First published 2018
Michael Savage explores how collective madness has repeatedly seized American society throughout history. The New York Times bestselling author traces patterns of mass hysteria from Christopher Columbus through the Salem witch trials to the Red Scares of the 1930s and 1940s. Savage argues that politicians with hidden agendas have consistently manipulated public fear to achieve their goals. He examines how American politics reached a breaking point following Donald Trump's presidency, with social issues, economics, and national security becoming violent battlegrounds. The author deconstructs what he sees as unhinged attacks on traditional American values including borders, language, and culture. Savage identifies common elements across historical outbreaks of collective insanity, analyzing their causes and both immediate and lasting consequences. He exposes the tactics used by those who exploit gullible populations, creating fear around both genuine and fabricated threats. The book offers readers historical context to understand current political unrest and provides insight into the forces driving dangerous divisions in American society.
Genres: history, american, political-science, politics, non-fiction, 21st-century, current-affairs, american-history
Vibes: suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: unreliable-narrator
Setting: America, Salem
Period: 1930s, 1940s
352 pages · Hardcover · Center Street