Hard Right: The Rise of Jesse Helms [Hardcover]

Ernest B. Ferguson (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Chief of the Baltimore Sun's Washington bureau, Furgurson bases his revelatory biography on sound research into Senator Helms's background. The author talked to people who knew Helms in Monroe, N.C., where he was born in 1921 and grew up reportedly a real go-getter. Writing opinion columns geared to special interests was a step on the way to the Senate and his intransigent rightist position of phenomenal influence, according to Furgurson. He writes about Helms's stance on civil rights and other controversial matters, the strong support he receives from the Rev. Jerry Falwell's Moral Majority and big business. There is much vital information in this book that should be read by liberals and conservatives alike, since Helms may become head of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

YA A biography of Helms that, while not definitive, is enjoyable and informative. Hard Right is most concerned with the adult Helms, and particularly his political career. Nevertheless sufficient background is provided to give a sense of where Helms came from and some of the influences that shaped him. While Furgurson is clearly no admirer of Helms, he is reasonably fair-minded, and this book is not a hatchet job. For those young adults interested in politics, or who are researching the subject, this book is a good introduction to the phenomenon of the New Right in general and Jesse Helms in particular. Karl Penny, Houston Public Library
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 302 pages
• Publisher: W W Norton & Co Inc; 1st edition (September 1986)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0393023257
• ISBN-13: 978-0393023251
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.5 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,158,965 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A guide to how Jesse did it..., April 4, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Hard Right: The Rise of Jesse Helms (Hardcover)

This book goes into deep detail about Jesse's life, his politics and his rise to power. I have been a Helms supporter for many years and know personally several of the people mentioned. (Especially the, "Fanatic with Power...") It provides a detailed and mostly accurate account of how Jesse worked with Tom Ellis to create a movement that was sight unseen in American politics. The book gives Helms an overall fair shake, the writer editorializes a bit too much on Jesse's motivations to warrant five stars. But this is more then made up for in the amount of sheer detail he provides in describing how the National Congressional Club worked, how the money was raised and spent, and how it was shaped into a powerful weapon that any politician should fear. (The NCC was perhaps the greatest PAC of it's time, turning over millions of dollars a year in a time when that was a lot of money.)The book provides a great framework to understand many things, especially how the political dynamic in NC works. It gives the reader enough of a springboard to go searching for more in-depth information. (usually by searching the Raleigh News-Observer online archives. Try looking for the "National Congressional Club")Overall, I recommend the bok for people who really want to get their feet wet in Tar Heel Politics. It starts you in the right direction and is a great deal if you can find it.

2 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not a fair and balanced book on Helms, December 27, 2001

By 

David Talley (Alexandria,, VA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hard Right: The Rise of Jesse Helms (Hardcover)

Unfortunately, this was not a fair and balanced book. Throughout the book, the author attempts to lead the reader into drawing conclusions about Senator Helms and his dealings with minorities by quoting individuals who have never met him. The parts that I found most interesting was the the sections detailing the formation of the congressional club, an organization that started in North Carolina but soon became a powerhouse around the country. It's most notable achievement was helping Reagan win the North Carolina GOP primary in 1976....