Praise for
MANUFACTURING HYSTERIA
"Feldman's compact history...charts the federal government's 'all out
assault on dissent, with a three-pronged attack of legislation, propaganda
and surveillance'
from the early 20th century on....Feldman ably sketches out instances of the
trampling of [our] constitutional rights...and offers especially fine analyses
of the McCarthy era....Feldman's history offers a sharply revisionist view
of 20th-century America that eschews triumphalism."
—
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
"Jay Feldman's highly readable account of the long, sad
story of civil
liberties in America is as close to entertaining as such a history can
be. He reminds us that the protections of the Bill of Rights are always
available to us except when we have dire need of them."
— Nicholas von Hoffman
"Penetrating account of xenophobia and the officially sanctioned
persecution of minorities and the politically undesirable....Feldman
is an attentive historian, unearthing many disturbing, forgotten
examples of official malfeasance....An alternate history rife
with violence and class oppression, presented with rigor and
detail."
—
KIRKUS REVIEWS
"Manufacturing Hysteria is a cautionary, liberalizing history
—
and a book that serves as a philosophical call to arms."
— CHRISTIAN SCIENCE MONITOR
(One of CSM's
"20 of the Smartest
Nonfiction Titles for Summer 2011
Reading")
"Feldman’s judgment of this period is no exaggeration….Feldman is rather
obviously a gentleman of the left, but that doesn’t unduly color his reportage
and analysis....It is useful to have the entire history outlined in a single volume,
for as more recent events have made plain, the susceptibility of the American populace
to appeals based on fear and prejudice has not been eradicated."
— Jonathan Yardley, WASHINGTON POST
"Manufacturing Hysteria offers a chilling overview of how American
political culture has generated domestic enemies to justify massive infringements
of
rights….Feldman does a good job of showing how…elaborate security
designs were developed well before any emergencies actually occurred….Feldman's
focus on American political elites is meant as a cautionary tale, and his epilogue
describes how much worse things have become in the wake of the 9/11 attacks….We
can be grateful for his account."
— SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE
"A wide-ranging history of sedition panics and government repression
in modern America."
—
THE AMERICAN CONSERVATIVE
"A readable and interesting
history of an important period that explains, in part, how we got to this sad
juncture."
—
NEW YORK JOURNAL OF BOOKS
"Feldman forcefully shows how the civil rights we assume will always be
part of our democracy have been dangerously trampled on, compromised or outright
ignored by the government, often under the banner of national security….It's
approachable and never dryly academic."
—
SPECTRUM CULTURE
"A richly researched, engrossing book."
— DEATH AND TAXES MAGAZINE
"What Feldman makes clear is that…American ideals—which it
is clear he treasures—are so frequently undercut by American actions."
— SACRAMENTO NEWS & REVIEW
"The book is a chilling tale about what lies ahead if aggressive political
discourse continues to divide and conquer the American people."
— THE DAILY
"Feldman uses numerous examples from 20th-century American history to make
his case that the powers that be, within government and in the private
sector, crush dissent
and erode civil liberties through fear and prejudice."
—
PORTLAND OREGONIAN
"Expansive, though remarkably detailed and researched….Manufacturing Hysteria
proves particularly adept at identifying and explaining the dangerous ground
on which national and political solidarity stand during times of perceived crisis
and threat. Feldman's historical lens, in the final analysis, has its focus firmly
on the present."
— CHARLESTON (S.C.) POST AND
COURIER
An exhaustive look at how the United States government officially and unofficially,
legally and illegally, monitored and controlled the populace. Manufacturing
Hysteria is an excellent reminder to readers to exercise vigilance in preserving
civil liberties."
— SAN FRANCISCO BOOK REVIEW
"Feldman's is the story of the abuse of power, and the threat it poses to
American civil liberties. The book is well-written and informative. Some
will find it
controversial. I found it fascinating."
— DECATUR (Ga.) DAILY
"Readable, often chilling account….Feldman makes a disturbingly compelling case
that…scapegoating of minorities and unpopular political views—backed by the power
of the state—has become almost an American tradition."
— NEWCITY LIT
"Feldman’s book is an exhaustive look at how the United States
government officially and unofficially, legally and illegally, monitored
and controlled the populace. Manufacturing Hysteria is an excellent reminder
to readers to exercise vigilance in preserving civil liberties."
— TULSA BOOK REVIEW
"Brilliantly researched and artfully written."
— FIREDOG LAKE BOOK
SALON
"Manufacturing Hysteria deftly narrates a half-buried
through-line of American history, turning over rocks, shining a flashlight
on dark corners.
Feldman’s book is well documented,…a thorough review of the historical record….
If Studs Terkel were alive today, he would be talking about this book."
— BRUCEJQUILLER
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