Insurrection

In his thoughtful study of the polarisation in the United States that led to the attack on Congress, Short offers a damning account of the impulse for Trump’s alleged incitement of insurrection. * The Independent *
A well-written, well-structured, interesting, and informative tour d’horizon. He ranges from the increasing lack of trust in government, flaws in the electoral system, weaknesses in the constitution and the growing influence of conspiracy theories to the impact of demographic change, globalisation, deindustrialisation and social and cultural change on the political landscape of the United States. * The Arbuturian *
This highly readable study will appeal to anyone seeking to make sense of the uprising that forever changed modern American politics. A concise and incisive look at a democracy in peril. * Kirkus Reviews *
This book offers a searing analysis of the long and short-term factors that put a demagogue in the White House and culminated in a near fatal challenge to US democracy. While Short says there are signs of hope, his conclusion is disconcerting. The multiple crises facing US democracy embodied in Trump’s “Big Lie” that Biden did not win in 2020 persist. Defiant conspiracists now populate the Republicans, ramshackle constitutional norms are dangerously outdated, and polarisation is as deep as ever. America, the author argues, is in danger. -- Gavin O’Toole * Morning Star *
Short provides a powerful review of the forces at work leading up to the events in Washington, DC, on January 6, 2021. Indeed, this book is not only about the insurrection itself but also about the many factors at play in the run-up to that fateful day. It treats both short-term forces, such as the COVID crisis and debates around policing and racial justice after the murder of George Floyd, and long-term (i.e., pre-Trump) changes in American politics, from eroding trust in American institutions to the impact of new and changing media and electoral rules. Short covers the gamut, and his narrative is readable and compelling. He doesn’t pull punches, offering a comprehensive review of the current state of American politics while also raising important questions about the potential for worse days ahead. What would have happened if the insurrectionists had captured Nancy Pelosi or cornered Mike Pence? How close did the United States come to a bigger disaster? Can Americans rest assured that such a disaster is not inevitable? These are important questions, and every citizen should consider them. Recommended. * Choice *
In his preface, John Rennie Short promises to provide an examination of the longer-term processes that led to the insurrection at the United States Capitol on January 6, 2021. And he does just that, providing a comprehensible, lively, and biting account of the causes of this deeply complex event and Trump’s role in it. It is essential reading for anyone concerned about the state of American democracy. * Ronald H. Fritze, author of Hope and Fear: Modern Myths, Conspiracy Theories and Pseudo-History *