Blacklisted by History

Blacklisted by History examines Senator Joseph McCarthy's investigations into Communist infiltration of the U.S. government during the 1950s. Using declassified documents and primary sources, M. Stanton Evans presents a detailed account that challenges many standard narratives about McCarthy and his methods. The book traces McCarthy's rise to prominence and his subsequent investigations, including previously unreported elements of key cases and hearings. Evans analyzes specific allegations made by McCarthy and compares them with information from Soviet archives and American intelligence files that became available decades later. Through extensive documentation, the text reconstructs the political and bureaucratic battles that surrounded McCarthy's probe of various government departments. The narrative follows both public hearings and behind-the-scenes maneuvers that shaped the outcome of these confrontations. This work raises questions about historical memory and how contemporary accounts can solidify into accepted truth despite contrary evidence. The book serves as both a historical investigation and a study of how political narratives are formed and maintained over time.

Readers call this a detail-heavy examination of McCarthy's investigations, based on primary sources and declassified documents. Many appreciate Evans' extensive research and documentation, with several noting he uncovered information that challenges common narratives about McCarthy. Positive reviews focus on: - Thorough citations and footnotes - New evidence from FBI files and government records - Clear chronological organization Critical reviews mention: - Dense, sometimes difficult writing style - Perceived bias in favor of McCarthy - Length and excessive detail One reader said "Evans builds his case methodically, like a prosecutor." Another noted "The documentation is impressive but the writing can be dry." Ratings: Amazon: 4.7/5 (473 reviews) Goodreads: 4.3/5 (456 ratings) Common criticism on Goodreads points to the book's "academic tone" and "overwhelming amount of names and dates." Amazon reviewers frequently praise the "meticulous research" but some say it "reads like a legal brief."

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📚 M. Stanton Evans spent over six years scouring through FBI files, congressional records, and Soviet archives to write this revisionist history of Senator Joseph McCarthy. 🔍 The book's title comes from McCarthy's own words, when he claimed his opponents would ensure he'd be "blacklisted by history" for his anti-communist investigations. 📋 Evans discovered that many original documents related to McCarthy's investigations had mysteriously disappeared from government archives, including the entire file on Annie Lee Moss, a key figure in the Army-McCarthy hearings. 🌟 The author unearthed evidence that some of McCarthy's most controversial claims about communist infiltration in the State Department were supported by then-classified information from the Venona Project, a secret program that decoded Soviet communications. 📖 Despite being primarily known as a conservative columnist, M. Stanton Evans was one of the youngest newspaper editors in the country when he became editor of The Indianapolis News at age 26.