Preface: I know what Extremism Looks Like
Introduction: November 1963
Chapter 1: Rally Cry
Chapter 2: The Captain's Law
Chapter 3: Sacrafices
Chapter 4: Textbook Wars
Chapter 5: Hard Right
Chapter 6: Twisted
Chapter 7: Moving Up
Chapter 8: The Black Book
Chapter 9: Stirring the Pot
Chapter 10: The Uncivil War
Chapter 11: Here We Go Again and Again and Again
Chapter 12: The End of the World
Chapter 13: Civil Rights Marching
Chapter 14: A Big Texas Howdy
Chapter 15: Crossfire
Chapter 16: Carrying the Cross
Chapter 17: AuH2O
Chapter 18: Something's Happening Here
Chapter 19: A Good Man Is Hard to Find
Chapter 20: One Woman's Heart
Chapter 21: Bang the Drum Slowly
Chapter 22: Attention Must Be Paid
Chapter 23: Hell in a Handbasket
Chapter 24: Bedtime Story
Acknowldegements
Notes
Index
Claire Conner's father was a national spokesperson for the John Birch Society for more than thirty years; her mother was also a staunch follower. Conner holds a degree in English with honors from the University of Dallas and a graduate degree from the University of Wisconsin. She lives in Tampa, Florida.
“Both of Claire Conner’s parents were deeply involved in the cult
of far right politics: they knew that Eisenhower was a secret
Communist and they idolized Francisco Franco. Wrapped in the Flag
is at once the heartbreaking and intermittently hilarious story of
her coming of age and a first-hand history of the far right since
the 1950s. Conner’s book is required reading for anyone who wants
to understand the sources of the conspiratorial, hate-filled tropes
of the right today—whether they emanate from the Tea Party, the gun
movement, race realists, Sovereign Citizens, or, increasingly, from
elected officials in the GOP." —Arthur Goldwag, author of The New
Hate: Fear and Loathing on the Populist Right
“An invaluable contribution to understanding the mentality of
extremist conservatism and its supporters.” —Kirkus,
starred review
“The John Birch Society had a huge impact on American politics.
They were responsible for the lurch into insanity. The religious
right, the Tea Party and the takeover of the Republican Party by
extremists can't be understood unless you understand the paranoid
xenophobia Birchers injected into America. This book is
about a journey through and out of that Bircher netherworld.
It's a vital piece of the puzzle to understanding the madness
that overcame America and a moving story about one person's journey
back to sanity.” —Frank Schaeffer, author of Crazy For God
"Experiencing this splendid volume is like reading a history book
inside out: events you only knew about from afar are revealed anew,
with the striking ground-level intimacy of a fine family memoir.
I've been waiting for a book like this: one that demonstrates the
shockingly effectual continuity of the John Birch Society as a
force in American political life: from its early days discrediting
the Cold War credentials of JFK, to its outsized role building up
grassroots momentum in the Clinton impeachment, to its sudden
eruption into mainstream Republican thinking with the rise of the
Tea Party movement." —Rick Perlstein, author of Nixonland
“This passionate, personal history of the John Birch Society is
timely and important. At a moment when Tea Party activists
have embraced many of the Birchers' most outrageous notions, Claire
Conner has performed a great service by reminding us of the origins
of some of most virulent ideas that continue to pollute our body
politic. As the skeptical daughter of two passionate
Birchers, Conner may be the only person who could have written such
a clear-eyed, insider’s account of the persistent dangers of
right-wing extremism.” —Charles Kaiser, author of 1968 In
America and The Gay Metropolis
“An affecting portrait of late-20th-century America on the fringe."
—Publishers Weekly
“This insider’s view of the most radical right-wing organization of
the Cold War era describes the seeming paranoia and questionable
logic of the most devoted JBS members. Conner provides colorful
descriptions of many of the eccentric JBS leaders, including
founder Robert Welch. . . . Readers interested in learning more
about this example of the Cold War era’s ultraconservative
political trends will be fascinated by Conner’s description of the
perpetual fear of JBS members regarding communist takeovers and
communist infiltration of the highest levels of our government.
Recommended.” —Library Jounal
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