American Midnight by Adam Hochschild

It is amazing to me the high limits we have for human cruelty and racial/ethnic injustice. At a low period in our history during WWI and years after we stopped welcoming the world's downtrodden and shut the flow of immigrants we had welcomed with open arms. At the same time a world at war and mob mentality made us suspect our European neighbors(especially German) and Black Americans with renewed fervor. Workers looking for a better life who spoke out were tortured or worse and mobs treated any organized meetings with violence. It is also the story of a young J. Edgar Hoover and his collection of spies and informers creating fear to control the masses. The pace is good and considering how much information is shared, it is very readable. Historians as well as political aficionados will appreciate how similar this is to current day.  4 stars