Demagogue: The Life and Long Shadow of Senator Joe McCarthy

(Paperback)

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The definitive biography of the most dangerous demagogue in American history, based on exclusive access to his papers and recently unsealed transcripts of his closed-door Congressional hearings

In the long history of American demagogues, from Huey Long to Donald Trump, never has one man caused so much damage in such a short time as Senator Joseph McCarthy. We still use McCarthyism to stand for outrageous charges of guilt by association, a weapon of polarizing slander. From 1950 to 1954, McCarthy destroyed many careers and even entire lives, whipping the nation into a frenzy of paranoia, accusation, loyalty oaths, and terror. His chaotic, meteoric rise is a gripping and terrifying object lesson for us all. Yet his equally sudden fall from fame offers hope that, given the rope, most American demagogues eventually hang themselves. Only now, through best-selling author Larry Tyes look at the senators records, can the full story be told.

Reviews

Featured on Fresh Air! A Christian Science Monitor best nonfiction book of 2020 An Amazon best history book of 2020 The fullest account yet of the crusading junior senator from Wisconsin...the rigor of his research ensures he goes far beyond the caricature to give us a portrait of nuance and depth.Wall Street Journal Tye captures Low Blow Joe in all his shambolic ingloriousness . . . The result is an epic expose that . . . will leave [readers] shaking their heads over the rise and fall of the greatest demagogue in American history, with the possible exception of the current White House incumbent. The Boston Globe Demagogue does an impressive job of shedding new light on Joe McCarthy, but the more light is shed, the more repulsive he appears. The more we learn, Tye writes, the fewer heroes this story has.Christian Science Monitor Tye has produced a compelling and rich biography that will become the new authoritative text on its subject.Los Angeles Review of Books vivid chronicle of the ascent, reign, and decline of Joseph McCarthy.National Book ReviewDemagogue is a beautifully written, richly researched tragedy, a morality tale in three acts. In the end, it proves that most demagogues, like the legendary emperor, usually have no clothes. And its not a pretty sight to behold.New York Journal of Books An interesting, readable accountnew material from McCarthys personal archive add interesting and colorful detail to what has previously been known.Life and Liberty Tantalizing.Milwaukee Journal Sentinel In an age when we see the resurrection of Senator Joe McCarthys tacticsexaggeration and lies, guilt by association, the smearing of political opponents, and above all the acquiescence of enablers who know betterLarry TyesDemagogueis a gripping, essential read. Drawing on records newly unsealed after sixty years, Tye explains how McCarthys fear-mongering caught fire, offering timely insight into the rise of bullies and what is required to defeat them.Samantha Power, former US Ambassador to the United Nations andNew York Timesbestsellingauthor ofThe Education of an Idealist For many contemporary readers, Joseph McCarthy is a done and dusted relic for the history books, but Tye (Bobby Kennedy, 2016) brings him back to ferocious life . . . Tye is an even-handed reporter, tracking the truth of stories advanced by both McCarthy's devotees and detractors . . . This is a must-read biography for anyone fascinated by American history, and every reader will blanch at its events' resemblances to today's fraught political conflicts.Booklist, STARRED Larry TyesDemagoguenails the defining biography of Joe McCarthy. I grew up a Cold War kid watching it all on television. I thought I knew it all, but Tye makes it real.To understand Donald Trump, you have to understand Joe McCarthy first, and Tyes your guide.John Kerry, former US Secretary of State Tye has written a fabulous, can't-put-down examination of one of the most dangerous politicians in American history. ButDemagogue

Author Bio

LARRY TYEis the best-selling author ofBobby KennedyandSatchel,as well asSuperman,The Father of Spin, Home Lands,andRising from the Rails,and coauthor, with Kitty Dukakis, ofShock. Previously an award-winning reporter and national writer at theBoston Globeand a Nieman fellow at Harvard University, he now runs the Boston-based Health Coverage Fellowship. He lives in Massachusetts.