‘Alt-America: The Rise of the Radical Right in the Age of Trump’ is the fascinating story of the remarkable resurgence of extremists in the United States
A book ‘Alt-America: The Rise of the Radical Right in the Age of Trump’, authored by David Neiwert is a 2017 nonfiction book by investigative journalist David Neiwert in which provides an account of how disparate but interrelated elements of American culture ranging from the Birther movement to Gamergate to the militia movement came together to elect Donald Trump and create the alt-right.
This is a fascinating story of the remarkable resurgence of extremists in the United States by acclaimed investigative reporter.
Just as Donald Trump’s victorious campaign for the US presidency shocked liberal Americans, the seemingly sudden national prominence of white supremacists, xenophobes, militia leaders, and mysterious “Alt-Right” leaders mystifies many. But the extreme Right has been growing steadily in the US since the 1990s, with the rise of Patriot militias; following 9/11, when conspiracy theorists found fresh life; and in virulent reaction to the first black president of the country. Nurtured by a powerful right-wing media sector in radio, TV, and online, the Far Right, Tea Party movement conservatives, and Republican activists found common ground in “Producerist” ideology and “constitutionalist” interpretations of US law—an alternative America that is resurgent, even as it has been ignored by the political establishment and mainstream media.
Investigative reporter David Neiwert has been tracking extremists for more than two decades, and here he provides a deeply reported and authoritative report on the background, mindset, and growth on the ground of Far Right movements across the country. The product of years of reportage, and including the most in-depth investigation of Trump’s ties to Far Right figures, this is a crucial book about one of the most disturbing sides of the US.
Reviews
“The seemingly sudden reemergence of the far right in America has left many in a state of panic and bewilderment. Alt-America will be essential in helping us to comprehend the depth of its foundations in national life”, says Angela Nagle, author of Kill All Normies: Online Culture Wars.
Another review published by Washington Post says, “Neiwert looks beyond conservative schisms, left-wing failings and online subcultures to pinpoint the experiences and beliefs that bind the alt-right together, and he calls the world he finds “Alt-America”.
“An alarming, well-researched account of how the far-right extremist underground became empowered in the era of Trump… A prescient discussion of one of the darkest issues facing America today,” another review said.
John Semley, writes in “The Globe and Mail” that the book offers the most comprehensive account of the United States’ renewed extremist cultures … Alt-America excites in its ability to connect the seemingly extraordinary alt-right to the broader culture of wing-nut conservatism, drawing white nationalism, 4chan, Donald Trump, Alex Jones and Fox News together into a wonky negaverse version of political life.
Daily Kos writes, “Neiwert has not only earned his investigative chops over the past decade or so by exploring the dangerous side of right-wing extremism—he’s proven himself to be one of the more lyrical and elegant writers on the beat”.
J.C. Pan writes in “New Republic” that tracing the ebbs and flows of this far-right extremism in the United States over the last 20 years, Neiwert argues that white nationalist activity in the age of Trump is simply the latest flare-up of what he calls ‘Alt-America,’ or the segment of the American population that has fed on conspiracy theories, racist misinformation, and deep distrust of federal institutions for decades.
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