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Blood in the Face: The Ku Klux Klan, Aryan Nations, Nazi Skinheads and the Rise of a New White Culture
Updated to incorporate information on the Oklahoma City bombing and the militia movement, this in-depth study of the rise of white supremacists and religious fundamentalists traces the history of such movements, their tactics, and their impact.
224 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1990
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
October 30, 2016
This book came out as a kind of companion piece to the documentary “Blood in the Face,” which showed the activities within the Aryan Nations complex in Michigan in the late 1980s, but its coverage is actually rather broader than that of the movie. The author is a journalist who had focused on the rise of the New Right in the Midwest during the 1980s, and he had seen the growing popularity of fringe-right (what we might call “Alt-Right” today) influences within that milieu. Today it has some value as a historical source, as those tendencies have continued to gain mainstream acceptance and even, by way of the Tea Party, some degree of governmental power.
The book’s main appeal at the time was the many photographs and graphics, perhaps most famously a reproduction of a map of a proposed “raciallized” USA where all the Jews are moved to “West Israel” (Long Island), all African Americans to “New Africa” (Florida and parts of southern Alabama and Mississippi and eastern Louisiana), and Asian Americans to “East Mongolia” (Hawaii). There are pictures of klansmen and neo-Nazis, skinheads and various ethnic caricatures drawn from the literature of the extreme right, all of which is always a good draw for crowds. Some of the history of these groups is unfortunately simplified; especially in the case of the KKK, which was about to undergo a renaissance of historical study when this book came out.
Where the history is exceptionally strong, however, is in the case of the Posse Comitatus, one of the root sources of the recent armed occupation of the Malheur National Park by Ammon Bundy and his supporters. This book, along with “Bitter Harvest,” represents some of the best information available on this group or movement, so far as I have found. In addition, while Ridgeway’s pre-1980s history may be weak, his documentation of the contemporary scene is thorough and largely accurate, so this book serves as a useful historical document, with names that are still familiar today such as David Duke and Don Black, and gives an important snapshot of one point in their long commitment to their ideology. Anyone baffled by the current Presidential election in the United States will find valuable information (if not much comfort) in this documentation.
The book’s main appeal at the time was the many photographs and graphics, perhaps most famously a reproduction of a map of a proposed “raciallized” USA where all the Jews are moved to “West Israel” (Long Island), all African Americans to “New Africa” (Florida and parts of southern Alabama and Mississippi and eastern Louisiana), and Asian Americans to “East Mongolia” (Hawaii). There are pictures of klansmen and neo-Nazis, skinheads and various ethnic caricatures drawn from the literature of the extreme right, all of which is always a good draw for crowds. Some of the history of these groups is unfortunately simplified; especially in the case of the KKK, which was about to undergo a renaissance of historical study when this book came out.
Where the history is exceptionally strong, however, is in the case of the Posse Comitatus, one of the root sources of the recent armed occupation of the Malheur National Park by Ammon Bundy and his supporters. This book, along with “Bitter Harvest,” represents some of the best information available on this group or movement, so far as I have found. In addition, while Ridgeway’s pre-1980s history may be weak, his documentation of the contemporary scene is thorough and largely accurate, so this book serves as a useful historical document, with names that are still familiar today such as David Duke and Don Black, and gives an important snapshot of one point in their long commitment to their ideology. Anyone baffled by the current Presidential election in the United States will find valuable information (if not much comfort) in this documentation.
October 20, 2013
Overall I liked this book. I've always felt I was more or less alive after this rising movement of extreme right-wing had crested and dissolved into pathetic groupings here and there. So I was excited to see a book that was a general overview of the various movements.
My biggest two problems, however, were 1) I think if this book was written about 'extreme left-wing' movements or anarchists, I would think it was total non-sense. Have you ever read affidavits or magazine articles that are in-depth and tell things from the inside using anarchists' own material (as the back of this book claims to do about white supremacists), it's total non-sense. I think it also presents a lot of individuals and groups as more unified or heroic/ powerful than they might have actually been. So I recommend one read this with that grain of salt.
And 2) though the book did this at times, I wish it had more damningly connected white supremacist thought to the history of white supremacy in the country. For example, any of stomach-turning, white supremacist tirades reproduced in the book would have been totally acceptable had the authors been born 50 or hundred years before they were. White supremacists scream what society whispers to us a dozen times a day. I wish the book had more explicitly stated that.
Finally, I say that most white supremacist groups are pathetic (at least as I've experienced them in the midwest in the last decade or so), but this does not mean I don't think they should be confronted. Even small desperate groups or individuals can do tremendous things. I also think we should smash them while they're small, before they're too big to deal with.
3.5
My biggest two problems, however, were 1) I think if this book was written about 'extreme left-wing' movements or anarchists, I would think it was total non-sense. Have you ever read affidavits or magazine articles that are in-depth and tell things from the inside using anarchists' own material (as the back of this book claims to do about white supremacists), it's total non-sense. I think it also presents a lot of individuals and groups as more unified or heroic/ powerful than they might have actually been. So I recommend one read this with that grain of salt.
And 2) though the book did this at times, I wish it had more damningly connected white supremacist thought to the history of white supremacy in the country. For example, any of stomach-turning, white supremacist tirades reproduced in the book would have been totally acceptable had the authors been born 50 or hundred years before they were. White supremacists scream what society whispers to us a dozen times a day. I wish the book had more explicitly stated that.
Finally, I say that most white supremacist groups are pathetic (at least as I've experienced them in the midwest in the last decade or so), but this does not mean I don't think they should be confronted. Even small desperate groups or individuals can do tremendous things. I also think we should smash them while they're small, before they're too big to deal with.
3.5
February 14, 2020
Dated material, but a good overview of white supremacist organizations pre 2000.
Read
September 10, 2023An American whose who of the white supremacist organizations in the title. However, I received few insights into what makes them function. David Duke appears willing to bend to any situation. He is credited with writing a pamphlet for aggressive black rights.
March 15, 2020
It was a very good read but heartbreaking as well. The hatred that still goes on today is unfortunate. But it was a good books I’m reading it again. Educational.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 4, 2013
A very important unemotional view of white supremacist movements in the US until 1996. Some of the language used here may seem eerily familiar, particularly in these times; they haven't gone away, after all. I would also recommend finding the documentary of the same name, based loosely on this book. Look for it on Netflix (where I saw it) or YouTube.
June 5, 2007
Frightening. It kept me up at night knowing that these people exist and continue to operate. This is particularly toxic when combined with the latest anti-immigrant movement and looming socio-economic worries.
November 12, 2007
A good read: engaging and interesting. Other books go into more detail of specific groups or events, but this is a good overview. I'd have preferred if it were more in-depth, but as it stands it's still worth a read. Especially recommended for those new to the topic.
October 26, 2012
This book is a good place to start for people who want a concise history of the white power movement. It presents almost like a text book, and maybe it is(?). However the author did a good job of pacing the book and keeping it from being dense. If this topic interests you check it out.
June 3, 2007
far right racists are a scary bunch - nice to get some history on boneheads
April 4, 2013
Totally against racism in any form. Did find this book enlightening regarding the history of such groups and current existence. However, even that is only worth half a star.
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June 22, 2018Got from library. About hate and bigotry. Racism. Don't buy
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews