970) was DeWitt Clinton Professor of American History at Columbia University and the author of several books, including The Paranoid Style in American Politics, The Age of Reform, and The American Political Tradition. He was twice awarded the Pulitzer Prize.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Michael on February 27, 2009

One of the most important books I've ever read, and my only regret is I waited this late in life. (I think in my earlier days Hofstadter was tarred with the "liberal consensus" brush of ideas like Daniel Bell's "End of Ideology." To an aging liberal, however, Hofstadter holds up remarkably well.) Ho......more

Goodreads review by Julio on December 15, 2023

"Those who aren't paranoid haven't gotten the news yet."---William Burroughs "Even paranoids have real enemies."---proverb Suppose in 1804 I told you that the President of the United States had fathered a child with one of his black female slaves. You'd call me a conspiracy theorist. Well, it took alm......more

Goodreads review by Ivonne on May 26, 2013

O Paul Krugman! Not only do readers learn so much by reading his column and blog posts, but even the commenters on his blog “The Conscience of a Liberal” strew pearls of wisdom! This is the second time that a commenter on Krugman’s blog has recommended a book that turned out to be fantastic. I had r......more

Goodreads review by Sebastien on April 18, 2020

Great read. Written close to over 60 years ago, many of the essays are still relevant to our current times. Hofstadter is a skilled writer, meticulous researcher, and surgically perceptive. I enjoyed most of the essays, although my favorites were the title essay, the Anti-Trust essay, and the Barry G......more

Goodreads review by Bryan--The Bee’s Knees on July 14, 2018

Before I get into any minor critiques, first let me say that I thoroughly enjoyed the first half of this book. Hofstadter put his finger on a trend in politics that has only gotten worse over time, and one that's difficult to see reversing. In fact, even though Hofstadter admits the 'paranoid' style......more