American Midnight: The Great War, a Violent Peace, and Democracy's Forgotten Crisis
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- Create Date：2022-11-02 11:21:51
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- Author：Adam Hochschild
- ISBN：B09ZMVG312
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Reviews
Grump
，
Pretty interesting book about a very dark time in American history。 Not something I was super aware of beforehand。 There were hints of this book's subject matter in The People's History of the US but this goes into more depth。 Times were hard and Woodrow Wilson flipflopped his position on getting the US involved in WWI。 Anybody that was not jazzed about sending our young men to die in what was essentially a European dick measuring contest was deemed an enemy of the state。 People that wanted to w Pretty interesting book about a very dark time in American history。 Not something I was super aware of beforehand。 There were hints of this book's subject matter in The People's History of the US but this goes into more depth。 Times were hard and Woodrow Wilson flipflopped his position on getting the US involved in WWI。 Anybody that was not jazzed about sending our young men to die in what was essentially a European dick measuring contest was deemed an enemy of the state。 People that wanted to work in mines that didn't explode and kill everyone were deemed enemies of the states。 The Postmaster General was censoring publications by the labor movement。 Closeted J。 Edgar Hoover was starting up his red scare shit。 There was a lot of anti-immigrant shit。 People didn't like Jews or Commies and figured they were all the same thing。 Evil businessmen and politicians who were deathly afraid that their ability to rip off the American taxpayer and workman were really good at riling up the frustrated masses to make them hate people who were not responsible for their misery。 There are so many fucking Trump parallels in here it's sickening。 The silver lining seems to be that even though history keeps repeating with these assholes， it doesn't seem to be nearly as bad this time around。 Another crippling blow to the notion of American Exceptionalism。 。。。more
Tim
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This was an excellent book。 Looking forward to reading his other books。
Diane Fanning
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Incredibly insightful book。 From the book， in 1915 journalist Arthur Bullard wrote: "Truth and falsehood are arbitrary terms， There is nothing in experience to tell us that one is always preferable to the other。 The force of an idea lies in its inspirational value。 It matters very little whether it is true or false。" This statement chilled me to the core。 It is a philosophy that led to the violent horrors of 1919。 And it is the same philosophy we hear from GOP politicians talking about alternati Incredibly insightful book。 From the book， in 1915 journalist Arthur Bullard wrote: "Truth and falsehood are arbitrary terms， There is nothing in experience to tell us that one is always preferable to the other。 The force of an idea lies in its inspirational value。 It matters very little whether it is true or false。" This statement chilled me to the core。 It is a philosophy that led to the violent horrors of 1919。 And it is the same philosophy we hear from GOP politicians talking about alternative facts and fake news。 From 1917， the rights of Americans were abridged and incredible acts of violence enacted against the people of this country。 All because of the deceit and lies of the elected。 Don't let us go through this horror again。 Read this book and vote blue。 。。。more
KOMET
，
Reading AMERICAN MIDNIGHT: Democracy's Forgotten Crisis， 1917-1921 was a very sobering experience for me。 It showed how the U。S。， from the moment it declared war on Germany in April 1917， allowed itself to be swept up in a hysteria that would brook no dissent or criticism， however slight， of the war and of the nation's leaders。 Prior to reading this book， I had known of the widespread anti-German sentiment that led to the banning of the teaching of the German language in many school systems， the Reading AMERICAN MIDNIGHT: Democracy's Forgotten Crisis， 1917-1921 was a very sobering experience for me。 It showed how the U。S。， from the moment it declared war on Germany in April 1917， allowed itself to be swept up in a hysteria that would brook no dissent or criticism， however slight， of the war and of the nation's leaders。 Prior to reading this book， I had known of the widespread anti-German sentiment that led to the banning of the teaching of the German language in many school systems， the prohibition of the playing of classical music of German composers in orchestras across the country， and the renaming of frankfurters as "hot dogs" and sauerkraut as "liberty cabbage。" But I did not realize the full extent of the changes the U。S。 went through from being a neutral nation prior to April 6， 1917 to a country at war that became suffused with a hyper-patriotic fervor which gave the government license to brutalize and dehumanize conscientious objectors， made it permissible for people to beat or kill union leaders and organizers， tar and feather union members， and ignore people's constitutional rights to free speech and assembly。 Then， once the war was won in November 1918， the U。S。 government continued to promote and encourage a repressive environment that， using the fear of the threat of Bolshevism （in the wake of the Russian Revolution and subsequent Russian Civil War）， led to massive crackdowns on labor unions， the Socialist Party （which， before the war， had been gaining much national appeal; indeed many Socialists had been elected prewar to various state offices and Congress）， and a spate of arrests of people deemed as "threats to the peace and security of the nation。" （The country itself in 1919 endured race riots， a number of bombings thought to be caused by anarchists or Bolshevik agitators， and scores of labor strikes; for with the end of the war， came inflation， and a major economic downturn。） Many of those arrested who were found not to be American citizens were hastily deported through the frenzied efforts of the Bureau of Investigation and the Attorney General （A。 Mitchell Palmer， a Quaker） and his young assistant heading the Justice Department's Radical Division whose name was J。 Edgar Hoover。 What I also found galling was President Woodrow Wilson's general indifference to the domestic scene during most of those years。 Frankly， I can't think of someone given his position who was such a gross and shameless hypocrite。 Wilson presented himself to the world as an apostle for democracy， while remaining unconcerned with the plight of African Americans who， whether serving in the military during WWI or in support of the country at home， were treated with suspicion， scorned， despised， and if deemed by the white power structure in the South guilty of 'socially unacceptable behaviors' more likely to be lynched。 Furthermore， Wilson's efforts to get the U。S。 to ratify the Versailles Treaty and become a part of the League of Nations （his brainchild） were for naught。 For his pains， Wilson suffered a paralytic stroke in September 1919 while on a cross-country speaking engagement to convince the public to support him。 He spent the remaining 18 months of his presidency closeted in the White House， where his wife and some of his aides largely acted in his stead。 Truly this was a shameful period in the nation's history。 One that， given the precarious state the U。S。 democratic system is now in， should be re-examined so that we become firmly resolved to avoid making the same grievous errors again。 。。。more
