The United States of Paranoia: A Conspiracy Theory - Hardcover

9780062135551: The United States of Paranoia: A Conspiracy Theory
View all copies of this ISBN edition:
 
 

Jesse Walker’s The United States of Paranoia presents a comprehensive history of conspiracy theories in American culture and politics, from the colonial era to the War on Terror.

The fear of intrigue and subversion doesn’t exist only on the fringes of society, but has always been part of our national identity. When such tales takes hold, Walker argues, they reflect the anxieties and experiences of the people who believe them, even if they say nothing true about the objects of the theories themselves.

With intensive research and a deadpan sense of humor, Jesse Walker’s The United States of Paranoia combines the rigor of real history with the punch of pulp fiction.

This edition includes primary-source documentation in the form of archival photographs, cartoons, and film stills selected by the author.

"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.

From the Back Cover:

A history of America's demons

1693: Cotton Mather suggests that the spirits attacking Salem are allied with the colony's human enemies. At their "Cheef Witch-meetings," he writes, "there has been present some French canadians, and some Indian Sagamores, to concert the methods of ruining New England."

1835: A gunman tries to kill Andrew Jackson. The president accuses a senator of plotting the assassination. Jackson's critics counter that the shooting was arranged by the president himself to gain public support.

1868: An article in the New-York Tribune declares that the Democrats have engineered malaria outbreaks in the nation's capital, pumping "the air, and the water, and the whisky of Washington full of poison."

1967: President Lyndon Johnson asks his cabinet if the Communists are behind the country's urban riots. The attorney general tells him that the evidence isn't there, but Johnson isn't convinced.

Conspiracy theories aren't just a feature of the fringe. They've been a potent force across the political spectrum, at the center as well as the extremes, from the colonial era to the present. In The United States of Paranoia, Jesse Walker explores this rich history, arguing that conspiracy stories should be read not just as claims to be either believed or debunked but also as folklore. When a tale takes hold, it reveals something true about the anxieties and experiences of those who believe and repeat it, even if the story says nothing true about the objects of the theory itself.

In a story that stretches from the seventeenth century to today, Walker lays out five conspiracy narratives that recur in American politics and popular culture. With intensive research and a deadpan sense of humor, The United States of Paranoia combines the rigor of real history with the punch of pulp fiction.

About the Author:

Jesse Walker is the books editor of Reason magazine and the author of Rebels on the Air: An Alternative History of Radio in America. He lives in Baltimore with his wife and their two daughters.

"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.

  • PublisherHarper
  • Publication date2013
  • ISBN 10 0062135554
  • ISBN 13 9780062135551
  • BindingHardcover
  • Edition number1
  • Number of pages448
  • Rating

Other Popular Editions of the Same Title

9780062135568: The United States of Paranoia: A Conspiracy Theory

Featured Edition

ISBN 10:  ISBN 13:  9780062135568
Publisher: Harper Perennial, 2014
Softcover

Top Search Results from the AbeBooks Marketplace

Stock Image

Walker, Jesse
Published by Harper (2013)
ISBN 10: 0062135554 ISBN 13: 9780062135551
New Hardcover Quantity: 1
Seller:
GoldenWavesOfBooks
(Fayetteville, TX, U.S.A.)

Book Description Hardcover. Condition: new. New. Fast Shipping and good customer service. Seller Inventory # Holz_New_0062135554

More information about this seller | Contact seller

Buy New
US$ 21.74
Convert currency

Add to Basket

Shipping: US$ 4.00
Within U.S.A.
Destination, rates & speeds
Stock Image

Walker, Jesse
Published by Harper (2013)
ISBN 10: 0062135554 ISBN 13: 9780062135551
New Hardcover Quantity: 1
Seller:
GoldBooks
(Austin, TX, U.S.A.)

