Customer Reviews

Ku Klux Klan America's First Terrorists Exposed (Shadow History of the United States)

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Much of the material that I have previously read on the subject has been informative, but this book is unique in that it brings an unparalleled level of context in its presentation of period articles and other source material without moralizing or interjections from any modern source (sans the publisher's warning for the crude language contained in the chapters). Not only does the reader gain an immense understanding of the motivations and methods of the Klan's quest for social, economic and political power, but also how they were viewed (both pro and con) by law enforcement agencies and the popular Press of the day.

While the Klan today is a shadow of its former self, in its prime it was a force to be reckoned with (as evidenced by the book). American's would do well to pay close attention to the activities of such hate groups...so as to not repeat the mistakes of the past.

Being an educator at the high school level as well as a Civil War buff, I generally gravitate to topics such as this.

But be warned, although this book includes THE KU KLUX KLAN, ITS ORIGIN, GROWTH, AND DISBANDMENT (penned by one of the Klan's founders), an FBI report on the Klan's history, and the KU KLUX KLAN ACT OF 1871 (the piece of legislation the decimated the original Klan) this book does not focus on the Klan of the Reconstruction era South. These articles are included to give the reader a historical perspective of the Klan before the tremendous rise (and fall) of the Knights of the Ku Klux Klan of the twenties and thirties. This is not my field of interest, but finished the book nonetheless and truly enjoyed it - learning more than a few things along the way!

Divided into three parts, THE OFFICIAL OVERVIEW (law enforcement and the Government's investigations into Klan history and dealings), THE KLAN IN POPULAR CULTURE, POLITICS, AND THEIR OWN WORDS (nineteen vintage articles about the Klan's ideas and tactics authored by newspaper reporters, investigative journalists, as well as Klansmen - Emperor and founder of the Klan's second incarnation, Joseph Simmons' SYMBOLISM OF THE KLAN and Imperial Wizard Hiram Evans' THE KLAN FIGHT FOR AMERICANISM end the chapter) and finally THE KU KLUX KLAN EXPOSED (the complete text of Ezra Cook's anti-Klan tome plus a transcript of a round table discussion: IS THE KLAN CONSTRUCTIVE OR DESTRUCTIVE? - a lively debate between Imperial Wizard Evans and intellectuals of the day).

All and all, I have gained an immense understanding of the time period and the "shadowy influence" the Ku Klux Klan had on it. Whether a student of history, politics, economics or racism, this book should be on your shelf.

Wow! Just when you thought you knew everything about the Klu Klux Klan, along comes a book that manages to drag out the dirty linen for a fresh new look. Exhaustively researched and painstakingly detailed, this book definitely delivers on what it promises to educate about. I had planned to simply peruse this book casually, and instead ended up reading it straight through every chance I got.

If your looking for a book that pulls back the pointy hat to reveal the face of organized bigotry and hatred, you need look no further.

Racism comes in many forms and degrees. Just recently I purchased the collected Popeye the Sailor: 1933-1938, Vol. 1 and noticed on a message board a discussion about whether or not the second set will include three previously banned cartoons that portray offensive racial stereotyping against African Americans. KU KLUX KLAN AMERICA'S FIRST TERRORISTS EXPOSED takes you back to a time when the Klan ruled at the ballot box and hanging tree and every media outlet was free to savagely lampoon minorities. And unlike POPEYE and other iconic entertainment that hides its racist dabbling away from modern eyes, this book, completely uncensored, brings its ugliness to light and shows you what can happen to any race of people when they are not afforded the same common decency and equality granted to the majority.

"The white-supremacist Ku Klux Klan is on the rise in the United States and is exploiting the issue of illegal immigration to attract new members, according to a report by the Anti-Defamation League. The Klan had declined dramatically since the 1960s, but the immigration issue is helping to revive its fortunes, said the league." -- From News Services, February 9, 2007.

The 1920s were the Klan's golden years. Although remembered for their campaign of violence and intimidation against Blacks and Jews, it was the crusade against the rising tide of immigration (the influx of Italians and Irish Roman Catholics to northern cities threaten to change the balance of political power in America from a southern agrarian society to a northern industrial one) that gained the Klan their tremendous 4,000,000 membership. In contrast, the total strength of the United States Army including the National Guard stood just under 214,000.

