Hooded Americanism

A reader's review from Amazon:

In "Hooded Americanism," David M. Chalmers chronicles the history of the Ku Klu Klan in all of its incarnations, from immediately after the Civil War to the late 1970s. Mr. Chalmers also discusses the Klan's development and success (or lack of) in all of the states during its strongest period in the 1920s to 1930s. Mr. Chalmers also discusses in great detail the turbulent 1960s and how the Klan helped inadvertently brought about the Civil Rights legislation it fought so hard against. Exhaustively researched and well written, "Hooded Americanism" is a factual glimpse into the life of a controverisal organization and into the lives of the men and women who made it possible. Mr. Chalmers makes excellent use of contemporary newspaper accounts and editorials to paint the Klan and its standing in a given community. What I found especially intriguing was the Klan's demographics. Mr. Chalmers presents research that refutes long-held convictions that the Klan was always strongest in the South; in fact the Klan, at times, ruled the legal governments of the Midwest. Mr. Chalmers also discusses how various state legislatures and governors fought the Klan or sided with them. Again, I was surprised at how many governments actually tried to curb the growth of the Klan in their states through anti-mask laws and other legislation. This exploded notions I had that the Klan was unchallenged everywhere it went, especially in the 1920s. Mr. Chalmers has written an excellent history that encompasses in great detail the 100 years following the Civil War. I hope that he is at work on updating this important work. Highly recommended.