Aloysius
，
A pretty dark book about a time when we became a pretty Oppressive States of America for a few years。 From immigration and white supremacy to pandemics and labor rights， none of the issues we face as a country today are new under the sun。 （SIGH）。 Well， this too will pass， I pray。
David
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A haunting recap of the state of our nation during and just after WWI。 Using the fear of communism and socialism and attempting to quash any anti-war feelings， the Wilson administration and many other political leaders began suppressing civil rights。 Targets were socialists， labor unions， immigrants， and Blacks。 People were jailed， deported， tarred and feathered and lynched。 All the while， the progressive Wilson remained silent， even before his stroke。 Even though the socialists eventually saw s A haunting recap of the state of our nation during and just after WWI。 Using the fear of communism and socialism and attempting to quash any anti-war feelings， the Wilson administration and many other political leaders began suppressing civil rights。 Targets were socialists， labor unions， immigrants， and Blacks。 People were jailed， deported， tarred and feathered and lynched。 All the while， the progressive Wilson remained silent， even before his stroke。 Even though the socialists eventually saw some of their initiatives enacted （social security， medicare， ACA， child labor laws， etc）， the hatred evidenced in those times are with us today。 We must read books like this to understand our history so as to ensure we don’t repeat it。 。。。more
Matt
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DelightfulExcellent read。 Love historical accounts of lesser known eras and this certainly provided。 The repetition of themes in history and in present times is both intriguing and haunting。
Avery
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4。75Hochschild continues to expose white peoples crimes and the crimes of capitalism what a white king
James M
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I have read read a few books on WW 1 and America's fighting in it。 I have read quite a few about America and WW II - both the fighting in it， what it was like on the home front， and those opposed to it before we pearl harbor 。 But this is the first I have read on those who did not want the US in the war - before， during and after WWI。 It was very interesting to learn about a overlooked part of our history。 I have read read a few books on WW 1 and America's fighting in it。 I have read quite a few about America and WW II - both the fighting in it， what it was like on the home front， and those opposed to it before we pearl harbor 。 But this is the first I have read on those who did not want the US in the war - before， during and after WWI。 It was very interesting to learn about a overlooked part of our history。 。。。more
Mark Garofano
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4。5 actually
Michael Reilly
，
On April 6， 1917 Woodrow Wilson asked Congress to declare war on Germany。 It set off four years of harsh repression。 Hochschild pulls together all of the pieces of repression to paint a clear picture of a national campaign against dissent。 Eugene Debs， the Socialist presidential candidate who got 6% of the vote in 1912， was convicted of violating the Espionage Act based on his public speeches and was sentence to ten years in jail。 Big Bill Haywood and 19 other leaders of the IWW were convicted o On April 6， 1917 Woodrow Wilson asked Congress to declare war on Germany。 It set off four years of harsh repression。 Hochschild pulls together all of the pieces of repression to paint a clear picture of a national campaign against dissent。 Eugene Debs， the Socialist presidential candidate who got 6% of the vote in 1912， was convicted of violating the Espionage Act based on his public speeches and was sentence to ten years in jail。 Big Bill Haywood and 19 other leaders of the IWW were convicted of conspiracy to violate the Espionage Act。 Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis， who became the Commissioner of MLB after the 1919 Black Sox scandal， sentenced them for a total of 807 years of prison time。 Big Bill got twenty years。 Teachers were fired for "subversive" comments。 Pastors were forced from the pulpit for preaching what Jesus taught。 Sidney Burleson， the Postmaster General， personally decided what publications should be barred from the US mails because they were "calculated to cause insubordination， disloyalty， mutiny。。。。or otherwise embarrass of hamper the Government in conducting the war。" Burleson， a former Texas congressman， banned， for example， "those offensive negro papers which constantly appeal to class and race prejudice。" Hochschild does a wonderful job of weaving all of these stories together。 He is especially good at highlighting the less well-known examples of repression。 Citizens were jailed， fired and attacked across the country。He also establishes that this was a coordinated campaign。 Several Government Agencies lead the charge。 J。 Edgar Hoover got his first big break as the head of the Radical Division of the Department of Justice。 Private groups， financed by big business， served as semi-governmental agencies targeting radicals。 The campaign against "radicals" became a cover for big business to criminalize the labor movement and for southern racist to add another tool of repression。 Hochschild outlines lynching that mixed political repression with the more common pure racism。 It is very helpful to have all these individual stories connected together。 In December 1919 and January 1920 Attorney General Palmer conducted massive raids and arrests of "subversives"。 The best estimates are that there were about 100，000 arrests during the raids。 It was so bad that it triggered a reaction。 President Harding was elected in 1920 on a promise of "return to normalcy"。 It is， of course， impossible not to think about the contemporary resonances of this well told story。 。。。more
Mal Warwick
，
