Overview

Insurrection offers a profound and incisive analysis of the underlying factors that culminated in the assault on Washington's Capitol Building on that fateful day: January 6th, 2021. Going far beyond mere journalistic accounts, the book delves into structural trends within the United States, providing a broader and deeper context for comprehending the magnitude of the uprising. It explores the crisis of democracy, escalating violence, widening inequality and the prominence of conspiratorial discourse within American politics. By examining both long-term issues as well as the tumultuous events of 2020, including the pandemic, policing challenges and the fiercely contested presidential election, this book uncovers the catalysts behind conspiracy theories and the politics of outrage. This compelling narrative is essential reading for all those interested in the contemporary face of the USA.

Full Product Details

9781789148411

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Reviews

"""In his preface, Short promises to provide an examination of the longer-term processes that led to the insurrection at the United States Capitol on January 6, 2021. And he does just that, providing a comprehensible, lively, and biting account of the causes of this deeply complex event and Trump's role in it. It is essential reading for anyone concerned about the state of American democracy.""--Ronald H. Fritze, author of ""Hope and Fear: Modern Myths, Conspiracy Theories and Pseudo-History"""

"""In his thoughtful study of the polarisation in the United States that led to the attack on Congress, Short offers a damning account of the impulse for Trump's alleged incitement of insurrection.""-- ""The Independent"" ""This book offers a searing analysis of the long and short-term factors that put a demagogue in the White House and culminated in a near fatal challenge to US democracy. While Short says there are signs of hope, his conclusion is disconcerting. The multiple crises facing US democracy embodied in Trump's 'Big Lie' that Biden did not win in 2020 persist. Defiant conspiracists now populate the Republicans, ramshackle constitutional norms are dangerously outdated, and polarisation is as deep as ever. America, the author argues, is in danger.""-- ""Morning Star"" ""Provides a 'profound' analysis of the facts underlying the invasion of Washington's Capitol on January 6th 2021, offering a deeper context for understanding the uprising, and examining conspiracy theories and the politics of outrage.""-- ""The Bookseller"" ""This highly readable study will appeal to anyone seeking to make sense of the uprising that forever changed modern American politics. A concise and incisive look at a democracy in peril.""-- ""Kirkus Reviews"" ""In his preface, Short promises to provide an examination of the longer-term processes that led to the insurrection at the United States Capitol on January 6, 2021. And he does just that, providing a comprehensible, lively, and biting account of the causes of this deeply complex event and Trump's role in it. It is essential reading for anyone concerned about the state of American democracy.""--Ronald H. Fritze, author of ""Hope and Fear: Modern Myths, Conspiracy Theories and Pseudo-History"""

Author Information

John Rennie Short is Emeritus Professor at the School of Public Policy, University of Maryland, Baltimore County. His many books include The Urban Now: Living in an Age of Urban Globalism (2023).

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