When the Clock Broke

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A rollicking, revelatory exploration of the early 1990s, this bestseller examines the tumultuous rise of a new America that ultimately led to the Donald Trump Era. With the Soviet Union collapsed and the U.S. at its peak, the decade initially promised a "kinder, gentler America." However, it devolved into a time of economic hardship, rising anger, and domestic strife, laying the groundwork for today's polarization and extremism. The climate of despair was exploited by con men, conspiracists, and racists, notably figures like David Duke, who aimed to "break the clock" of progress and "repeal the twentieth century." They shaped Americans' resentment and fostered a new, paranoid politics where harmless mischief intertwined with vicious hate, declaring a culture war against liberal elites. Amid this moral confusion, the "indigenous American berserk," as Philip Roth described, evolved into increasingly wild forms. In this engaging and often humorous narrative, John Ganz chronicles the decline of the Reagan order and the emergence of the conspiratorial politics that paved the way for Trump's America. Recognized as one of the Washington Post's 10 Best Books of 2024 and a New York Times notable book, it has also been longlisted for the National Book Critics Circle Award 2024.