On Sunday， October 9， 2022， the cover story in the New York Times Book Review featured Adam Hochschild’s American Midnight。 Reviewer Thomas Meaney characterized the book as “masterly” and applauded its reminder that “there are other contenders than the period beginning in 2016 for the distinction of Darkest Years of the Republic。” In fact， it’s clear from even a cursory reading of the book that the years 1917-21 were by far the most extreme example of political repression in American history。 It On Sunday， October 9， 2022， the cover story in the New York Times Book Review featured Adam Hochschild’s American Midnight。 Reviewer Thomas Meaney characterized the book as “masterly” and applauded its reminder that “there are other contenders than the period beginning in 2016 for the distinction of Darkest Years of the Republic。” In fact， it’s clear from even a cursory reading of the book that the years 1917-21 were by far the most extreme example of political repression in American history。 It has come to be called the First Red Scare。 And it all took place under the leadership of the overrated Democratic President， Woodrow Wilson。THE FIRST RED SCARE WAS FAR WORSE THAN THE SECONDDuring the Red Scare of the McCarthy years （1947-57）， several thousand people lost their jobs， faced organized mob violence， or were forced to leave the country。 Most famously， the Hollywood 10 were blacklisted by the film studios。 It was a dark time in our history that continues to cast a pall over our memory of that time。 But the First Red Scare led by Woodrow Wilson was far， far worse。Hundreds of thousands of striking American workers faced the clubs， rifles， and even machine guns of National Guard troops， police， and private detectives。 The postal service refused to deliver mail from Socialist and other dissenter publications。 Sitting members of Congress and the New York State Assembly were unseated。 Thousands of suspected radicals were rounded up and more than 500 of them deported。 Leading labor organizers and Socialist orators were imprisoned for years on end for expressing views against the war or the Wilson administration。During the war itself， these actions were justified by the need to protect the country against foreign spies。 But， Hochschild reveals， “of the more than 2，000 cases the government prosecuted under the Espionage Act， only ten would involve people accused of being actual German agents。”THE DARKEST YEARS OF THE REPUBLICAs Hochschild observes in a prologue， history textbooks typically include a chapter about the First World War， with the following chapter recalling the Roaring Twenties。 “This book is about what’s missing between those two chapters，” he writes。 “It is a story of mass imprisonments， torture， vigilante violence， censorship， killings of Black Americans， and far more that is not marked by commemorative plaques， museum exhibits， or Ken Burns documentaries。 It is a story of how a war supposedly fought to make the world safe for democracy became the excuse for a war against democracy at home。” And the account that follows in American Midnight abundantly illustrates those broad claims。 The First Red Scare was ostensibly directed at “Reds。” But it ranged far more widely， making victims of labor， African-Americans， immigrants， and Progressive politicians。A DIVERSE CAST OF CHARACTERSHochschild’s account of the First Red Scare is lively and deeply engaging， grounded in the personal experiences of a diverse cast of characters。 Some， like Emma Goldman， Eugene V。 Debs， J。 Edgar Hoover， and Wilson himself， are well known。 Others will be new to most readers。 They include activists on the Left， Administration officials， vigilante leaders， and undercover officers who stirred up trouble to trigger police action。** Wilson’s Postmaster General， Albert S。 Burleson， was a zealous segregationist who led a draconian campaign to censor and drive out of business most of the Left’s newspapers and magazines as well as the foreign-language and African-American press。** Robert La Follette， the Progressive US Senator from Wisconsin， was often a lonely voice in the Congress against the Administration’s assault on American civil liberties。 Hochschild singles him out for praise， as did the US Senate itself in 1957， which named him one of five Senators to be listed in the chamber’s hall of fame。** Popular Socialist Party orator Kate Richards （“Red Kate”） O’Hare was a thorn in the administration’s side until one of her anti-war speeches landed her in prison for violating the Espionage Act of 1917。** Lt。 Colonel （later Major General） Ralph Van Deman was a central figure in the drama as well。 He built a fiefdom in Military Intelligence， using it to conduct a relentless war of espionage against the labor movement （especially the IWW， or Wobblies） and the Socialist Party， often against （vague） instructions from the President。These are just a few of the fascinating characters who leap off the page in Hochschild’s beautifully researched book。REASSESSING THE PRESIDENCY OF WOODROW WILSONC-SPAN periodically surveys more than 100 “historians， professors， and other professional observers of the presidency” to compile a list of the “10 Greatest American Presidents。” Until recent years， Woodrow Wilson invariably appeared on the list。 He was #6 in 2000。 But since then his place on the list has steadily slipped downward。 And the revelations in American Midnight undoubtedly account for a major share of that slippage。 In the most recent ranking （2021）， Wilson stands at #13。 It seems likely to me that he will continue to slip down the list in the years ahead。A PROGRESSIVE FIRST TERMDuring his first term （1913-17）， Wilson continued the momentum of the Progressive policies championed by Theodore Roosevelt。 During that period he ushered through Congress a flood of important legislation。 Lowering tariffs。 Establishing the income tax。 Creating the Federal Reserve Board。 Passing the Clayton Antitrust Act。 And setting up the Federal Trade Commission。 There’s no doubt that these accomplishments helped secure him a place high on the list of the most effective American Presidents for many years。 But， as we now know more clearly， there was another， much darker side to Wilson’s eight years in office。 And the First Red Scare was merely part of the picture。RACISM AND REPRESSIONWoodrow Wilson‘s second term （1917-21） was marked by war abroad and repression at home， as we have seen。 But the Georgia-born President， racist to the core， had instituted segregation in the federal workforce upon entering the White House in March 1913。 This step， frequently ignored in textbook accounts of Wilson’s time in office， led to “the reduction of Black civil service workers’ income， an increase in the significant income gap between Black and white workers， and the erosion of some of the gains Black people had made following Reconstruction，” according to the National Bureau of Economic Research。 And it was Woodrow Wilson who screened the D。 W。 Griffith film， The Birth of a Nation， in the White House， gaining it richly undeserved attention。 The film led to the establishment of a new iteration of the Ku Klux Klan and a rise in the lynching of African-Americans throughout the South。Wilson is often lionized for the “Fourteen Points” he set out to frame the peace settlement for World War I。 Yet during the nearly six months he spent in Paris to participate in the negotiations that led to the treaties ending the war he abandoned the most significant of those points in order to gain British and French support for the 14th: the establishment of the League of Nations。 Tragically， the League proved to be feckless， and Wilson failed to gain the Senate’s support for it， in any case。 And， as we now know all too well， the punitive terms of the Treaty of Versailles helped propel Germany into Nazism and the Second World War。 Wilson is rarely held responsible for his role in this debacle。 He should be。ABOUT THE AUTHORAdam Hochschild （1942-） is a Continuing Lecturer at the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism。 He is the author of eleven books， including two books of essays， a memoir， and eight historical works。 He has received numerous awards for his writing。 As his bio at UC Berkeley notes， “Earlier in his career， he was a reporter for the San Francisco Chronicle， a commentator on National Public Radio’s ‘All Things Considered，’ and a co-founder， editor， and writer at Mother Jones magazine。” He lives in Berkeley with his wife， sociologist Arlie Russell Hochschild。 They have two adult sons。 。。。more
