When the Clock Broke: Con Men, Conspiracists, and How America Cracked Up in the Early 1990s
John Ganz
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When the Clock Broke: Con Men, Conspiracists, and How America Cracked Up in the Early 1990s
John Ganz
A lively, revelatory look back at the convulsions at the end of the Reagan era―and their dark legacy today. With the Soviet Union extinct, Saddam Hussein defeated, and U.S. power at its zenith, the early 1990s promised a “kinder, gentler America.” Instead, it was a period of rising anger and domestic turmoil, anticipating the polarization and resurgent extremism we know today. In When the Clock Broke , the acclaimed political writer John Ganz tells the story of America’s late-century discontents. Ranging from upheavals in Crown Heights and Los Angeles to the advent of David Duke and the heartland survivalists, the broadcasts of Rush Limbaugh, and the bitter disputes between neoconservatives and the “paleo-con” right, Ganz immerses us in a time when what Philip Roth called the “indigenous American berserk” took new and ever-wilder forms. In the 1992 campaign, Pat Buchanan's and Ross Perot’s insurgent populist bids upended the political establishment, all while Americans struggled through recession, alarm about racial and social change, the specter of a new power in Asia, and the end of Cold War–era political norms. Conspiracy theories surged, and intellectuals and activists strove to understand the “Middle American Radicals” whose alienation fueled new causes. Meanwhile, Bill Clinton appeared to forge a new, vital center, though it would not hold for long. In a rollicking, eye-opening book, Ganz narrates the fall of the Reagan order and the rise of a new and more turbulent America.
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Review of “When the Clock Broke: Con Men, Conspiracists, and How America Cracked Up in the Early 1990s”
By: John Ganz
Available June 18/2024
Disclaimer: Please note that I received an Audio ARC from NetGalley and Macmillan Audio, in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.
⭐⭐⭐☆☆
John Ganz’s “When the Clock Broke” delves into the political and social chaos of the early 1990s, exposing America’s internal conflicts during a period of supposed triumph.
The book delves into the tensions of race, society, and economy that drive conspiracy theories and radical movements. Ganz demonstrates how these issues contribute to the current polarization and extremism, highlighting the impact of the past.
“When the Clock Broke” is an average book that didn’t captivate me, which is unusual for this type of literature. I can’t explain why I didn’t connect with it, but I hope you find this book an intriguing read. It’s filled with valuable insights, so it might be right up your alley.
0Review of “When the Clock Broke: Con Men, Conspiracists, and How America Cracked Up in the Early 1990s”
By: John Ganz
Available June 18/2024
Disclaimer: Please note that I received an Audio ARC from NetGalley and Macmillan Audio, in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.
⭐⭐⭐☆☆
John Ganz’s “When the Clock Broke” delves into the political and social chaos of the early 1990s, exposing America’s internal conflicts during a period of supposed triumph.
The book delves into the tensions of race, society, and economy that drive conspiracy theories and radical movements. Ganz demonstrates how these issues contribute to the current polarization and extremism, highlighting the impact of the past.
“When the Clock Broke” is an average book that didn’t captivate me, which is unusual for this type of literature. I can’t explain why I didn’t connect with it, but I hope you find this book an intriguing read. It’s filled with valuable insights, so it might be right up your alley.
0
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