Armed and Dangerous: The Rise of the Survivalist Right [Paperback]

James Coates (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1988

With a New Preface by the Author The investigative journalist James Coates details the history, geography, ideological roots, and psychological motivations of the principal groups of the radical right-neo-Nazis, white supremacists, compound dwellers, tax protesters, extreme fundamentalist Christian sects, and messianic cults. This book makes clear the connections between the survivalist movement that arose in the 1980s and current right-wing militancy. Notes, index.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

"This ominous study of the militant far right in the U.S. is an important contribution to the history of our time," remarked PW of this sobering look at political extremism, continuing, "although on occasion the author's tone is preachy and condescending, this is a major study."
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

"An excellent piece of work, both a good read and a chilling warning." -- Wayne King, The New York Times

Product Details

• Paperback: 294 pages
• Publisher: Farrar Straus & Giroux; 3rd edition (September 1988)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0809001748
• ISBN-13: 978-0809001743
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.4 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #864,081 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I wish I could give more then 5 stars!, May 10, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Armed and Dangerous: The Rise of the Survivalist Right (Paperback)

I can't believe I'm the first one to review this book! I've read a lot of books about the far right, and this is by far the best one. What I like best is that Coates quotes many obscure titles and gives detailed information about them in the bibliography. This gives the reader a nice list of books and tracts for further reading. The author also gives the reader a separate section on Christian Identity and he names names. The book ends with a remarkable account of the alternate view of history that those on the right take, beginning with the Illuminati and bringing in the Trilateral Commission and the Council of Foreign Relations. This section alone is worth the price of the book, which Amazon has at a really low price. Get it and read it!

4 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Overall good info but leftist leanings shine through often, August 2, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Armed and Dangerous: The Rise of the Survivalist Right (Paperback)

This book does give quite a bit of insight and data about the survivalist-style movement that has blossomed over the past few decades. Strange and often violent, many of these groups are detailed by the author. My biggest problems with the book are: 1) the author allows his leftist leanings to shine through at various points, particularly at the end. He attacks conservatives, he tarnishes Christians who believe in a literal interpretation of the Bible and even (incredibly) attacks those Christians who support Israel. This last item is particularly bizarre because many of the survivalist groups listed in the book are anti-Israel (to say the least), and the author belittles the groups because of it. 2) the author tries to lump in serial killers like Ng and Lake into the far-Right survivalist movement. There is enough material floating about concerning far-Right survivalist groups that tossing in serial murderers isn't necessary.