The Age of Anxiety

Anxious could easily describe the narrator when approaching this thorough and heavy text, which draws parallels between McCarthyism and post-9/11 terror-mongering by government officials. But if Kristoffer Tabori was anxious at all, he certainly doesn't show it. Managing that elusive skill of turning facts into storytelling, Tabori breathes energy into a book that might otherwise leave listeners nodding off. Most of the material focuses on McCarthyism; the last quarter points to the current political stage. Though fascinating, such a historical account could be overwhelming without an engaging narrator like Tabori, who keeps a steady pace, delivers distinct quotations, and adjusts the emphasis of his words according to the demands of the book. L.E. (c) AudioFile 2006, Portland, Maine

Starred review from July 25, 2005
Pulitzer-winning journalist Johnson (The Best of Times
) offers an engrossing account of the career of red-baiting demagogue Joseph McCarthy and a chilling description of his legacy for today. The focus is on the disturbing questions raised by McCarthyism: how could a little-known freshman senator, driven by Cold War paranoia, quickly amass the power to intimidate senior colleagues, bully the media, terrorize innocent citizens and even threaten two respected presidents? Why did fellow Republicans not reject his sleazy, dishonest tactics when they were personally revolted by them? Most urgently, are we seeing the birth of a new "age of anxiety," in which terrorism replaces communism as the bogeyman? Johnson's answer is clearly yes. He traces the current climate in Washington directly to the 1950s: "McCarthyism was a major factor in the rise of the radical Right and the polarization that plagues American life, pitting group against group and region against region, sowing cynicism and distrust, and manipulating public opinion through fear and smear." He reviews recent events, including the use of the Patriot Act to stifle dissent, the abuse and detention of thousands of American Muslims guilty of no crime, and politicians' readiness to impugn the patriotism of opponents without evidence. Johnson's own critique is not ideological; rather, his most important argument may be that ideological polarization continues to prevent us from rationally assessing and dealing with real threats. 8 pages of b&w photos not seen by PW. Agent, Philippa Brophy.