Publishers Weekly
06/22/2020
The Dispatch writer French (coauthor, The Rise of ISIS) laments conspiracy-minded rhetoric from both the right and the left in this incisive examination of contemporary political polarization. A longtime conservative commentator and pro-life advocate who now claims that he’s “a man without a party,” French castigates both Republicans and Democrats for advancing political and cultural narratives portraying their opponents as not merely wrong but evil, authoritarian, and a threat to American society. He calls for a new political consensus built around unifying ideals that have historically served to shape public discourse, including an embrace of Madisonian pluralism (“a broad diversity of interests and groups across a federal union helps prevent any one interest or group attain dangerous dominance”); a belief that tolerance of divergent opinions is a political virtue; and a regrounding in the Constitution, in particular the Bill of Rights. French enriches his political and historical analysis with reflections on his 2007 deployment to Iraq as an Army Reserve captain and the harassment of his wife and adopted Ethiopian daughter by alt-right trolls. This well-informed and often moving account provides an antidote to the ills of political partisanship. (Sept.)Correction: An earlier version of this review misstated the name of the publication the author writes for.
From the Publisher
"In his admirably measured book Divided We Fall, French convincingly argues that polarization is putting America on a perilous path to disunion." —James Kirchick, New York Times Book Review
"French makes a powerful case that the country could be heading toward dissolution—not so much a hot civil war as a bitter domestic cold war leading to an acrimonious divorce through secession." —Jonah Goldberg, The Dispatch
"World Magazine's 'Understanding America Book of the Year.' The United States is more polarized than at any time since the Civil War. The highly discussed book that best recognizes that—and proposes what to do—is David French’s Divided We Fall: America’s Secession Threat and How To Restore Our Nation." —World Magazine
"French laments conspiracy-minded rhetoric from both the right and the left in this incisive examination of contemporary political polarization. This well-informed and often moving account provides an antidote to the ills of political partisanship." —Publishers Weekly
"[French is] not calling on us to agree—just to continue disagreeing without destroying ourselves." —Carlos Lozada, Washington Post
"French presents a vision for how the country can come together again and embrace national unity." —Mackenzie Dawson, New York Post
"In a season of sharp contrasts between red and blue and with a major election looming, French’s book is a timely and necessary read. Even those who don’t quite believe in the imminent danger of secession will appreciate his call to renewed courage and character. He offers a timeless reminder of the importance of justice, mercy and humility toward one another—imperfect people in an imperfect world, still hoping for a more perfect union." —Terri Barnes, Stars and Stripes
"French's book is important because he has his eyes fixed on the real or most fundamental problem confronting American democracy, and because he doesn't allow himself to get sucked into or distracted by the more superficial conflicts that feed into that problem and make it worse...deserves to be widely read and debated among those who would help America avoid the worst of its many possible futures." —Damon Linker, The Week
