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The Secret War Against Hate
American Resistance to Antisemitism and White Supremacy
The Secret War Against Hate
American Resistance to Antisemitism and White Supremacy
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Description
From the author of Pulitzer Prize finalist Hitler in Los Angeles, the definitive story of the rise and fall of hate groups in America from 1945 until the late 1970s, and of the intrepid activists and spies who brought them down.
Americans today like to believe that the end of World War II brought a decrease in hate and a new era of tolerance in the United States. Nothing could be further from the truth. Antisemitism and racism went up-not down-after the war's end. Violence broke out in cities across the country, and the number of organized hate groups more than doubled from 1940 to 1946. In this shocking account of a resurgence of white supremacy in America, celebrated historian Steven J. Ross reveals how four key leaders-Emory Burke, J. B. Stoner, James Madole, and George Lincoln Rockwell-worked together to “finish the job Hitler had begun,” launching deadly attacks on Jews and African Americans and building a network of terrorists across the U.S. In response to this “war of hate,” three New York–based men-Robert Forster of the Anti-Defamation League, George Mintzer of the American Jewish Committee, and James Sheldon of the Non-Sectarian Anti-Nazi League-along with dozens of men and women, launched a multipronged effort: They infiltrated, monitored, and undermined these hate groups, putting their own safety on the line and scoring important victories that, today, have been all but forgotten.
Tracing the extraordinary work of these unsung heroes, The Secret War Against Hate provides a groundbreaking reconsideration of the legacy of the “Good War,” and essential reading on how America today can beat hate once again and build a just and united nation.
Product details
| Published | Apr 28 2026 |
|---|---|
| Format | Ebook (Epub & Mobi) |
| Edition | 1st |
| Extent | 400 |
| ISBN | 9781635578010 |
| Imprint | Bloomsbury Publishing |
| Illustrations | b&w images throughout |
| Publisher | Bloomsbury Publishing |
About the contributors
Reviews
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At a time of renewed interest in America's previous fights with fascism, no one has done more than Steven J. Ross to unearth the epic conflicts and characters at the heart of that history. In The Secret War Against Hate, Ross has found a startling new chapter of our history, surfacing villains worthy of any Hollywood horror franchise, and intrepid heroes whose exploits could be written into a national anthem. This book will be taught and read for decades; the more we learn from it, the stronger we will be for the fights ahead, and for the fights already at hand. A brilliant history, a brilliant story. Bravo
Rachel Maddow, New York Times bestselling author of PREQUEL
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With power and deep insight, Steven Ross has given us the harrowing story of postwar domestic fascism-dripping with racism and antisemitism-and the determined organizations and people who sought to expose its ambitions and defeat it. Eye-opening in content, The Secret War Against Hate is a must-read for anyone interested in the roots of today's radical right and the prospects for resistance to it.
Steven Hahn, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of A NATION UNDER OUR FEET and ILLIBERAL AMERICA
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Set against the backdrop of postwar America, Steven Ross's meticulously researched and engaging narrative illuminates the increasingly pernicious development of White Supremacy and rightwing extremism, and those few organizations and individuals who worked to limit the impact of illiberal forces. He outlines, like few before him, the precedents that frame many of the present-day debates on whether the US should remain an inclusive democracy or revert to atavistic society that limits opportunities for those outside the majority. Despite heroic efforts by civil society to keep these forces at bay after 1945, Ross notes rightly that extremist leaders might pass, “but ideas persist forever.” Understanding the origins of today's extremisms, the approaches that proved successful in resisting them, and how this past shapes our future make The Secret War Against Hate an indispensable and important contribution to the field
Robert J. Williams, CEO and Finci-Viterbi Chair of the USC Shoah Foundation and UNESCO Chair on Antisemitism and Holocaust Research

























