Why read Communism in Hollywood?

Book cover of Communism in Hollywood: The Moral Paradoxes of Testimony, Silence, and Betrayal

Book description

Much has been written about the history of Communism in America, including the Party's appeal to many in the Hollywood community of the 1930s and 40s. While several books have offered standard accounts of the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) hearings and the blacklist in the entertainment industry, Alan Casty…

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Why read it?

1 author picked Communism in Hollywood as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

Brian Neve

Author

While several books have offered accounts of the House Committee on Un-American Activities (HUAC) hearings and the blacklist in the entertainment industry, Alan Casty questions liberal perspectives on the subject, and develops a distinctive perspective. In particular he challenges what he sees as an overly simple moral take on the actions of those who cooperated with HUAC and those who did not. He discusses the role of the Communist Party in Hollywood and the impact of Cold War politics— and the politics of Stalin and the Soviet Union—on the decisions that politicians and witnesses took. There is particularly interesting…

From Brian's list on The best books about the Hollywood blacklist.