Umar Lee
，
Well-researched and written book discussing a largely forgotten period in American history hampered by an ideological narrative bias which caused Hochschild to fail at putting readers in the mindset， worldview， and fears of the early twentieth century。 That said， there are still a lot of gems in this book。
Dale
，
There are some gems in this book for take away but also some statements I think I need to drill down on as I think there is a misinterpretation of events。 Also， tying it all together with a culmination in the Trump administration is suspect。 No fan of Trump， but is that really the key to marketing a history book？ I would have preferred an in-depth look at the historical context without tying it to current events to make it relevant in the author's eyes。 There are some gems in this book for take away but also some statements I think I need to drill down on as I think there is a misinterpretation of events。 Also， tying it all together with a culmination in the Trump administration is suspect。 No fan of Trump， but is that really the key to marketing a history book？ I would have preferred an in-depth look at the historical context without tying it to current events to make it relevant in the author's eyes。 。。。more
Bruce Katz
，
4。5 rounded up。Like many people， I'm sure， I find myself anxiously contemplating what our country might look like if the Conservative Right as it currently exists gains control of the government -- certain subjects and forms of expression banned， reproductive and marriage rights dramatically curtailed， school curricula policed， voting rights curtailed， workers' rights curtailed， preference given to one particular religion over others， political corruption， etc。 It would be a nightmare （for peopl 4。5 rounded up。Like many people， I'm sure， I find myself anxiously contemplating what our country might look like if the Conservative Right as it currently exists gains control of the government -- certain subjects and forms of expression banned， reproductive and marriage rights dramatically curtailed， school curricula policed， voting rights curtailed， workers' rights curtailed， preference given to one particular religion over others， political corruption， etc。 It would be a nightmare （for people like me， anyway）。 And then I read "American Midnight and I saw that we've been in that dark place before， and not terribly long ago。 Sadly， as a nation we seem to have forgotten。 Worse， none of the American history classes we took ever talked about it。Beginning with America's entry into World War and continuing for the next several years， the United States was for many of its citizens a violent dystopia。 The situation for laborers -- low pay， dangerous working conditions， no protections， forced to buy from company stores -- was intolerable， and attempts to organize workers were ruthlessly put down。 Police， private security firms working for the companies， and vigilante groups beat， shot， and killed thousands of demonstrators。 In the aftermath， the perpetrators of these riots were exonerated， the victims sent to prison。 One example: members of the Industrial Workers of the World （a major labor union， known as Wobblies） were arrested while meeting in their headquarters and charged， because no other grounds could be found， for vagrancy。 A local newspaper， defending the arrests， said it was warranted because most of the men were "uncouth in appearance。" When the arrested men finally had their day in court the police could not name any laws they had violated， not did any of the defendants have criminal records。 At the conclusion of the trial， however， “Judge T。 D。 Evans found them all guilty and fined them $100 apiece （the equivalent of some $ 2，000 a hundred years later）。 This was a sum no Wobbly could afford and one that guaranteed that they would remain in jail。 By way of explaining his verdict， the judge cryptically declared， 'These are no ordinary times。'” As the condemned men were taken from the courtroom， bailiffs seized six other men in the audience -- five of whom had testified as defense witnesses -- and locked them up as well。 Outside the workplace， the situation was no better。 Even before the US entered the war， freedom of expression was。。。 "curtailed" is an entirely inadequate words。 The notion of "freedom of speech" that we currently take for granted did not exist。 Any expressions of dissent or criticism of the government -- in print， in public， even in private conversation -- were deemed violations of federal laws。 Men and women convicted of these crimes （most people so charged were convicted） were sentenced to years in prison。 In one case， men were accused of “conspiracy to violate the Espionage Act and the Selective Service Act” even though neither law had been passed when the alleged conspiracy happened。 President Woodrow Wilson supported the indictments， saying his attorney general that such actions — which is to say， private conversations — were still “worthy of being suppressed。” The courts -- including the U。S。 Supreme Court -- almost universally ruled in favor of suppressing speech。 （Interestingly， Oliver Wendell Holmes wrote the decision in a key case defending the prohibition "subversive" speech。 A few years later Holmes was to write the dissent in a similar case， having changed his mind about what freedom of speech meant。） Offices were set up within the government to spy on all manner of "suspicious" groups， whatever that might mean， going so far as to plant agents who would deliberately stir up trouble。 J。 Edgar Hoover first made his name overseeing such operations。Postmasters could indiscriminately declare some publications subversive and deny them access to the mail。 Needless to say， these "dangerous" publications were disproportionately put out by groups supporting labor， the rights of Black Americans， and those opposed to the war。 Police enforcement of laws was augmented by officially sanctioned vigilante groups -- aka， militias -- like the so-called American Protective League。 Young men who resisted the military draft were targeted: “The American Protective League needed targets。 Draft-dodging “slackers” provided one。 Nothing aroused the rage of middle-aged APL members more than young men who might be failing to fight。 In addition， the government offered a $ 50 bonus to anybody who caught such a man。 Worth more than $1，000 today， such a reward was tempting because you could seize a suspected “slacker” without a warrant。 APL members leapt at the chance。” Thousands of people were regularly arrested without warrants and judges almost always upheld all such abuses。 “In Montana，"Hochschild tells us， "a 1918 sedition bill provided a prison sentence of up to 20 years and a $ 20，000 fine for any 'disloyal， profane， violent， scurrilous， contemptuous， slurring or abusive' words directed against， among other things， the American form of government， the Constitution， or the flag。” （Before Montana's governor left office in 1921 he commuted the sentences of 7 rapists and 13 murders -- but not a single person convicted under the state's sedition law。） In Indiana， a man was tried for killing a man who muttered “to hell with the United States。 The jury took two minutes to find him not guilty。 Only the most compliant citizens were safe。 