by John Ganz
First published 2024
John Ganz examines the chaotic years following Reagan's presidency, when America seemed poised for stability but instead descended into anger and division. The Soviet Union had collapsed, the Gulf War was won, and American power dominated globally. Yet the early 1990s brought domestic upheaval that foreshadowed today's polarization. Ganz traces the period's defining moments: racial tensions exploding in Crown Heights and Los Angeles, David Duke's political rise, the growth of militia movements, and Rush Limbaugh's media influence. The 1992 election saw Pat Buchanan and Ross Perot challenge the establishment while Americans grappled with economic recession and social transformation. Conspiracy theories flourished as intellectuals tried to decode the "Middle American Radicals" driving new political movements. Bill Clinton promised a vital center, but the forces unleashed proved too powerful to contain. Ganz reveals how the Reagan era's end birthed a more turbulent nation.
Genres: 20th-century, political-science, 21st-century, american-history
Vibes: suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: historical-fiction, social-commentary
Setting: Crown Heights, Los Angeles, United States
Period: 1980s, 1990s
420 pages · Hardcover · Farrar, Straus and Giroux