Book Description Hardcover. Condition: new. New Copy. Customer Service Guaranteed. Seller Inventory # think0062135554

More information about this seller | Contact seller

Buy New
US$ 25.44
Convert currency

Add to Basket

Shipping: US$ 4.25
Within U.S.A.
Destination, rates & speeds
Stock Image

Walker, Jesse
Published by Harper (2013)
ISBN 10: 0062135554 ISBN 13: 9780062135551
New Hardcover Quantity: 1
Seller:
Front Cover Books
(Denver, CO, U.S.A.)

Book Description Condition: new. Seller Inventory # FrontCover0062135554

More information about this seller | Contact seller

Buy New
US$ 25.39
Convert currency

Add to Basket

Shipping: US$ 4.30
Within U.S.A.
Destination, rates & speeds
Stock Image

Walker, Jesse
Published by Harper (2013)
ISBN 10: 0062135554 ISBN 13: 9780062135551
New Hardcover Quantity: 1
Seller:
Wizard Books
(Long Beach, CA, U.S.A.)

Book Description Hardcover. Condition: new. New. Seller Inventory # Wizard0062135554

More information about this seller | Contact seller

Buy New
US$ 27.11
Convert currency

Add to Basket

Shipping: US$ 3.50
Within U.S.A.
Destination, rates & speeds
Stock Image

Walker, Jesse
Published by Harper (2013)
ISBN 10: 0062135554 ISBN 13: 9780062135551
New Hardcover Quantity: 1
Seller:
upickbook
(Daly City, CA, U.S.A.)

Book Description hardcover. Condition: New. Seller Inventory # mon0000240362

More information about this seller | Contact seller

Buy New
US$ 29.99
Convert currency

Add to Basket

Shipping: US$ 4.49
Within U.S.A.
Destination, rates & speeds
Stock Image

Walker, Jesse
Published by Harper (2013)
ISBN 10: 0062135554 ISBN 13: 9780062135551
New Hardcover Quantity: 1
Seller:
Griffin Books
(Stamford, CT, U.S.A.)

Book Description hardcover. Condition: New. Brand new gift quality hardcover in jacket Please email for photos. Larger books or sets may require additional shipping charges. Books sent via US Postal. Seller Inventory # 117907

More information about this seller | Contact seller

Buy New
US$ 35.94
Convert currency

Add to Basket

Shipping: US$ 6.00
Within U.S.A.
Destination, rates & speeds
Stock Image

Walker, Jesse
Published by Harper (2013)
ISBN 10: 0062135554 ISBN 13: 9780062135551
New Hardcover Quantity: 1
Seller:
The Book Spot
(Sioux Falls, SD, U.S.A.)

Book Description Hardcover. Condition: New. Seller Inventory # Abebooks83509

More information about this seller | Contact seller

Buy New
US$ 59.00
Convert currency

Add to Basket

Shipping: FREE
Within U.S.A.
Destination, rates & speeds
Stock Image

Walker, Jesse
Published by Harper (2013)
ISBN 10: 0062135554 ISBN 13: 9780062135551
New Hardcover Quantity: 1
Seller:
BennettBooksLtd
(LOS ANGELES, CA, U.S.A.)

Book Description Condition: New. New. In shrink wrap. Looks like an interesting title! 1.34. Seller Inventory # Q-0062135554

More information about this seller | Contact seller

Buy New
US$ 59.98
Convert currency

Add to Basket

Shipping: US$ 5.12
Within U.S.A.
Destination, rates & speeds
Stock Image

Walker, Jesse
Published by HarperCollins Publishers (2013)
ISBN 10: 0062135554 ISBN 13: 9780062135551
New Hardcover Quantity: 1
Seller:
Pieuler Store
(Suffolk, United Kingdom)

Book Description Condition: new. Book is in NEW condition. Satisfaction Guaranteed! Fast Customer Service!!. Seller Inventory # PSN0062135554

More information about this seller | Contact seller

Buy New
US$ 63.45
Convert currency

Add to Basket

Shipping: US$ 31.53
From United Kingdom to U.S.A.
Destination, rates & speeds