War fever raged through the population。 In addition to whatever penalties the law might threaten， the population at large determined that any acts that might be deemed less than enthusiastically supportive of the war should be punished: people were persecuted by their neighbors if they didn’t buy war bonds — or didn’t buy enough war bonds — and women were ostracized if they chose not to knit sweaters and socks for soldiers。 In some towns and cities schools were prohibited from teaching the German language， people with German-sounding names had them legally changed， German-sounding foods （hamburgers and frankfurters， for example） are given new names， and in at least one American town， speaking German in public was made illegal。 The groups that suffered the most were labor activists， pacifists （one such person was Eugene V。 Debbs， a Socialist， who was sentenced to several years in an Atlanta prison， during which time he ran for president — from his cell — and garnered almost one million votes。）， immigrants （one U。S。 senator， advocating for sharp reductions in immigration by people who were not of north European stock， complained that “during the one month of October， 1920， it is estimated that of the 74，665 immigrants arriving at Ellis Island， more than 75 per cent were of the Semitic race。”）， and most sorrowfully， Black Americans。 As membership in the KKK soared in America， the number of lynchings， murders， and attacks grew in number。 There are passages in the book that are difficult to read -- heartbreaking and shocking， indictments of what outrages we are capable of。Clearly， the very same fissures driving American politics and culture today were there in the period Hochschild writes about。 Indeed， events of the past few years here -- the election of Donald Trump， replacement theory， etc。 -- are named in the final chapter， a stark reminder that many fear to be on the horizon in the near future was made real the America of roughly 100 years ago。 In that sense — and clearly， this was the author’s point in writing the book — “American Midnight” is a warning of what is possible in America。 A postscript: Believe it or not， there are lighter moments in the book。 My favorite concerns Warren G。 Harding， who was quite the character and who presided over one of the most corrupt administrations in our history。 Hochschild writes: “People… mocked Harding for his language， which H。 L。 Mencken dubbed Gamalielese。 “It reminds me of a string of wet sponges; it reminds me of tattered washing on the line; it reminds me of stale bean-soup， of college yells， of dogs barking idiotically through endless nights。 It is so bad that a sort of grandeur creeps into it。” A rival politician once called Harding’s verbiage “an army of pompous phrases moving over the landscape in search of an idea。 Sometimes these meandering words would actually capture a straggling thought and bear it triumphantly， a prisoner in their midst， until it died of servitude。”” 。。。more
STUART J
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An engrossing overview of a dark period for civil liberties in the United States。 The author's style is more novelistic than academic， so readers looking for deeper analysis of "why" and "how" will need to consult the bibliography。 An engrossing overview of a dark period for civil liberties in the United States。 The author's style is more novelistic than academic， so readers looking for deeper analysis of "why" and "how" will need to consult the bibliography。 。。。more
Philip Bolger
，
Good work from legendary historian Adam Hochschild。 Less depressing than King Leopold's Ghost。 Still important to read。 The only thing I really wished he'd gone into more detail about is what spurred on the social changes that ended this harsh four years of repression-- was it really technology and economics， or was it more acceptance， or was it the demolition of radicals under repression， or was it the realization of what was at risk？For such a dire time， it seems odd that there's not more exam Good work from legendary historian Adam Hochschild。 Less depressing than King Leopold's Ghost。 Still important to read。 The only thing I really wished he'd gone into more detail about is what spurred on the social changes that ended this harsh four years of repression-- was it really technology and economics， or was it more acceptance， or was it the demolition of radicals under repression， or was it the realization of what was at risk？For such a dire time， it seems odd that there's not more examination of why it ended。 While I understand it's not the intent of the work， and I'd still recommend it overall， the work feels incomplete by not addressing it。 。。。more
Amanda
，
3。5 stars。 Very well-researched， but the text didn’t grab me and come alive in the way I hoped。 A little dry （but the author is a historian， so that’s not super surprising）; I found myself needing to refocus my mind on the book。 But an interesting period in our history， worth learning about。
Christopher Saunders
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Adam Hochschild's American Midnight revisits the painful period of 1917 through 1921， when the United States entered World War I then， having helped to win it， plunged into a maelstrom of political violence and state repression。 Hochschild （King Leopold's Ghost） turns his narrative gifts to Woodrow Wilson's quixotic effort to "make the world safe for democracy" while working to crush it at home。 Dissent was criminalized by the Espionage and Sedition Acts， with the government arresting socialists Adam Hochschild's American Midnight revisits the painful period of 1917 through 1921， when the United States entered World War I then， having helped to win it， plunged into a maelstrom of political violence and state repression。 Hochschild （King Leopold's Ghost） turns his narrative gifts to Woodrow Wilson's quixotic effort to "make the world safe for democracy" while working to crush it at home。 Dissent was criminalized by the Espionage and Sedition Acts， with the government arresting socialists， labor leaders and other radicals under the guise of protecting America from German espionage。 Vigilantes targeted German-Americans， some of whom were beaten， tarred-and-feathered or lynched; the American Protective League， a semi-official citizens' detective agency， rounded up draft-dodging "slackers" and conscientious objectors; the Bureau of Investigation， under the ambitious detective William J。 Flynn， consolidated its power。 War's end in November 1918 merely presaged a flowering of peacetime unrest: a flu pandemic， labor strikes， race riots， a wave of anarchist bombings and reprisals by super-patriots like the American Legion。 It culminated in the Palmer Raids， where Wilson's Attorney General unleashed the Federal government on thousands of victims - some radicals， many simply immigrants in the wrong place， who were arrested， beaten and many of them deported。 The hysteria eventually burned itself out， but not without leaving deep scars on the American psyche。These topics have often been discussed individually， like in Kenneth Ackerman's Young J。 Edgar （which depicts the Red Scare through the eyes of an ambitious young Bureau official）， David Kennedy's Over Here or Cameron McWhirter's Red Summer。 Hochschild ties these events into a cohesive narrative while adding unfamiliar contours。 