Blacklisted by History

September 17, 2007
Evans's lively book seeks, first, to demonstrate that Communists worked, often successfully, to undermine American security during the Cold War. It tries, second, to defend Sen. Joseph McCarthy, the egregious scourge of American Communists and fellow travelers, against those who, in Evans's (The Theme Is Freedom
) view, have unjustly ruined his reputation. On the first point, save for some new details, Evans, a contributing editor to Human Events
, treads worn ground. Most scholars, having also used Soviet archives, concede his position and argue now only over secondary matters, like the guilt of Alger Hiss. On the second point, Evans has a tougher case, which he seeks to make as a defense attorney would: by conceding nothing to McCarthy's detractors. Evans is also given to conspiracy thinking—an approach that, by its nature, yields claims that can neither be confirmed nor falsified. Defense attorneys and debaters like Evans follow different rules than historians—they try to score points, not to advance knowledge. Evans is good at the former, his propulsive style carrying much of the argument's burden. But the history Evans relates is already largely known, if not fully accepted.. 20 illus.

December 15, 2007
If a book set out to choose the most disreputable American political episode on which to bestow respectable historical standing, Joe McCarthy's era of influence might serve. The Wisconsin senator's brief ascendancy is all but universally seen as a period of shame. In his massively documented work, longtime conservative journalist and editor Evans (former editor, "Indianapolis News"; "The Theme Is Freedom") argues that "the real Joe McCarthy has vanished into the mists of fable and recycled error, so that it takes the equivalent of a dragnet search to find him." In his dragnet, Evans looks closely at FBI files, congressional hearing transcripts, private papers, and other sources, some only recently available, and concludes that just about everything written on McCarthy from his 1950 Wheeling speech to the 1954 Army-McCarthy hearings is wrong. Evans's McCarthy, while sometimes lacking nuance, was onto a real problem with the issue of Communists in government, one that his critics, contemporary and ever after, have been less concerned about than they have been with disposing of McCarthy. The author charges most prior historians and biographers with having been light on primary research but steeped in conventional wisdom. His crisply written study may daunt some readers owing to length and may not win over most McCarthy critics. But it will certainly send historians to the primary sources and is recommended for academic and larger public libraries.Bob Nardini, Concord, NH

Copyright 2007 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

November 1, 2007
A detailed investigation into the empirical basis behind Senator Joseph McCarthysanti-Red crusadein the 1950s, Evans inquiry aims to correct misstatements the veteran conservative journalist believes have long persisted in histories of the demagogue. That reputation the author does not challenge, but Evans otherwise embarks on a mission of at least probative vindication, from the exact number of State Department Communists McCarthy alleged in the 1950 speech that ignited his crusade to the factual context of McCarthys 1954 political downfall. Evans diligent research suggests that McCarthyismlibelous, false accusationdoes not completely match the real McCoy. Some whom McCarthy charged were Communist spies, as has been indicated in postCold War declassifications such as the Venona decryption project. Evans successfully identifies some but not all of McCarthys sources and also turns upsome curious behind-the-scenes activity of McCarthys senatorial and bureaucratic opponents. Separate from the sociopolitical frenzy of McCarthyism that provokes visceral opinion, Evans comb through available documents about McCarthys cases (which have significant gaps) should engage those willing to consider their forensics.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2007, American Library Association.)