The Redneck Manifesto: How Hillbillies, Hicks, and White Trash Became America's Scapegoats Paperback – May 5, 1998

The Ignored History of America

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HollywoodHillbilly

March 5, 2017

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

Researched like a peer reviewed academic paper but written in the language of a conversation in a bar over a glass of whiskey. Incredibly funny, sad and historically accurate. In this age of diversity and political correctness, it's still okay to malign certain cultures and people (this is but one of those groups) and this is a hard look at how that came to be. A nice compliment to Jim Webb's book Born Fighting.

12 people found this helpful

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July 19, 2018

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

excellent product and service. Would definitely order again

Something for Everyone to Love and Hate

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Stanley

August 1, 2017

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Author Jim Goad, a college educated working class self described redneck, has written a book that can be panned by just about everyone or praised by just about everyone. Goad first gets the gentle reader's attention with profanity and name calling of everyone including himself and even the reader. No class, ethnicity, or race is spared. His main thesis, though, is that a lot of people have been victims of the wealthy upper classes for a long, long, long time. This victimhood includes whites.

The best chapter in the book deals with the use of white slaves in colonial America. Goad contends there were more white slaves sent from England than from Africa. Steal a loaf of bread and guess what happens. The English government determined that sending slaves to the colonies was more profitable than housing and feeding them in England, and, yes, there were slave auctions of whites. Unfortunately, or fortunately, these whites were to be released after a few years. This permitted slave owners to work them all the harder and most died. Those eventually being freed had little means of support and moved west and thus began the class of poor whites or hillbillies, or rednecks, or crackers or whatever other term Goad can find.

Goad does give interesting tidbits as the term kidnapping comes from the English kid nabbing as poor kids were often dragged off the streets and sent to the colonies. He also states that most white slaves sent to the Caribbean died, too hot, and that blacks were often treated better than whites as they represented long term investment. Later, Goad contends that wealthy people used racism to split blacks and whites and to keep economic and social control.

The worst chapter of the book deals with Goad's neighborhood where he falters from his thesis and describes a true underclass, not typical in my view of working class whites. Hey, I've worked with my hands myself!

At the end of the book he lambasts both conservatives and liberals for being complacent fellow travelers in ignoring all working class people. If Goad is correct this may explain the last election season where both Trump and Sanders found widespread support in places like Michigan. Working people weren't interested in who could use what restroom and few people were accepting of another self-serving Bush. Regardless of political leanings, the reader will find things of interest in the book. For a paperback, paper quality is OK but font could be a bit better.

One person found this helpful

PERFECT, JUST AS DESCRIBED!

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Trista C. Starks

July 26, 2018

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

PERFECT, JUST AS DESCRIBED!

If You Know the Name, Buy It

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Christoph

May 27, 2017

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Jim Goad will someday, maybe not in his lifetime, be recognized as the intelligent, thought-provoking, boundary-pushing and outright notable 21st century author he is. Even if you disagree with some of his conservative views, the information he floods you with will make you perceive things slightly different directly afterward. Don't be afraid to question some of the things you've though were fact since high school. Yes, it's perfectly reasonable to be a white Westerner and not think you're the cause of the world's problems.

3 people found this helpful

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December 17, 2015

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

It very well explained to me who I am and why I am like that. Can't ask for more from a book.

One person found this helpful

Ruthless Narrator with Venom to Spare

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Logan Snider

In a word, "savage." Goad didn't shy away from giving the blunt truth about white slavery, and his exact opinions on the rich.Read more

Published 1 month ago

Phyllis S

Five Stars

fast interesting

Published 3 months ago

missk

Great book! Bought for husband

Great book! Bought for husband, we both read.

The NEW face of racism in America

Captain Sternn

Let us start with this observation: Being impoverished does NOT make you "trash". Inflicting criminal behavior on other people, chronically engaging in degenerate...Read more

First and foremost, this is a really enjoyable read. I'm not much of a bibliophile, I usually read in 15-20 minute increments, and I had a hard time putting it down.Read more

Dustin M Cord

Great!

Barter 7 Fan

Five Stars

Great Book