• The World of the John Birch Society

  • Conspiracy, Conservatism, and the Cold War
  • By: D.J. Mulloy
  • Narrated by: Kirk Winkler
  • Length: 12 hrs and 23 mins
  • 4.4 out of 5 stars (12 ratings)

Prime logo Prime members: New to Audible?
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.
The World of the John Birch Society  By  cover art

The World of the John Birch Society

By: D.J. Mulloy
Narrated by: Kirk Winkler
Try for $0.00

$14.95/month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $24.95

Buy for $24.95

Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.

Publisher's summary

Founded in 1958 as a force for conservative political advocacy, the John Birch Society espoused the dangers of enemies - foreign and domestic - including the Soviet Union, organizers of the US civil rights movement, and government officials who were deemed "soft" on communism in both the Republican and Democratic parties.

Sound familiar?

In The World of the John Birch Society, author D. J. Mulloy reveals the tactics of the society in a way they've never been understood before, allowing the listener to make the connections to contemporary American politics, up to and including the Tea Party.

These tactics included organized dissemination of broad-based accusations and innuendo, political brinksmanship within the Republican Party, and frequent doomsday predictions regarding world events. At the heart of the organization was Robert Welch, a charismatic writer and organizer who is revealed to have been the lifeblood of the society's efforts.

The society has seen its influence recede from the high-water mark of 1970s, but the organization still exists today. Throughout The World of the John Birch Society, the listener sees the very tenets and practices in play that make the contemporary Tea Party so effective on a local level. Indeed, without the John Birch Society paving the way, the Tea Party may have encountered a dramatically different political terrain on its path to power.

The book is published by Vanderbilt University Press. The audiobook is published by University Press Audiobooks.

Praise for the book:

"A must-read for anyone who wants to understand the mind-set of the JBS." (H-Net Reviews in the Humanities & Social Sciences)

"Brilliantly reveals the Society's hard-nosed conservatism while linking it to movements that preceded today's Tea Party." (Publishers Weekly)

"A much-needed return to an examination of the far right." (Timothy Thurber, author of Republicans and Race)

©2014 Vanderbilt University Press (P)2020 Redwood Audiobooks
  • Unabridged Audiobook
  • Categories: History

What listeners say about The World of the John Birch Society

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    8
  • 4 Stars
    1
  • 3 Stars
    3
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    0
Performance
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    5
  • 4 Stars
    3
  • 3 Stars
    2
  • 2 Stars
    1
  • 1 Stars
    0
Story
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    5
  • 4 Stars
    2
  • 3 Stars
    3
  • 2 Stars
    1
  • 1 Stars
    0

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

"Info Wars is the ghost of Larry Mcdonald" -Alex J

Alex Jones, Ron Paul, Donald Trump all stand on the shoulders of Robert Welch Jr. and the John Birch Society.

Welch like some type of racist Willy Wonka planted the seeds for the Tea Party which the Koch bros helped harvest. Ultimately with the help of Roger Stone, a frequent JBS guest, America was given its full Blown Bircher president: Donald Trump, the birther himself.

This book really filled in the gaps and gave countless insights into this world of good vs. evil, which is echoing loudly today through the Qanon movement.

The MLM style of recruiting and networking is also seen today in the recruiting efforts of white nationalist and Qanon as they dig through facebook groups looking for prey.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

3 people found this helpful