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Demagogue: The Life and Long Shadow of Senator Joe McCarthy
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About This Book
The definitive biography of the most dangerous demagogue in American history, based on first-ever review of his personal and professional papers, medical and military records, and recently unsealed transcripts of his closed-door Congressional hearings In the long history of American demagogues, from Huey Long to Donald Trump, never has one man caused so much damage in such a short time as Senator Joseph McCarthy. We still use "McCarthyism" to stand for outrageous charges of guilt by association, a weapon of polarizing slander. From 1950 to 1954, McCarthy destroyed many careers and even entire lives, whipping the nation into a frenzy of paranoia, accusation, loyalty oaths, and terror. When the public finally turned on him, he came crashing down, dying of alcoholism in 1957. Only now, through bestselling author Larry Tye's exclusive look at the senator's records, can the full story be told.Demagogue is a masterful portrait of a human being capable of immense evil, yet beguiling charm. McCarthy was a tireless worker and a genuine war hero. His ambitions knew few limits. Neither did his socializing, his drinking, nor his gambling. When he finally made it to the Senate, he flailed around in search of an agenda and angered many with his sharp elbows and lack of integrity. Finally, after three years, he hit upon anti-communism. By recklessly charging treason against everyone from George Marshall to much of the State Department, he became the most influential and controversial man in America. His chaotic, meteoric rise is a gripping and terrifying object lesson for us all. Yet his equally sudden fall from fame offers reason for hope that, given the rope, most American demagogues eventually hang themselves.
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Reviews
"the rigor of his research ensures he goes far beyond the caricature to give us a portrait of nuance and depth ..."
"Most notably, he gained exclusive access to McCarthy's private papers, housed at Marquette University, the alma mater of his subject."
"The firebrand senator's battles with the press, his political vendettas, his disdain for facts, and his dismissal of his campaign's human costs are documented in appalling detail, but Tye is an even-handed reporter, tracking the truth of stories advanced by both McCarthy's devotees and detractors."
"The author concludes his meaty narrative by linking the current occupant of the White House to McCarthy by means of Cohn, 'the flesh-and-blood nexus between the senator and the president,' who taught Trump a cardinal lesson: If you say it often enough, loudly enough, and insistently enough, and frighten your listener while you do so, it becomes true—and, if only for a time, a guarantee of success for any tyrant ..."
"Tye calls President Eisenhower 'enabler in chief' and accuses him of a 'policy of appeasement' against McCarthy."
"McCarthy's postwar career only makes it more difficult for anyone trying to find a relatable human being underneath the myth ..."
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