America Last

The Right's Century-Long Romance with Foreign Dictators

By: Jacob Heilbrunn

Narrated by: Kent Klineman

Length: 8 hrs and 23 mins

Publisher's summary

In America Last, Jacob Heilbrunn, a highly respected observer of the American Right, demonstrates that the infatuation of American conservatives with foreign dictators is not a new phenomenon.

It dates to WWI, when some conservatives, enthralled with Kaiser Wilhelm II, openly rooted for him to defeat the forces of democracy. In the 1920s and 1930s, this affinity became even more pronounced as Hitler and Mussolini attracted a variety of American admirers. Throughout the Cold War, the Right evinced a fondness for autocrats such as Francisco Franco and Augusto Pinochet, while some conservatives wrote apologias for the Third Reich and for apartheid South Africa. The habit of mind is not really about foreign policy, however. As Heilbrunn argues, the Right is drawn to what it perceives as the impressive strength of foreign dictators, precisely because it sees them as models of how to fight against liberalism and progressivism domestically.

America Last is a guide for the perplexed, identifying and tracing a persuasion—or the "illiberal imagination"—that has animated conservative politics for a century now. Since the 1940s, the Right has railed against communist fellow travelers in America. Heilbrunn finally corrects the record, showing that dictator worship is a longstanding tradition within modern American conservatism that cannot be ignored—and what it means for us today.

©2024 Jacob Heilbrunn (P)2024 Tantor

Excellent history

American history is the best kept secret in our society. Leaning towards fascism has been woven into our political leadership since the late 19th century. It’s still alive and festering today.

Halting reading is hard to stand

I’m very interested in the topic, but the reading is very halting. It’s like they recorded every word then stitched it together. Audio is difficult to listen to for long.

So frustrating

The history was engrossing, the story well written, and I kept trying to listen to it. Finally stopped trying because I found the narration to be acutely painful.

The Worst Narration Ever?

I’ve never heard a worse narrated audiobook. Strange, clipped diction. Ponderously slow delivery. Odd, exaggerated pronunciation. I was keenly interested in the topic, but I rushed through at 1.5 speed just to finish it.

Typical critique of MAGA Republicans

The author cherrypicks radical conservatives that supported isolationism throughout the 20th and 21st century while attributing authoritarian leanings. The book will not change anyone's opinion on the topic and lacks the context and nuance to inform any debate.