Skip to content
Launch Sale! 25% Off Nearly Every Book
Red Scare: Blacklists, McCarthyism, and the Making of Modern America

Red Scare: Blacklists, McCarthyism, and the Making of Modern America

Risen, Clay

Hardcover

$31.00 $23.25 Save 25%
From an award-winning historian and New York Times reporter comes the timely story about McCarthyism that both "lays out the many mechanisms of repression that made the Red Scare possible...[and] describes how something that once seemed so terrifying and interminable did, in fact, come to an end" (The New Yorker)--based in part on newly declassified sources.

Now, for the first time in a generation, Clay Risen delivers a narrative history of the anti-Communist witch hunt that gripped America in the decade following World War II. This period, known as the Red Scare, was an outgrowth of the conflict between social conservatives and New Deal progressives, and the terrifying onset of the Cold War. Marked by an unprecedented degree of political hysteria, this was a defining moment in American history, completely unlike any that preceded it. Drawing upon newly declassified documents and with "scenes are so vivid that you can almost feel yourself sweating along with the witnesses" (The New York Times Book Review), journalist Clay Risen recounts how politicians like Joseph McCarthy, with the help of an extended network of other government officials and organizations, systematically ruined thousands of lives in their deluded pursuit of alleged Communist conspiracies.

Beginning with the origins of the era after WWI through to its conclusion in 1957, Risen brings to life the politics, patriotism, courage, and delirium of those years. Red Scare takes us beyond the familiar story of McCarthyism and the Hollywood blacklists and toward a fuller understanding of what the country went through at a time of moral questioning and perceived threat from the Left, and what we were capable of doing to each other as a result.

"Thorough, impassioned...detailed, [and] tension-packed" (Los Angeles Times), Red Scare reveals an all-too-familiar pattern of illiberal conspiracy-mongering and political and cultural backlash that speaks directly to the antagonism and divisiveness of our contemporary moment.

EAN: 9781982141806
Publisher: Scribner Book Company
Publication Date: 2025-03-18
Pages: 480
Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.2 x 1.8 inches
BISAC Subjects: United States - 21st Century, Political Ideologies - Communism, Post-Communism & Socialism,
Russia - General

FAQs

Still have questions?! Drop us an email

We ship worldwide! No matter where you are, we’ll get your favorite reads to your doorstep. We partner with reliable carriers to ensure safe and timely delivery, whether you're in the U.S. or across the globe. See our Shipping Policy page for a complete list of shipping methods and transit times.

We typically process and ship orders within 24 hours. Orders placed on weekends or holidays ship the next business day. Delivery time depends on your location and the shipping method selected. Below are our default options, with upgrades available at checkout:

Domestic Orders (U.S.): USPS Economy Mail (2–7 business days) - $3.99 for the first unit, $1.00 per additional unit.

International Orders: Standard International Mail (4–10 business days) - $14.00 for the first unit, $10.50 per additional unit.

See our Shipping Policy page for a complete list of shipping methods and transit times.

We accept all major credit cards, including Visa, MasterCard, Discover, and American Express. For added convenience, we also offer Shop Pay for orders over $35.00, which provides flexible payment options. More details will be available at checkout.

Once your order ships, we’ll email you a tracking number so you can monitor its progress and estimated delivery date. If you haven’t received your tracking email within two days of placing your order, please check your spam or promotions folder. If it’s still missing, contact us at orders@bookpop.shop, and we’ll be happy to assist you.

Yes! You can send a gift directly to someone by entering their shipping address at checkout. We also offer a gift wrap service for $3.50 per item, and you have the option to include a personalized note with your order.

If for any reason you are not completely satisfied with your purchase, within 30 days of placing your order, we will refund you for your purchase with no questions asked. Full details can be found in our Returns and Refund Policy

Returns and Refund Contact Info:
returns@bookpop.shop
415.318.0274
5 Lindsay Circle
San Francisco, CA 94124

Recommended Titles

Bag (0)

Your bag is currently empty!

Wishlist