Joseph McCarthy: The Misuse of Political Power

School Library Journal

Gr 7 UpIn this concise biography of the American politician whose very name has come to mean bullying intimidation and smearing of the innocent, Cohen upholds his reputation as a colorful writer on frightening topics. He makes every effort to portray McCarthy fairly, quoting his supporters as well as detractors, but the facts he presents make it clear that far from exerting any real leadership, McCarthy was merely taking advantage of immediate political trends. In a clear, lively style, Cohen shows that many politicians were taking strong anti-Communist stands, but that McCarthy's zeal in pushing issues he thought would benefit him thoroughly intimidated his oppositionuntil he attacked the U.S. Army, when his bullying, lying tactics finally tripped him up. The author also shows why many politicians, though they clearly saw the dangers in McCarthy's conduct, were afraid to stand up to him. This inclusive analysis will make the book useful to students of American history and government. Burt Hirschfeld's Freedom in Jeopardy (Messner, 1969; o.p.) provides more background on McCarthy's influence on American society and more details of the senate hearings, but Cohen does a masterful job of presenting the same information in a much more interesting form. Black-and-white photographs appear throughout.Jonathan Betz-Zall, Sno-Isle Regional Library System, Edmonds, WA