American Midnight

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From award-winning historian Adam Hochschild comes a fast-paced account of a pivotal yet neglected period in American history: World War I and its tumultuous aftermath, when violence and repression threatened American democracy. The nation teetered on the edge as angry mobs burned Black churches and targeted pacifists and immigrants. Over a thousand individuals were imprisoned for their words, even in private conversations, while a staggering 250,000 people joined a vigilante group backed by the Department of Justice. This dark chapter, spanning from 1917 to 1921, was marked by torture, censorship, and killings. Hochschild vividly recounts this era through the intertwined stories of various characters, including the enigmatic Woodrow Wilson and the ambitious J. Edgar Hoover, alongside lesser-known figures like antiwar advocate Kate Richards O’Hare and labor radical Leo Wendell, who, despite being trusted by his comrades, was actually Hoover’s undercover agent. This groundbreaking narrative history highlights the bravery of those who fought to preserve democracy amid rising currents of racism, nativism, and contempt for the rule of law—issues that resonate disturbingly in today’s society.