Richard M. Fried

Though over twenty years old, Richard Fried's overview of the Second Red Scare remains the best, most accessible introduction to its subject. His achievement is rather impressive -- in a little more than 200 pages he summarizes the anti-Communist campaigns, their antecedents, and their eventual decline. His arguments are clear and stimulating, and are convincingly validated by his explanations and evidence. Though his analysis would benefit from incorporating subsequent archival discoveries show more following the end of the Cold War, this is nonetheless an excellent place to start for anyone interested in learning about the origins and events of this dramatic period in American history. show less