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Wrath of Angels

The American Abortion War

by Jim Risen ; Judy L. Thomas

Summary

A history of the anti-abortion movement since Roe v. Wade. Viewing the anti-abortion movement as a social protest movement that ultimately turned to violence, the authors see the abortion issue as a rallying point for those who would eventually form the politically powerful religious right.

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Media Reviews

"'Wrath of Angels' is a startling investigative account of the American abortion wars that exudes both narrative flair and journalistic integrity. It will stand as the fullest account of the anti-abortion mania that swept the nation after Roe v. Wade and died after one too many clinic bombings."    -- Douglas Brinkley

"'Wrath of Angels' is an enormous achievement. James Risen and Judy Thomas have gotten deep inside one of the most insular groups in American politics, the anti-abortion movement, and combined their superb reporting with intellectual depth and the rare cold eye of the honest observer. The result is journalism of the highest order, a draft of history that has the chilling feeling of truth."    -- Tom Rosenstiel

"...Risen and Thomas are to be congratulated for maintaining strict equilibrium. Either side in this long, bitter skirmish could read 'Wrath of Angels' and find it informative."    -- Elizabeth Mehren

   -- Los Angeles Times Book Review

"This is a deeply researched and evenhanded history of the radical wing of the antiabortion movement that emerged after "Roe v. Wade". It is by far our best analysis of the individuals who waged war against the practice of induced abortion and of the social context in which they operated. This is an essential work for all of us who want to understand the abortion controversy."    -- James Reed

Bibliographic Details

Publisher: Perseus Books Group
Published date: 1998
Edition: 1th edition
Size: 6.75 x 9.75 inches
Weight: 1.7 pounds
Pages: 402

Publisher's Notes

Abortion has been at the emotional center of America's culture wars for a generation. Ever since the Supreme Court's landmark Roe v. Wade  decision, aborion has in many ways defined American politics, creating an ideological demilitarized zone between liberals and conservatives. Above all, the 25-year-long war over abortion has been responsible for the most significant social phenomenon of our times -- the political and cultural mobilization of Evangelical America. Furthermore, it has served as the lightning rod for the most intense and prolonged debate on the issue of separation of church and state since the founding of the nation.Now for the first time, in a compelling and very human narrative, Wrath of Angelstraces the rise and fall of the American anti-abortion movement and reveals its critical role in the creation of the Religious Right. The book explores why the passionate battle to end abortion failed to achieve its goal and yet in the process became one of the most important -- and least understood -- social protest movements of the 20th century. The anti-abortion movement was the catalyst that convinced Protestant fundamentalists to end their long cultural isolation, leaving their church pews for the streets. And, while they failed to change the law, they were transformed themselves, emerging as one of the most potent political forces in America at the end of the century.James Risen, an investigative reporter for the Los Angeles Times,and Judy L. Thomas, a reporter for Kansas City Star,are widely acknowledged as the leading journalistic experts on the anti-abortion movement. Their narrative history captures all the drama of the abortion battles of the past 25 years and reveals how a movement with its roots in the Catholic left's antiwar protests of the 1960s was gradually transformed into a rallying point for the newly muscular Religious Right. Wrath of Angelsdocuments the origins of the use of civil disobedience in the anti-abortion movement and offers the definitive explanation of why the movement ultimately descended into violence -- and collapsed as a political force. It tells the compelling story of the shootings of abortion doctors in the 1990s and draws upon exclusive interviews with the anti-abortion extremists who have been convicted in these crimes.Anti-abortion activism represents the largest social protest movement since the 1960s. With clarity and objectivity, Risen and Thomas unleash the stormy wrath of angels, the volatile eruption of fundamentalist fury into American politics.

Other Editions

• Hardcover - Perseus Books Group (1998) - from $1.00
• Paperback - Lightning Source Inc (1999) - from $2.59

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