Bookshelf

| browse books |
books
 

| book details |

Un-Americanism: A History of the Battle to Control an Idea

By (author) George Lewis

| on special |

normal price: R 3 946.95

Price: R 3 749.95


| book description |

Inside notorious and influential struggles to define what it means to be “un-American,” illuminating the complex evolution of the term throughout US history The term “un-American” has been wielded as a powerful tool throughout US history, from Jefferson’s vision of the early Republic to the Trump era, yet no objective definition has ever been universally agreed upon. For the first time, George Lewis’s Un-Americanism offers a long history of this term, tracing what it has meant to whom through close looks at the most prominent contests for control of its definition and deployment. Lewis examines case studies that show politicians using the idea of the un-American to advance their agendas, organizations using it in racial nationalist campaigns, and federal committees using it in investigations such as those of the anticommunist “Red Scare” of the Cold War—along with activists and coalitions who have countered rhetoric of the “un-American” by claiming their own use of the term. In these chapters, Lewis delves into the role of institutions and organizations such as the American Legion, the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC), and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). Lewis paints a compelling picture of how the term has both shaped and been shaped by the country’s social and political landscape. Un-Americanism offers a profound analysis of how this term has drawn and redrawn lines between what is considered “good” or “bad” politically. By exploring its complex evolution, the book highlights how the term has impacted each generation’s understanding of national values and American identity. Lewis challenges readers to reflect on its ongoing influence in defining who truly belongs in the American story.

| product details |



Normally shipped | Active
Publisher | University Press of Florida
Published date | 13 Jan 2026
Language |
Format | Hardback
Pages | 372
Dimensions | 235 x 155 x 0mm (L x W x H)
Weight | 0g
ISBN | 978-0-8130-7951-6
Readership Age |
BISAC | history / united states / 20th century
Expected |

| other options |



Normally shipped | Available from overseas. Usually dispatched in 14 days
Readership Age |
Normal Price | R 4 203.95
Price | R 3 993.95 | on special |



| your trolley |

To view the items in your trolley please sign in.

| sign in |

| specials |

Theory & Practice

Michelle de Kretser
Hardback
192 pages
was: R 415.95
now: R 373.95
Available from overseas. Dispatched in aprox 4-8 weeks as local supplier is out of stock


The Correspondent

Virginia Evans
Hardback
288 pages
was: R 495.95
now: R 445.95
Forthcoming


Exiles: Times book of the month 'Stanley Kubrick meets MR James'

Mason Coile
Paperback / softback
224 pages
was: R 520.95
now: R 468.95
Forthcoming

A terrifying locked-room mystery set in a remote outpost on Mars.

Broken Country: AMAZON'S BOOK OF THE YEAR - THE MILLION-COPY BESTSELLER

Clare Leslie Hall
Paperback / softback
320 pages
was: R 395.95
now: R 355.95
Available from overseas. Dispatched in aprox 4-8 weeks as local supplier is out of stock

An epic love story with the pulse of a thriller that asks: what would you risk for a second chance at first love?