KU KLUX KLAN: AMERICA'S FIRST TERRORIST EXPOSED is a superb and enlightened read culled together by vintage reporting that will surely convey to the reader how dangerous and significant the Klan's influence on the American culture was--and to a much lesser extent, still is. Although the Knights of the Ku Klux Klan was decimated in the 1930s by internal corruption, crusading social reformers, and the Great Depression, their pernicious ideologies of hate have endured and are still being preached by their modern day counterparts.

Still relevant, still in the headlines, the Ku Klux Klan, like baseball and taxes, is firmly rooted in American culture. I would strongly advise anyone interested in the dark side of American history to pick this one up. Highly recommended.

The offences committed by the Ku Klux Klan during their halcyon days were wide and varied. Their cross burnings and "Beware the KKK" flyers were meant to create an omnipresent climate of intimidation, while newspaper accounts of whippings, castrations, and lynchings bolstered the public's perception of the Klan's fondness of murder and violence. They arrived in full "hood and rode" wardrobe at public events, never too far from an American flag, to preach about KKK justice and warn all "enemies" that they were being closely watched. They were an army unto themselves that even the government was powerless to stop. KU KLUX KLAN AMERICA'S FIRST TERRORISTS EXPOSED tells their story, and the stories of all who apposed them. So fascinating, I am on my second reading.

The Klan's last great attempted to capture the hearts and mind of a changing nation is documented by a collection of vintage documents in this informative book. Because of the climate of racial sensitivity and political correctness that persists today, the popularity of the Klan of the 1920s (widespread and very public) has been removed from the public discourse, and thus doing a disservice to the historians of today, the precedent voices that opposed the Klan, and all races of people that rose above oppression. This book examines both the crimes committed by the Klan as well as their social acceptance by a majority of Americans at the time; both topics will be equally shocking to the present day reader.

For those who enjoy reading about American history and true crime, look no further. This book wonderfully mixes both genres to create a powerful and intriguing read.

Who was Joseph Simmons and how could he have assembled a white-clad army whose scope and magnitude surpass all of the armies in the world? Much has been discussed about China's modern million-man army, but in the 1920s, at the paramount of their power, the Knights of the Ku Klux Klan had four million members. Four million political votes- enough to change the out come of any national election. Four million sets of prying eyes poised at their neighbors searching for some offence against their moral code of conduct. Four million rifles aimed at the Negro, the Jew, and the immigrant, and the most importantly, four million monthly fee envelopes collected and sent to fill the KKK coffers - which has overflowing from the purchases of robes, books, pamphlets, and other Klan paraphernalia. The odds against men of decent and just character to overcome this hooded menace at the time seem to be insurmountable, but as this book will show, their engines of commerce and hate came grinding to a halt at the end of the 20s, a testament to the courageous men whose editorial attacks and literary investigations are prominently featured in this compelling book.

In 1915, the dramatic and heroic portrayal of the Klan in Birth of a Nation inspires Col. William Joseph Simmons to reform the KKK into a national movement. Among their 4,000,000 plus members are 70 congressmen, governors, scores of senators, a future Supreme Court Justice and possibly a future President of the United States. In every state of the union their power and influence was considerable; and so was the terror they reigned upon their victims.

By the 1940s, with less than 30,000 Klansmen, the once powerful Klan was relegated to the status of "comic book villains" as their order was lampooned on the Superman radio show as well as pulp fiction novels.

Ku Klux Klan America's First Terrorists Exposed tells the story of the rebirth of the Klan, the rise and fall, all with firsthand accounts. Their secret rituals and racial propaganda, their moneymaking schemes and sex scandals, their silent supporters and political pawns, and of course, their night-riding terror raids of lynching, whippings and beatings are all exposed with vivid detail.

It is both fascinating and terrifying to think how close the Klan came to seizing control of our government, and how quickly politicians pandered to their 4,000,000 plus bloc of votes.