Here's how Joe Conason described it:
In a masterwork reminiscent of The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, David Neiwert tells the gripping story of a far-right underworld awash in criminality, racism, and violence -- except that it happened here and every word is true.
And Charles Pierce:
There is no more dogged or more courageous chronicler of the radical American Right than Dave Neiwert. In this latest work, he has found a human tragedy that is both utterly heartbreaking and utterly infuriating. He is the polestar by which we navigate the great distance between what we claim to be as a people, and what we truly are. A devastating, and extremely important, book.
David Takami has written a nice review of it for the Seattle Times:
David Neiwert’s new book is a taut true-crime story told with a measure of gravitas, gripping as much for the grisly particulars of a violent murder as for the fascinating context of the anti-immigrant movement playing out along the U. S-Mexico border.
... Neiwert shows how credulous media members — especially local television stations and CNN’s Lou Dobbs — whipped up the hysteria with softball interviews of Chris Simcox, Jim Gilchrist and other Minuteman leaders. As the author astutely observes, the anti-Latino, anti-immigrant frenzy recalls historical racism in the American west, especially anti-Asian campaigns in the 19th and 20th centuries.
... Though the incidents in this book occurred nearly four years ago, the circumstances surrounding the murders are still highly relevant. As the national debate on immigration heats up again, this is a must-read for those who seek a deeper understanding of the issues and emotions behind the rhetoric.
Some of you may have noticed that an excerpt ran this weekend in Salon:
Secrets of the right-wing conspiracy playbook
The debate over immigration and the border is a classic example of how the extreme right manipulates real issues
This is an excerpt from Chapter Two, which describes the rise of the Minuteman movement, which the book focuses upon.
Finally, I was on KGO-AM in San Francisco last night with Pat Thurston, who interviewed me at length about the book. Here's that interview:
As you can hear, Pat was enthralled with the story. I think you will be, too. The word is getting out.
(BTW, its official release date is tomorrow, but most stores are stocking it on their shelves today, and Amazon, B&N and Powell's are all delivering it now. The Kindle, Nook and other e-book versions will be available Tuesday.)
