Pluto Press Alt-Right: From 4chan to the White House

This book is a vital guide to understanding the Alt-Right - the white nationalist, anti-feminist, far-right movement that rose to prominence during Donald Trump's successful election campaign in the United States. It looks at the support for this reactionary network, arguing that while Trump is in office and the far-right grows across Europe, we need to gain a deeper understanding of the movement's philosophy, history and role in politics today.'While the movement appears to have burst out of nowhere, Mike Wendling has been tracking the Alt-Right for years. He reveals the role of technological utopians, reactionary philosophers, the notorious 4chan and 8chan bulletin boards, and a range of bloggers, vloggers and tweeters, along with the extreme ideas which underpin the movement's thought.'This is an analysis of what the Alt-Right stands for and who its followers and leaders are. Including exclusive interviews with members of the movement and evidence linking extremists with terror attacks and hate crimes, it is clear that despite its high-profile support, the movement's lack of a coherent base and its contradictory tendencies have already started to lead to its downfall. Review "[A] concise survey of the 21st-century far right . . . . The most illuminating insights in the book are Wendling's brief but revealing interviews with various ordinary people who identify as alt-righters. Taken collectively they constitute a somber and pathetic portrait of stunted and self-pitying manhood finding consolation in chauvinism."--Los Angeles Review of Books "Anyone hoping to get a deeper look at the 'alt-right' will find this accessible, enjoyable, and informative." --Observer "By paying close, critical attention to the alt-right--most important, doing so long enough to see through its fog of lies, misdirection and trolling--[Wendling] has developed a well-rounded understanding of the movement, and created an important guide to one of the most disturbing political developments of our time."--New York Times Book Review "Wendling writes clearly, bolstering his argument with the words and activities of fringe figures . . . . A thoughtful distillation of research that is sadly relevant to our current political moment." --Kirkus Reviews "Now more than ever it is imperative to understand the inner workings of the nebulous 'alt-right, ' which became a household name as Donald Trump entered the White House. Mike Wendling's meticulous study traces its origins, delves into its language, and dissects its sectarian divides to reveal the true face of a movement seeking to make racism great again. Alt-Right is an urgently needed dose of clarity for anyone hoping to understand the twists and turns of far right politics beyond the Khakis and Tiki torches."--Mark Bray, author of Antifa: The Anti-Fascist Handbook About the Author Mike Wendling is a writer, producer and broadcaster. An editor at BBC Trending, which investigates social media stories, he's spent years covering extremism and internet culture for radio, online and television, and was part of the BBC team covering the 2016 US presidential election. He is the author of Alt-Right: From 4chan to the White House (Pluto, 2018).