Joseph McCarthy : And the Cold War

Children's Literature - Judy Chernak

An excellent review of the career of this fire-and-brimstone Senator, with full attention given to the dangers inherent to his tactics of bombast, innuendo and unfounded accusation and the havoc they caused in America during and long after McCarthy's infamous reign. From his beginnings as an earnest, hard-working (and hard-drinking) man who left school at 14, but later returned to complete his education and earn a law degree; through the political ambitions which led him to leave the Democratic party for the Republican; to his parlaying lies (about an opponent's age, his own age, and non-existent war heroism) into election to the Senate, we are led inevitably to McCarthy's use of the country's fear of Communism during the Cold War era for his own advancement, running roughshod over cherished American rights of free speech and innocence until proven guilty. Read all about red-baiting, blacklists, and the Alger Hiss and Rosenberg cases. Read about power used for personal gain. Read it and weep. Illustrated with black-and-white photos. Part of the "Notorious Americans and Their Times" series.