Insidious foes

by Francis MacDonnell

In this book, Francis MacDonnell examines the origins and consequences of America's Fifth Column panic and its manifestations in political and cultural life. He argues that conviction and expedience encouraged President Roosevelt, the FBI, Congressmen, Churchill's government, and Hollywood to legitimate and exacerbate Americans' fears. Gravely weakening the isolationists, fostering Congress's role in rooting out Un-American activities, and instigating the creation of the modern intelligence establishment, the Fifth Column scare did far more than sell movie tickets, comic books, and pulp fiction. Insidious Foes traces the panic from its foundation, as reasonable Americans saw the vulnerability of their open society to encroaching totalitarianism. Probing the intersections between domestic politics, popular culture, and foreign policy, MacDonnell provides a glimpse of a crucial moment in the history of American anxiety.