Encyclopedia of White Power: A Sourcebook on the Radical Racist Right
by Jeffrey Kaplan

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From Booklist
A Fulbright American Studies professor at the University of Helsinki who has written extensively about the U.S and European radical right wing has brought together a wealth of information. Although some of the contributors are themselves members or former members of radical-right movements, they were asked to neither demonize nor proselytize but create an unbiased historical record. The encyclopedia, which arose from a dissertation, is thus an "insider/outsider approach." The overriding purpose is to gain a greater understanding of the "Euro-American White Power subculture." Among criteria for inclusion are that the movement or individual is strongly racist but not a militia movement focused on the Second Amendment; revolutionary rather than conservative; strongly religious; contemporary rather than historical (with some exceptions, such as Hitler); and representative of eight major categories, such as "Christian Identity," 'Ku Klux Klan," and "Youth Scene." Emphasis is on U.S and Scandinavia, with some coverage of the United Kingdom. Specific examples of topics that are covered include Aryan Nations, Father Joseph Coughlin, David Duke , Internet recruiting , Skinheads , and Waco. More than 100 entries are arranged alphabetically, and many include quotations and excerpts from primary source material as well as fairly in-depth discussion. They conclude with cross-references and further readings. Although some articles are one paragraph in length, others, such as White Power music , are five to seven pages. Following the entries is an extensive selection of movement reports and documents. The encyclopedia would have benefited from further editing. There is much duplication. For example, some of the same information on the American Nazi Party is found in several entries rather than covered once and then cross-referenced. The entry on Randy Weaver has duplication within the same pages. On the whole, however, this is a solid and an important (if expensive) contribution to historical and contemporary understanding of white racism, and academic and large public libraries will want to add it to their collections.

Book Description
The demonization of the radical right ill serves us when now, more than ever before, it is vitally important to know all we can about this esoteric milieu's nature and potentialities. . . by. . . demonizing the many, we cloak the few, and, however unwittingly, facilitate the existence of evil in the world. --from the Introduction by Jeffrey Kaplan White power groups are universally vilified and feared. But to better understand the threat they pose, scholars and activists must try to better understand their disturbing ideas and practices. In this controversial volume, Jeffrey Kaplan brings to light the workings of white supremacy movements in the United States and Europe in the years since World War II. The first half of the Encyclopedia is made up of over 100 entries-many of them essay-length-describing the people, groups and themes that make up the radical racist right. Some of the entries are written by movement activists themselves, providing useful insider accounts. The second half contains original resources circulated within the movement, each prefaced and placed in scholarly context by the editor. These documents, although offending, are invaluable to researchers and often available nowhere else. Cross-references and an index make the information easily accessible. For scholars of race, religion, politics or social movements, the "Encyclopedia of White Power" is an essential resource.

About the Author
Jeffrey Kaplan is the author of "Radical Religion in America: Millenarian Movements From the Far Right to the Children of Noah; "The Emergence of an Euro-American Radical Right" (Co-author); "Beyond The Mainstream: The Emergence Of Religious Pluralism In Finland, Estonia And Russia"; and is co-editing the Encyclopedia of Religion and Nature" and "The Cultic Mileu Reconsidered". He has published several anthologies as well as a number of articles on the far right and other millenarian movements in "Syzygy", "Christian Century" and "Nova Religio". He is currently teaching at the University of Alaska, Anchorage and is working with "The Stockholm International Forum on Conscience and Humanity: Combating Intolerance" for the government of Sweden.
 

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