Familiar progressives Eugene Debs， Emma Goldman and Robert La Follette brush shoulders with less-known figures like socialist Kate Richards O'Hare， the first American prosecuted under the Espionage Act， and IWW leader Frank Little， lynched by a patriotic mob; reactionaries Ole Hanson， Seattle's Red-baiting Mayor， and former Rough Rider Leonard Wood use the chaos to craft political careers。 Black leaders like W。E。B。 Du Bois bemoan race riots in East St。 Louis and Chicago while encouraging the "New Negro" to assert their democratic rights in the face of prejudice and violence。 Strikers are demonized as Bolsheviks， while a wave of wartime xenophobia leads to violence against immigrants and ultimately strict restrictions on their arrival。 Hochschild unsparingly portrays Wilson as a pious hypocrite， with subordinates Flynn， A。 Mitchell Palmer， George Creel （head of wartime propaganda） and postmaster Albert Burleson tightening the screws of repression。 America emerged from this period fundamentally changed， its extant fault lines emphasized and a pattern for government repression in the name of "democracy" and anti-communism firmly established。 A thoughtful， highly-readable narrative of a tumultuous time。 。。。more
Lauren
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An incredibly well-researched and immersive portrait of an often-forgotten period in American history， American Midnight takes you into waters that should be very familiar to modern readers: racism， extreme nationalism， mob violence， police brutality， worker suppression， and so much more。 Although the book can often be disturbing and hard to read at points， especially when it describes gruesome lynchings and domestic acts of terror， it's not merely a send-up of America's racist past。 Hochschild An incredibly well-researched and immersive portrait of an often-forgotten period in American history， American Midnight takes you into waters that should be very familiar to modern readers: racism， extreme nationalism， mob violence， police brutality， worker suppression， and so much more。 Although the book can often be disturbing and hard to read at points， especially when it describes gruesome lynchings and domestic acts of terror， it's not merely a send-up of America's racist past。 Hochschild states that his aim is to study past threats to democracy and civil liberties so that we can better identify early signs and defend against them in the future。 At the start of the book， the author goes over what he thinks is the typical sequence of events around the early 1900s in American history classes: the Gilded Age and rise of big industry， the Progressive Era and （largely successful） labor reforms， trouble in Europe causing America to bravely enter the war and fight for democracy， America helps the "good guys" in Europe win， and then we head straight into a period of economic prosperity in the Roaring 20s。 This resonated with me as a reader， because it's exactly how I learned about this time period。 But Hochschild's book focuses on the nuances that get lost in this easy rah-rah portrayal， such as: how entry into the war was never a given， but America supplied arms and metal to Western European countries for long before it formally decided to fight; the Espionage Act and wartime suppression of free speech; the mob violence that was enacted on anyone who expressed antiwar sentiment， had a German last name， declined to buy war bonds， or anything else that smacked of swimming against the tide; and of course， the disgusting and ever-present violence against Black Americans， including those brave enough to fight in a still-segregated Army without having full rights back home。 I love the way that Hochschild writes - he has a way of depicting characters from history like they are protagonists （or antagonists as appropriate） in the book。 I learned so many new things about people I was already familiar with， like Woodrow Wilson， and learned about some new favorite historical figures， like the lesbian antiwar activist and abortion provider Marie Equi。 I can easily say that I learned so much about my country through reading this book， and I would recommend it to anyone interested in US history。 Thank you to Mariner Books for the ARC via Netgalley。 。。。more
Bookreporter。com Biography & Memoir
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In AMERICAN MIDNIGHT， distinguished author Adam Hochschild has recreated a period in American history （1917-1921） when mob violence seemed to dictate national policy， and resistance to war or support of minorities could result in imprisonment or death for American citizens willing to speak out。With Europe in turmoil， America was on edge， led by the strangely diffident President Woodrow Wilson。 Jim Crow laws had become the unspoken rule in the South， where the end of slavery had provoked fear and In AMERICAN MIDNIGHT， distinguished author Adam Hochschild has recreated a period in American history （1917-1921） when mob violence seemed to dictate national policy， and resistance to war or support of minorities could result in imprisonment or death for American citizens willing to speak out。With Europe in turmoil， America was on edge， led by the strangely diffident President Woodrow Wilson。 Jim Crow laws had become the unspoken rule in the South， where the end of slavery had provoked fear and loathing among many white people， with lynching a tacitly accepted practice （at the rate of a hundred or more per year） and the rise of the Ku Klux Klan a simple （to some， welcome） result。 In the northern states， unrest came from the wish of workers for better conditions。 The Industrial Workers of the World （aka the Wobblies） were threatening and sometimes carrying out strikes。Hochschild’s dark tale begins with the arrest in Tulsa， Oklahoma， of 11 men lounging in the IWW headquarters。 These individuals， who had committed no crime （the formal charge was vagrancy）， were sentenced to five years in prison when they proved unable to pay their fines， and six Wobblies in the courtroom were arrested immediately after the trial。 Resisting America’s involvement in the war would occasion even more arrests， with figures like anarchist Emma Goldman， socialist Kate Richards O’Hare and union proponent Eugene V。 Debs imprisoned for exercising their right to free speech。Immigration became a hotbed issue， with government policymakers systematically barring European Jews and other undesirables from making the transition to freedom， sometimes imprisoning them at Ellis Island for indeterminate periods before deporting them。The era’s harsh and ever-increasing rules and regulations would incite a young， zealous J。 Edgar Hoover to rise in the ranks and hold sway in the FBI for nearly half a century。 Wilson， whom Hochschild describes as “the most enigmatic of American presidents，” participated with European allies in drafting the Treaty of Versailles， which would so stringently punish Germany for its actions that another world war was arguably the eventual consequence。Hochschild deftly weaves the skeins of the many distressing historical facts he has mined， creating a portrait of the US that may awaken many to the need for reexamination of basic values。 He holds that “almost all the tensions that roiled the country” during the period described in his diligently researched work “still linger today。” In order to prevent the sort of overt and subtle chaos and catastrophe depicted from arising again， he advises that we educate ourselves， speak out and carefully maintain basic respect for “civil rights and constitutional safeguards。” And， one might wonder， if that period of our American story was its midnight， whence comes the dawn？Reviewed by Barbara Bamberger Scott 。。。more
