On Fascism

"To prevent the ravages of fascism, it’s essential to understand its roots in our national character and experience. The twelve lessons in On Fascism draws from American history and brilliantly complement those of Timothy Snyder’s On Tyranny."—Laurence Tribe, Carl M. Loeb University Professor, Harvard University, and author of To End a Presidency

"It is comforting to assume our nation is built on a secure foundation that protects our right to 'life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.' But far from being on solid ground, we are instead walking a precarious tightrope with no net except our better angels. As MacWilliams shows, authoritarian demagogues and a frightening portion of the public have always been willing and eager to tear away the balance pole of reason and push democracy into the abyss. By showing the failures of the past and the present, this accessible, alarming, and insightful work is a much needed reality check and counterweight to the resurgent extremism of our times."—Brian Baird, PhD and former congressman for Washington's 3rd district

"This is a very scary book—and one that every citizen who wants America to remain a democracy needs to read. A University of Massachusetts Amherst expert in authoritarianism, Matthew MacWilliams demonstrates with a rich review of U.S. history how fragile (and still flawed) our system is. And, he convincingly warns that 'Trumpism' has put us on a path toward 'a hollowing out of our Republic that only work and dedication by every citizen can help us avoid."—Morton Kondracke, political commentator and author of Jack Kemp