Powerful and convincing analysis of the historical trends and motivations that still find expression today. Hahn is a talented writer who skillfully pulls multiple threads together

Well, that was depressing. Hahn goes back through American history and shows how the values that most of us assume have always actively competed with darker ones. Illiberal ideas have played an important part in the development of the US.
Unfortunately, what seems to be the rise of illiberal ideas in recent times is really not surprising considering the background. Even when something happens that seems to push America towards liberal values, there is always a direct reaction by Americans who want the opposite.
What does this mean for the future? Surely, we need to face what we are before we can become what we imagine ourselves to be at our best.
Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this

Thank you to Netgalley and W. W. Norton & Company for the Digital ARC of this book.

First off I learned so much from reading this book and I'm so excited it exists in the world and will be published in the beginning of next year.

This book lays the way in which from the beginning of the colonialization of the United States until the previous president how the people in charge of making the laws and were in power mode sure that they stayed in power.

It goes step by step, from the writing of constitution and the very particular word choice to pointing out that Honest Abe wasn't really all that you were lead to believe.

You will learn through time how over and over again as much history has been written to dangle a shiny object in front of you to turn your attention away from the blatant actions our government is constantly taking while trying to convince us it's for our best interest.

I highly recommend this book and it will definitely open your mind (if it wasn't already there) and the abundance of footnotes will expand your TBR to no avail.

Illiberal America is a great book that looks at the counternarrative of liberalism, and how this idea has proved to be a strong current throughout the country's history. The strongest chapters are on the revolutionary period, about those who in America who did not agree to the liberal project laid out in the Declaration and subsequent Constitution. I really also found a lot to like with Hahn's framing about the 1960s. His focus on George Wallace synthesizes a lot of recent work on racism and populist politics. Any good examination of that pivotal decade should include a look at this illiberal force that ends up finding strength into the 1970s. Of course, the end of this writing addresses the January 6 storming; Hahn makes the case that this is not totally an aberration. After all, while the biggest, it is not the first time that violence has been conducted at the Capitol.

Hahn's writing is succinct and readable, appealing to popular readers and academics alike. His narrative provides an important piece of historical understanding regarding the relationship between political ideals and Americans' actions.

Illiberal America is a groundbreaking work of history that challenges the myth of American exceptionalism. Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Steven Hahn argues that illiberalism has been a deep-seated and recurring feature of American society since its founding.

Hahn traces the history of illiberalism from the early days of the republic, when slavery was enshrined in the Constitution, to the present day, when we are witnessing a renewed assault on democracy. He shows how illiberalism has been used to justify the exclusion and oppression of marginalized groups, including Native Americans, African Americans, immigrants, Catholics, and religious minorities.

A sobering reminder that the ideals of liberty and equality have always been contested in America. But it is also a hopeful book, for it shows that Americans have repeatedly overcome illiberalism in the past. Hahn argues that by understanding the history of illiberalism, we can better resist its resurgence in the present day.

An essential read for anyone who wants to understand the current political climate in the United States. It is a deeply researched and thought-provoking book that will challenge your assumptions about American history.

A powerful reminder that democracy is fragile and must be constantly defended.