Shoshana
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"History，" observed a sage， "may not repeat itself， but it does rhyme。" Adam Hochschild covers a period of American history which is setting off clanging bells; 1917-1921。 In high school we learned about "The Red Scare" after WWI， but they never taught us how terrible it was。 Hochschild pulls no punches to inform his readers about it。"American Midnight" is well-researched and well-written， as one would expect from a scholar of Hochschild's stature。 It is a cliche to say that a work of non-fictio "History，" observed a sage， "may not repeat itself， but it does rhyme。" Adam Hochschild covers a period of American history which is setting off clanging bells; 1917-1921。 In high school we learned about "The Red Scare" after WWI， but they never taught us how terrible it was。 Hochschild pulls no punches to inform his readers about it。"American Midnight" is well-researched and well-written， as one would expect from a scholar of Hochschild's stature。 It is a cliche to say that a work of non-fiction reads like a novel， but cliches contain a truth， and so it is in this case。 There is so much sorrow and wickedness involved that it does not make for easy reading， but it is a salutary lesson for those of us living in the twenty-first century。 Strongly recommended。Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC。 。。。more
Tawney
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By the time of the U。S， entry into World War I the imbalance in wealth and power had grown to the point it was causing unrest。 This is a detailed account of how those in power used fear-mongering and force in an effort to destroy the labor movement， to stop immigration and quash any move by Blacks toward greater equality。 The government was willing to use the National Guard， the Post Office， informers， vigilante groups and more to "support democracy"。 When the war ended suppression continued wit By the time of the U。S， entry into World War I the imbalance in wealth and power had grown to the point it was causing unrest。 This is a detailed account of how those in power used fear-mongering and force in an effort to destroy the labor movement， to stop immigration and quash any move by Blacks toward greater equality。 The government was willing to use the National Guard， the Post Office， informers， vigilante groups and more to "support democracy"。 When the war ended suppression continued with the Red Scare， aided by disinformation and conspiracy theories Hochschild illustrates both the larger political and economic narratives as well as many examples of gut wrenching actions against individuals in the name of protecting the United States。 The book is very well written， with well drawn characterizations。 It was hard to read because of the subject matter， but is very important。 Condoleezza Rice says that democracy is hard。 It's important to know that the country has veered away from democratic ideals more than once and during the period covered in this book the future must have looked frightening to both sides。 Sound familiar？Thanks to Mariner Books and NetGalley for an advance copy。 。。。more
Kellylynn
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Another rough one to read。 It is amazing that at this point in our history we are still repeating the same mistakes over and over again。 So many things that were just so bad; the lynchings， the political rhetoric， the blatant lying in the press。For me I felt sad that we have not learned and have not moved forward in the years。 My husband looked at this with the thought well this gives me hope that it will not all fall apart as horrifically as it could and we may be able to baby step ahead。I actu Another rough one to read。 It is amazing that at this point in our history we are still repeating the same mistakes over and over again。 So many things that were just so bad; the lynchings， the political rhetoric， the blatant lying in the press。For me I felt sad that we have not learned and have not moved forward in the years。 My husband looked at this with the thought well this gives me hope that it will not all fall apart as horrifically as it could and we may be able to baby step ahead。I actually won this one in one of the giveaways。 。。。more
Carol Dimitriou
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Before I talk about this book， I want to thank GOODREADS and MARINER Books for giving me the chance to read it before its publication。 Thanks！American Midnight is an extremely well written and very interesting book。 As Adam Hochschild says in his prologue， the events he writes about were not in any history textbooks I read in high school。 They should have been！ Every American should be aware of what transpired in America during and right after World War I。 I grew up watching the Army-McCarthy he Before I talk about this book， I want to thank GOODREADS and MARINER Books for giving me the chance to read it before its publication。 Thanks！American Midnight is an extremely well written and very interesting book。 As Adam Hochschild says in his prologue， the events he writes about were not in any history textbooks I read in high school。 They should have been！ Every American should be aware of what transpired in America during and right after World War I。 I grew up watching the Army-McCarthy hearings on television; I remember vividly the turmoil during the Vietnam War; and， of course， the extreme views currently espoused by the far right。 But I had no idea of the loss of civil liberties， the imprisonment of citizens for their beliefs， or the almost total lack of ethics of many of our elected officials during that time period。 I thought these things were only true during my lifetime。 How wrong I was！ Please， everyone， read this book--it will open your eyes！ 。。。more
Kimba Tichenor
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Adam Hochschild’s American Midnight is a compelling read about an overlooked chapter in American history， that is， how US involvement in World War I became an excuse for a government-led war against democracy at home。 As the author notes in the Introduction， most high school history texts detail the United States’ enthusiastic embrace of the European war after a period of neutrality， the US role in Allied Powers’ victory， the subsequent ticker tape parades， and the arrival of the Jazz Age。 Howev Adam Hochschild’s American Midnight is a compelling read about an overlooked chapter in American history， that is， how US involvement in World War I became an excuse for a government-led war against democracy at home。 As the author notes in the Introduction， most high school history texts detail the United States’ enthusiastic embrace of the European war after a period of neutrality， the US role in Allied Powers’ victory， the subsequent ticker tape parades， and the arrival of the Jazz Age。 However， little or no mention is made of how two wartime acts passed by Congress—the Espionage Act of 1917 and the Sedition Act of 1918—were used to suppress wartime dissent， imprison union organizers， shut down leftist newspapers， justify attacks on African American communities， dismantle the American Socialist party， and persecute immigrants。 