Blinded by the Right

April 15, 2002
When Brock (The Real Anita Hill; The Seduction of Hillary Rodham) was a freshman at the University of California at Berkeley in 1981, his political idol was Bobby Kennedy. Four years later, he was a committed conservative who idolized Oliver North and Robert Bork. In this book, Brock chronicles the political round trip back to his more liberal roots. Along the way, he earned the adoration of the extreme right, even after he acknowledged that he was gay, because he worked feverishly as a writer for conservative publications such as the Washington Times and American Spectator, promoting and validating conservative causes. An American Spectator article in early 1994 broke the "Troopergate" scandal and laid the groundwork for the Paula Jones suits against President Clinton, but Brock says he was troubled by the relentless investigations of the Clintons and came to regret his part in them. Eventually, the shallowness of his relationship with the conservatives forced him to make a final break in 1997. Although readers may doubt the sincerity of Brock's latest conversion, the book offers a revealing inside look at the conservative media and provides a careful chronicling of the investigations of the Clintons. Recommended for media studies and political science collections and for larger public libraries. Jill Ortner, SUNY at Buffalo Libs.

Copyright 2002 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 15, 2002
If you don't know Brock by name, you still might remember this story. A right-wing journalist, he trashed Anita Hill ("little bit slutty and a little bit nutty") and wrote the Troopergate story for" American Spectator." Brock was later dropped by his well-placed Republican friends when the screed he was supposed to be writing about Hillary Clinton turned out to be fair. Then the scales fell from his eyes, and he turned left. Brock is already being pilloried in some circles, branded as a turncoat at best and a liar at worst, for this memoir as mea culpa. Not only does he name names (yes, Virginia, there was a right-wing conspiracy), but--since he was there for practically every important moment during the campaign to bring down the Clinton administration--he also offers readers an insider's look at the motivations of those behind the scenes. Equally compelling is Brock's personal story: a closeted homosexual for much of his conservative career, he recounts his journey from self-hating ideologue to contented bridge-burner. Finally, the book provides a terrific overview of the post-1960s rise of conservatism; if you never knew what a necocon is, you will now. The writing isn't perfect. Brock's conservative buddies often get one-word descriptions usually having to do with their weight, and the often-breathless prose style has tabloid overtones. But this book, which makes plain just how much the Clinton-haters hated, is a genuine eye-opener. (Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2002, American Library Association.)