Synopses & Reviews
The definitive history of American postwar liberalism, told through the lens of those who brought it to life.
Liberalism stands proudly at the center of American politics and culture. Driven by passion for social justice, tempered by respect for the difficulty of change, liberals have struggled to end economic inequality, racial discrimination, and political repression. Liberals have fueled their cause with the promise of American life and visions of national greatness, seeking to transform the White House; the halls of Congress, the courts, the worlds of entertainment, law, media, and the course of public opinion. Bestselling author, journalist, and historian Eric Alterman, together with historian Kevin Mattson, traces the history of liberal ideals through the lives and struggles of fascinating personalities. The Cause tells the remarkable story of politicians, intellectuals, visionaries, activists, and public personalities battling for the heart and soul of the nation.
The first full-scale treatment of postwar liberalism, The Cause offers an epic saga driven by stories of grand aspirations, principled ambitions, tragic flaws, and the ironies of history of the people who fought for America to live up to the highest ideals of its history.
Review
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Review
“[A]n illuminating history of postwar politics, international relations, culture, and philosophy—all in one scrupulously researched volume.”
Publishers Weekly
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“Thorough and thoughtful.” Kirkus Reviews
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“So many books lately on the rise of the Right, but here, finally, is a history of postwar liberalism. Media critic, political columnist (e.g.,
The Nation), CUNY journalism professor, and best-selling author (e.g.,
Why We’re Liberal), Alterman joins with Ohio University professor Mattson to define liberalism through the individuals who have shaped it over the last decades. Important for current events readers except in really red states."
Library Journal
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“
The Cause is at its best in its deft articulation of the inseparability of liberalism’s strengths and weaknesses.”
Yale Alumni Magazine
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The New York Times Editors’ Choice
“What a relief it is, then, to read Eric Alterman’s superb new book The Cause.”
The Boston Globe
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“[Eric] Alterman and [Kevin] Mattson present an impressive history.”
Library Journal
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“
The Cause provides an ample arsenal of information to remind liberals that theirs is the side of virtue.”
The History News Network
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“Witty…. Simply by telling this story it reminds us that
liberal has always been and remains one of the ways of being a patriotic, constructive American.”
Sullivan County Democrat
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“The story Alterman tells is . . . worth restating given the strenuous . . . campaign by conservatives to rewrite the entire history of liberalism. . . . Alterman works hard to correct the record.” New York Times Book Review
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“Alterman’s magnum opus… All aspects of liberalism are surveyed, from the culture of Hollywood movies to the civil rights movement to intellectual debates.… In this way, Alterman’s book stands as the definitive work on its subject.” San Francisco Chronicle
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“What a relief it is…to read Eric Alterman’s superb new book, THE CAUSE: The Fight for American Liberalism From Franklin Roosevelt to Barack Obama. [I]f your goal is to learn about, and understand, one of this country’s most potent political forces, this book belongs in your hands.” Boston Globe
Review
“…an intellectual (and actual) history of liberalism that even [Lionel] Trilling would approve of…coherent and excellent….” Daily Beast
Review
“…an impressive history, with profiles of leaders both famous and unfamiliar, and detailing legislative and cultural battles that highlight the advancement of the cause. Readers interested in liberal politics and sociopolitical history will most appreciate the authors’ extensive research.” Library Journal
Synopsis
A major history of American liberalism and the key personalities behind the movement Why is it that nearly every liberal initiative since the end of the New Deal—whether busing, urban development, affirmative action, welfare, gun control, or
Roe v. Wade—has fallen victim to its grand aspirations, often exacerbating the very problem it seeks to solve? In this groundbreaking work, the first full treatment of modern liberalism in the United States, bestselling journalist and historian Eric Alterman together with Kevin Mattson present a comprehensive history of this proud, yet frequently maligned tradition. In
The Cause, we meet the politicians, preachers, intellectuals, artists, and activists—from Eleanor Roosevelt to Barack Obama, Adlai Stevenson to Hubert Humphrey, and Billie Holiday to Bruce Springsteen—who have battled for the heart and soul of the nation.
About the Author
Eric Alterman is Distinguished Professor of English and Journalism at Brooklyn College and the CUNY Graduate School of Journalism. A columnist for The Nation, The Forward, and The Daily Best, he is senior fellow of the Center for American Progress, the Nation Institute, and the World Policy Institute. The author of eight previous books, including the national bestseller What Liberal Media?, Alterman is the winner of the George Orwell Award, the Jack London Literary Prize, and the Mirror Award for media criticism. A graduate of Cornell, Yale, and Stanford universities, he lives with his family in Manhattan.