A Genius for Confusion: Joseph R. McCarthy and the Politics of Deceit

This new biography of Joseph R. McCarthy shows how the Wisconsin Senator's campaign against American Communists prized sensation above truth. Richard Fried's book builds on over a decade's research in a multitude of sources, many of them newly opened. Fried captures the high drama of McCarthy's rise and fall and the legacy of McCarthyism.

Richard M. Fried taught various courses in Recent US History at the University of Illinois Chicago until his retirement in 2009, primarily focusing on political history with a strong interest in political culture. He published four books: Men Against McCarthy (1976); Nightmare in Red: The McCarthy Era in Perspective (1990); The Russians Are Coming! The Russians Are Coming! Pageantry and Patriotism in Cold-War America (1998); and The Man Everybody Knew: Bruce Barton and the Making of Modern America (2005), a biography of the famous adman, religious writer and political figure.