Demagogue by Larry Tye is a superb page turner. Well worth the time and the read! Looking forward to the next novel.

Most older Americans have at least a rudimentary understanding of who Senator Joe McCarthy was. The short version of his obit would say he used (largely false) accusations that there were hundreds of Communist infiltrators in the US government to create a degree of hysteria in Cold War America in order to save his flagging career.. Many lives were ruined, careers lost, and at least one suicide was generally attributed to McCarthy’s impending destruction of the man’s life. While the broadest outline of McCarthy’s life is known, Tye’s lengthy and deep treatment of his subject goes far beyond other books on McCarthy. Only recently have medical records become available as well as unpublished memoirs of people who knew him well, his war record as a Marine, and previously unavailable records of closed door hearings held byMcCarthy. Tye is careful to be even-handed in investigating long-told stories about McCarthy.. He verifies that his subject had very bad health even in his thirties and was treated with opiates for various forms of chronic pain. He also shows that McCarthy was a problem drinker if not an alcoholic many years earlier than even his enemies charged.
What may be of major interest to some readers is to look for a parallel between McCarthy and Trump in methods of seizing and using power. Both men made extensive use of the skills of Roy Cohn who was widely considered to be a man without morals or scruples.

having lived through these times and remembering the infamous "Senate Hearings" I was surprised at being transported back in time. A very faithful rendition of a very dark time in our Nation's history.

There are many many books about the life & times of Joseph McCarthy & the era of McCarthyism. He ruined many lives and no doubt was indirectly responsible for the death of others. Larry Tye has written a thorough look into this man's life, having done a huge amount of research. There is no sugar-coating in the book. McCarthy and his equally evil cohort Roy Cohn reeked havoc on our democracy in a few short years. The last half of the book follows the downfall of McCarthy the climax of which was the Army-McCarthy hearings. Mr. Tye includes in his book a vast number of notes both within the text and at the end of the book, as well as an exhaustive bibliography of books and articles. (Since I received this copy as a prepublication copy through NetGalley, my copy did not have an index to the text, although I have no doubt there will be an extensive one.)
One small part of the book is a look at the influence McCarthy had over Trump. There are many similarities that point out how delicate our democracy is. Trump was well-schooled by his mentor Roy Cohn, who learned so much sitting at the feet of McCarthy. "Demagogue" is not an easy book to read, partly because of its depth of subject, but for me, more so for the anger it brought up. But it should be read as a lesson as to what can happen when fear, lies, and innuendo are used as an excuse for government.