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Partisans: The Conservative Revolutionaries Who Remade American Politics in the 1990s Hardcover – August 30, 2022

by Nicole Hemmer (Author)
4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 77 ratings
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A bold new history of modern conservatism that finds its origins in the populist right-wing politics of the 1990s 
 
Ronald Reagan has long been lionized for building a conservative coalition sustained by an optimistic vision of American exceptionalism, small government, and free markets. But as historian Nicole Hemmer reveals, the Reagan coalition was short-lived; it fell apart as soon as its charismatic leader left office. In the 1990s — a decade that has yet to be recognized as the breeding ground for today’s polarizing politics — changing demographics and the emergence of a new political-entertainment media fueled the rise of combative far-right politicians and pundits. These partisans, from Pat Buchanan and Newt Gingrich to Rush Limbaugh and Laura Ingraham, forged a new American right that emphasized anti-globalism, appeals to white resentment, and skepticism about democracy itself.  
 
Partisans is essential reading for anyone seeking to understand the crisis of American politics today. 
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Previous page
  1. Print length
    368 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Basic Books
  4. Publication date
    August 30, 2022
  5. Dimensions
    6.35 x 1.55 x 9.7 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    1541646886
  7. ISBN-13
    978-1541646889
  8. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"Lively and clarifying."―New York Times

“Incisive and convention-challenging.”―The Nation

“Compelling and eminently readable…Hemmer’s retelling of US political history since the so-called Reagan Revolution is masterful.  Her attention to detail, invigorating storytelling, and forceful argumentations make this essential reading for anybody interested in recent American history…Partisans is a tour de force – a sharp, innovative and accessible political history that is bound to reshape how academic historians and political observers think about US conservatism and the recent American past, more broadly….Hemmer’s new book is essential reading.” ―Jacobin

“Hemmer has produced an absorbing and fast-paced narrative….an important contribution to the understanding of modern conservatism.” ―Washington Monthly

“Written in stylish, entertaining prose, Hemmer’s history is nicely balanced between colorful personalities, electoral dogfights, and shrewd analysis of sea changes in ideology and public attitudes. This is a stimulating take on a crucial political era.”
 ―Publishers Weekly

“A sobering analysis of a slowly unfolding political movement that may one day spell the end of American democracy.”―Kirkus Reviews

Nicole Hemmer’s Partisans shines fresh, provocative light on America’s political history, showing that Ronald Reagan’s anointed successors were not  public servants so much as performance artists growing rich and powerful by selling division and resentment. Partisans provides a whole new meaning to the Reagan Revolution by focusing on the charlatans of the 1990’s it spawned. ―Jane Mayer, Chief Washington Correspondent, The New Yorker

"Partisans is full of sharp insights, especially on political radio and TV—for instance on why Bill Maher was least as influential in how we got where we are as Newt Gingrich. This is the best account out there of what happened to the Republican Party in the 1990s."
 ―Rick Perlstein, author of Reaganland

“Nicole Hemmer is both shrewd and wise in her understanding of the history of American conservatism and the long-term influence of right-wing media. Partisans brilliantly explains why Reaganism gave way to Trumpism and calls much-needed attention to the importance of Pat Buchanan’s nationalist insurgency in the 1990s as a pivot point. An essential and engaging book that explains how we got here.”―E. J. Dionne Jr., author of Why the Right Went Wrong

"Partisans offers an exciting new history of the 1990s, uncovering how the far right took over the Republican Party in the years following the Reagan era. This is a vivid and eye-opening reinterpretation of a decade that has been long dismissed as America’s holiday from history."―Leah Wright Rigueur, author of The Loneliness of the Black Republican

About the Author

Nicole Hemmer is a political historian and founding director of the Carolyn T. and Robert M. Rogers Center for the Study of the Presidency at Vanderbilt University. The cofounder of Made by History, the historical analysis section of the Washington Post, she writes regularly for the New York Times, CNN, Vox, and Politico. She lives in Nashville. 

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Basic Books (August 30, 2022)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 368 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1541646886
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1541646889
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.31 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.35 x 1.55 x 9.7 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 77 ratings

About the author

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Nicole Hemmer

Nicole Hemmer

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Nicole Hemmer is associate professor of history and director of the Carolyn T. and Robert M. Rogers Center for the Study of the Presidency at Vanderbilt University. She is a columnist at CNN, and hosts the podcasts Past Present and This Day in Esoteric Political History. In 2017, she co-founded Made by History, the historical analysis section of the Washington Post, where she was an editor until 2020.

Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
4.5 out of 5
77 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Alicea
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Book
Reviewed in the United States on November 1, 2022
Verified Purchase
I'm the type who reads a ton, but rarely "fun" books aka fiction. It's not that I don't enjoy fiction, it's really just as simple as this: I feel that there is so much to learn, more than i could possibly absorb in 2 lifetimes. So, it's a matter of "can I sacrifice the time?" to read more "recreationally." This is what I adored about Nicole Hemmer's book. It's one of those incredibly rare non-fiction books about a decidedly unfunny (if not outright terrifying) topics, that you still find yourself having fun reading in spite of yourself.

When this book arrives, it appears intimidating. It's a big 'ole hardback book with a menacing depiction of one of our country's well-known frenemies- Pat Buchannon. Regardless, Hemmer's writing is engaging and intelligent. She possesses the kind of dry wit that had me laughing (or ok sometimes smirking) throughout. HIGHLY recommend.
7 people found this helpful
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Richard L. Gamer
4.0 out of 5 stars Surprising error
Reviewed in the United States on October 14, 2023
I found this book thoughtful and informative. However, having listened to the audio version, narrated by Ms. Hemmer herself, I was surprised to hear her refer to former House Minority Leader Bob Michel (pronounced Michael) as Bob Mitchell. I don't know how it's spelled in the printed edition, but it's a surprising error in what otherwise appears to be a well-researched work.
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jon blackwood
5.0 out of 5 stars excellent thoughts
Reviewed in the United States on September 6, 2022
Verified Purchase
this book aptly explores how the grand old party has now become the grand outrageous party.The author explains the transformation of the Republican Party from a functioning partner in the governance of the country to a purely obstructing factor to American democracy
7 people found this helpful
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Jane
5.0 out of 5 stars Exceptional writing and understanding
Reviewed in the United States on August 31, 2022
Verified Purchase
Anyone who is wondering why the American political parties are where they are today needs to read this book. Fast paced, easily understood, fact-based history lesson of the Republican Party.
8 people found this helpful
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Michele Feltman Strider
5.0 out of 5 stars How we got to now
Reviewed in the United States on October 26, 2022
This book is an excellent explanation of how we got to our current place in history. Having lived through the 90s, I had a sense things at the time, but it was so eye-opening to see the history laid out so clearly. It's also very well-written and easy-to-read, which makes revisiting so many bad actors and actions a little easier to take. I wish this book were mandatory reading.
2 people found this helpful
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Katherine Cameron
4.0 out of 5 stars WHAT PARTISANS PROVIDES, AND DOES NOT
Reviewed in the United States on May 24, 2023
I received this book as an (Amazon) gift from a friend, and was dubious at first because I have a shelf full of other excellent books on Trump and his influences. However, Partisans does add another piece to the puzzle, by examining all those who preceded him with similar attributes and messages, chief among them: The America First Movement (Lindberg); Militia/NRA (Chenowith); Buchanan; Limbaugh; and Gingrich. There are a host of other media and political forebears, but the true originators seem to be these five, and despite her subtitle, Hemmer's span of time goes back to the late l940s.

Hemmer writes in a highly readable way, although she sometimes loops back in such a way that you do have to be prepared for a bit of a zig zag through the past 50 years. The revelation in these pages is that there was and is little original about Donald Trump. His ideas and even use of language precede him. Indeed, Trump gets a scant last chapter, as though he is merely the natural culmination of a movement going on for decades before, building and getting angrier with each decade. Reading these pages caused me to feel I have been "asleep at the switch" while fascism grew and prospered under my nose. The deep antipathy and push-back on Obama is especially revelatory and disturbing. Perhaps had Obama sued over the "birther" allegations, in the manner of E Jean Carroll, the swarm of lies and conspiracy theories might have abated somewhat. As it is, our democracy may now be beyond help.

What this book does not spend much time on is a very important question: who funds this cast of characters? Hemmer glances at the Heritage Foundation, and the Moral Majority, but does not peek behind the curtain to take a close look at who supports these and other hard right foundations like the Federalist Society, the American Enterprise Institute, ALEC, and many others. For this kind of information, the reader can turn to Democracy in Chains by MacLean (Federalist Society), Evil Geniuses by Anderson (Milton Friedman/Wall Street), and the podcast ULTRA by Rachel Maddow (re America First). Hemmer also does not dwell on the psychological state of some of these clearly unbalanced personalities, and for a deep dive into the mental state of Donald Trump and his base, the best book is The Dangerous Case of Donald Trump, by Duty to Warn team of mental health professionals. This book thoughtfully examines not only Trump, but the condition of the country, and why/how anger has been coaxed and encouraged for the past five decades.

In summary: read this book to get a sense of where Trump came from and how he operates. Read other books to find out who in the "capitalist class" has enabled this dreadful cast of characters to survive and prosper, and what their motives might be aside from the obvious: lower taxes, deregulation, and oil.
5 people found this helpful
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