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A fever in the heartland : the Ku Klux Klan's plot to take over America, and the woman who stopped them / Timothy Egan.
"A historical thriller by the Pulitzer and National Book Award-winning author that tells the riveting story of the Klan's rise to power in the 1920s, the cunning con man who drove that rise, and the woman who stopped them. The Roaring Twenties -the Jazz Age -has been characterized as a time of Gatsby frivolity. But it was also the height of the uniquely American hate group, the Ku Klux Klan. Their domain was not the old Confederacy, but the Heartland and the West. They hated Blacks, Jews, Catholics and immigrants in equal measure, and took radical steps to keep these people from the American promise. And the man who set in motion their takeover of great swaths of America was a charismatic charlatan named D.C. Stephenson. Stephenson was a magnetic presence whose life story changed with every telling. Within two years of his arrival in Indiana, he'd become the Grand Dragon of the state and and the architect of the strategy that brought the group out of the shadows-their message endorsed from the pulpits of local churches, spread at family picnics and town celebrations. Judges, prosecutors, ministers, governors and senators across the country all proudly proclaimed their membership. But at the peak of his influence, it was a seemingly powerless woman-Madge Oberholtzer-who would reveal his secret cruelties, and whose deathbed testimony finally brought the Klan to their knees"-- Provided by publisher.
Record details
- ISBN: 9780735225268 (hardcover)
- Physical Description: xxiv, 404 pages, 8 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations ; 24 cm
- Publisher: New York : Viking, [2023]
- Copyright: ©2023
Content descriptions
| Bibliography, etc. Note: | Includes bibliographical references and index. |
| Formatted Contents Note: | Birth and death of the Klan -- An opening in Indiana -- Men with badges -- A coup and a clash -- Woman of the year -- The other Indiana -- The unmasking -- Creating D. C. Stephenson -- A master race in the Midwest -- Independence Day -- Governors, guns, and god -- Lord of the manor -- Rage of the resistance -- The Klan on top -- Hoosier hysteria -- The last train to Chicago -- A vigil in Irvington -- The witness -- Big man in a small town -- One nation under a shroud -- To slay a dragon -- She said -- Inside and outside -- He said -- The closers -- Verdict -- Dirt from the dragon. |
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| Location | Call Number / Copy Notes | Barcode | Shelving Location | Status | Due Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lakeshore Branch | 322.4209 Ega | 31681010316768 | NONFIC | Available | - |
- Baker & Taylor
A Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist traces the Ku Klux Klanâs rise to power in the 1920s, driven by the con man D.C. Stephenson, and how a seemingly powerless woman named Madge Oberholtzer brought them to their knees. Illustrations. - Baker & Taylor
"A historical thriller by the Pulitzer and National Book Award-winning author that tells the riveting story of the Klan's rise to power in the 1920s, the cunning con man who drove that rise, and the woman who stopped them. The Roaring Twenties -- the Jazz Age -- has been characterized as a time of Gatsby frivolity. But it was also the height of the uniquely American hate group, the Ku Klux Klan. Their domain was not the old Confederacy, but the Heartland and the West. They hated Blacks, Jews, Catholics and immigrants in equal measure, and took radical steps to keep these people from the American promise. And the man who set in motion their takeover of great swaths of America was a charismatic charlatan named D.C. Stephenson. Stephenson was a magnetic presence whose life story changed with every telling. Within two years of his arrival in Indiana, he'd become the Grand Dragon of the state and and the architect of the strategy that brought the group out of the shadows - their message endorsed from the pulpits of local churches, spread at family picnics and town celebrations. Judges, prosecutors, ministers, governors and senators across the country all proudly proclaimed their membership. But at the peak of his influence, it was a seemingly powerless woman - Madge Oberholtzer - who would reveal his secret cruelties, and whose deathbed testimony finally brought the Klan to their knees"-- - Penguin Putnam
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER ⢠A Washington Post Notable Work of Nonfiction ⢠An NPR Best Book of the Year ⢠A Kirkus Reviews Best Book of the Year ⢠A Chicago Review of Books Best Book of the Year ⢠A New York Public Library Best Book of the Year ⢠A Goodreads Choice Awards Finalist
"With narrative elan, Egan gives us a riveting saga of how a predatory con man became one of the most powerful people in 1920s America, Grand Dragon of the Ku Klux Klan, with a plan to rule the countryâand how a grisly murder of a woman brought him down. Compelling and chillingly resonant with our own time." âErik Larson, author of The Splendid and the Vile
âRiveting…Egan is a brilliant researcher and lucid writer.â âMinneapolis Star Tribune
A historical thriller by the Pulitzer and National Book Award-winning author that tells the riveting story of the Klan's rise to power in the 1920s, the cunning con man who drove that rise, and the woman who stopped them.
The Roaring Twentiesâthe Jazz Ageâhas been characterized as a time of Gatsby frivolity. But it was also the height of the uniquely American hate group, the Ku Klux Klan. Their domain was not the old Confederacy, but the Heartland and the West. They hated Blacks, Jews, Catholics and immigrants in equal measure, and took radical steps to keep these people from the American promise. And the man who set in motion their takeover of great swaths of America was a charismatic charlatan named D.C. Stephenson.
Stephenson was a magnetic presence whose life story changed with every telling. Within two years of his arrival in Indiana, heâd become the Grand Dragon of the state and the architect of the strategy that brought the group out of the shadows â their message endorsed from the pulpits of local churches, spread at family picnics and town celebrations. Judges, prosecutors, ministers, governors and senators across the country all proudly proclaimed their membership. But at the peak of his influence, it was a seemingly powerless woman â Madge Oberholtzer â who would reveal his secret cruelties, and whose deathbed testimony finally brought the Klan to their knees.
A FEVER IN THE HEARTLAND marries a propulsive drama to a powerful and page-turning reckoning with one of the darkest threads in American history.