These topics have remained largely confined to academic histories of the era。 With this well-researched and easy-to-read popular history， Hochschild seeks both to rectify this oversight and to provide a cautionary tale about the fragility of democracy。 To this end， the author highlights parallels between past and present， that is， how rage against immigrants and refugees， racism， and the American predilection for blaming our economic， social， and political woes on sinister conspiracies continue to garner large numbers of adherents within the populace。 It is as a cautionary tale that this book touches a nerve。 With a very light touch， the author points to continuities between now and then。 For example， he notes in the Conclusion: “Just as veterans of the Philippine War appeared in the violence that surged after 1917， so veterans of later Asian counter-guerrilla wars， in Vietnam， Iraq， and Afghanistan， have helped fill the ranks of new camouflaged-clad armed militia groups。" Although the author makes no mention of the January 6th insurrection or the storming of Michigan’s capitol by militia groups， including the Boogaloo Boys and the Michigan Liberty militia， these events， at least for this reader， immediately came to mind。 A more direct parallel is drawn when the author highlights how many former members of the American Protective League—a nationwide volunteer citizens’ organization that in league with the US government conducted unlawful searches and even tarred and feathered members of the Industrial Workers of the World （IWW） union for protesting the war—became leading members of the postwar Ku Klux Klan。 In the framework of this discussion， the author notes that when 1000 hooded Klansmen marched through the streets of New York City on Memorial Day 1927， one of the Klansmen arrested was Donald Trump’s father， Fred Trump。 The racist， xenophobic， and conspiratorial views of the father found expression in the son’s presidential campaign and presidency。 Any report that spoke critically of his presidency was labeled “fake news” and blame for the country’s political and economic woes was placed on immigrants。However， let us be clear; this cautionary tale is not a partisan one。 The author emphasizes that both major political parties have been guilty of making “dog-whistle appeals” aimed at the populace’s darker side。 Both parties also have had a hand in creating the environment in which conspiracy-driven， anti-democratic solutions thrive。 Each has promoted policies that widened the gap between the haves and the have-nots， so that tens of millions of Americans’ economic circumstances have deteriorated—making conditions ripe for looking for scapegoats to blame。 Moreover， members of both parties have been guilty of prioritizing political expediency over promoting civil rights and Constitutional safeguards。 This eye-opening popular history may be hard for many to read， as it debunks the national myth of American freedom。 However， this is no nihilistic narrative of the country’s past sins。 Instead， the author hopes that by examining “the toxic currents of racism， nativism， Red-baiting， and contempt for the rule of law [that] have long flowed through American life，” we can “better defend against them in the future。”I would like to thank NetGalley， the author， and the publisher for an advance copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review。 。。。more
Joseph J。
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Thank you to Goodeads for an ARC。 Those who do not know history are apt （or doomed） to repeat it， or， what is past is prologue。 I suspect Adam Hochschild researched and wrote this volume in our present time。 We know the wave of blacklisting and finger pointing and fear which swept the U。S。 after World War II。 Less known is this period during and following The Great War， which tragically became in history World War I。 Anti-immigrant fear and loathing， lynching and arrest of union organizers， impr Thank you to Goodeads for an ARC。 Those who do not know history are apt （or doomed） to repeat it， or， what is past is prologue。 I suspect Adam Hochschild researched and wrote this volume in our present time。 We know the wave of blacklisting and finger pointing and fear which swept the U。S。 after World War II。 Less known is this period during and following The Great War， which tragically became in history World War I。 Anti-immigrant fear and loathing， lynching and arrest of union organizers， imprisonment of editors， writers and speakers seen as traitorous to the War effort-these marked the War years and aftermath。 At the center is the perplexing， perplexing and at times enraging figure of the idealistic progressive Woodrow Wilson。 He emerges from the war a messianic figure in Europe。 But prophets are often despised by their own people。 And Wilson returns from extended trips to Europe beaten by allied leaders' demands to punish defeated Germany， leading to obstinacy consumed by a descent into paralyzing illness。 His personal and Presidential tragedy shadows a country and an administration hell bent on persecuting and imprisoning and departing the other-from filthy subhuman prisons， unconstitutional round ups sanctioned by an Attorney General with Presidential ambitions， and often led by a young J。 Edgar Hoover with， well ambitions。 There is a fascinating cast of persecuted characters many known to， others not known， to history。 Other than Wilson， there are the famous: Socialists Emma Goldman and Eugene V。 Debs， and nemesis Attorney General Mitchell Palmer， along with J。 Edgar。 We also meet Kate O Hare and Marie Eqi and the courageous Louis Post。 （Don't forget the incredibly named Kennesaw Mountain Landis， or the mediocre Vice President Thomas Marshall。 An absorbing read， and lesson for our present day。 。。。more
Kim McGee
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It is amazing to me the high limits we have for human cruelty and racial/ethnic injustice。 At a low period in our history during WWI and years after we stopped welcoming the world's downtrodden and shut the flow of immigrants we had welcomed with open arms。 At the same time a world at war and mob mentality made us suspect our European neighbors（especially German） and Black Americans with renewed fervor。 Workers looking for a better life who spoke out were tortured or worse and mobs treated any o It is amazing to me the high limits we have for human cruelty and racial/ethnic injustice。 At a low period in our history during WWI and years after we stopped welcoming the world's downtrodden and shut the flow of immigrants we had welcomed with open arms。 At the same time a world at war and mob mentality made us suspect our European neighbors（especially German） and Black Americans with renewed fervor。 Workers looking for a better life who spoke out were tortured or worse and mobs treated any organized meetings with violence。 It is also the story of a young J。 Edgar Hoover and his collection of spies and informers creating fear to control the masses。 The pace is good and considering how much information is shared， it is very readable。 Historians as well as political aficionados will appreciate how similar this is to current day。 My thanks to the publisher for the advance copy。 。。。more
J Earl
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