This book is riveting and eye opening at its core.
I loved learning about the unknown history that many have tried to cover up towards marginalized groups of human beings.
I am very grateful for receiving a copy of this book-and I will definitely be requesting a copy for my library so that it reaches more people.

If you are looking for an information-dense recounting of a unique (while also maybe not being all that unique at all) and likely under-reported piece of history, this is the place to come.

I myself am not typically a nonfiction reader, so I truly don't know how I ended up here or how to fairly review this work. What I do know is I feel pretty strongly that these histories deserve a bigger place on our bookshelves, and I found this account to raise a good few interesting talk points on the topic it promotes.

I have no doubt the information in this read will be met with contest and critical review by others who might want to deny the existence of struggle within the socio-political system as it relates to black and queer lives in our American history, however I am also of the belief that despite those criticisms, there is a place for the conversation Robert is asking us to have within the wider historical interest community.

The more we document these stories, the more likely it is we might leave space for a new kind of future for ourselves.

The story of equal rights in the Unites States is painted with blood, tears, sweat, and treachery. While many students can recall the major events of the 50s and 60s that lead to greater national strides towards equality, the smaller stories of government overreach, abuse, and misuse often go unnoticed - and, in the case of the Florida legislature - many of these tales are purposefully buried. Once upon a time in Florida a legislative committee - nicknamed the "Johns Committee" after Charley Johns, one of its most vocal proponents - used the cover of communism to viciously and unfairly attack those it subtly deemed enemies to Florida's white and conservative regime - from queer university students all the way to the NAACP. Behind closed doors, the Committee lorded over their own inquisitions, using any tactic - legal or illegal - to get what they wanted.

For the first time, the records of these state-sanctioned crimes have come to light with the help of a secret trove of uncensored primary source documents, allowing historians the opportunity to unravel the mystery of what really went on behind closed doors, and who - politicians, citizens, and governmental entities - who orchestrated these attacks on ordinary citizens. Spinning a dramatic tale of local politics, societal upheaval, and human-centered stories of peril and marginalization, journalist Robert W. Fieseler brings together the story of Florida's racist and homophobic past - and its alarming similarity to the state of the country today.

I would not normally be one to day that the back-and-forth of politics is interesting - I usually get my news updates in highlights, and would absolutely fall asleep if forced to watch C-SPAN for any span of time. Though I would consider the happenings of a singular committee in Florida getting on more than half a century ago to be a really niche political topic that would probably be a pretty dry read, the way Fieseler was able to craft this drama had me on the edge of my seat, frantically paging to the next chapter to figure out what would happen to the various players. I had no idea that this committee ever existed and am not from Florida, but was immediately invested in the drama, including the indignation and anger on behalf of the people that were targeted (directly or indirectly) by the snaking tendrils of the Johns Committee.

This was an incredibly thorough investigation that wouldn't have happened without a lot of dogged determination on the part of Feiseler and several dedicated public servants, and I am in awe at the amount of work that went into making this book a reality. The story told here unfortunately feels like a tale as old as time, and the parallels to some of the moves happening in state and federal legislatures feels too acutely real, even from over 50 years away in time and space. I think this is a timely read not only for Pride Month, but as we head towards the first re-openings of local and state elections. So much of what the players in this story were able to accomplish - to the detriment of a lot of Floridians and their families - started in small towns and unopposed local seats. Bravo to Robert Fieseler on a thoroughly researched and loved project, and I will be nabbing your other book ASAP because this was so good!

ARC provided by Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

American Scare was probably one of the most thoroughly research and written non-fiction books I have ever read. It would be comparable to a textbook, which at times it was indistinguishable from. I learned a lot about Florida's under the table and outward disdain for Black and Queer people. I can't say I was surprised by the accounts of this book, but the details added more to the horror dealt by the hands of our government. The problem I had with this book, which is probably due to the nature in which it was written at no one's fault but my own, is that I was never captivated by the writing. I just do not think this style of non-fiction is the most catered to me. But if you are a history person who relishes in detailed accounts of political and legislative action, I recommend!

Thanks to NetGalley and Dutton for the eARC!

This book was so well-researched and written. The topic was both timely and important; it's phenomenal that this piece of history won't be lost forever (even though the perpetrators tried to erase it from history).
It was so moving to read about how single-mindedly this group of white men went after people they thought were homosexual (as well as Black people), and how awfully (and illegally) they were treated in the "pursuit" of this knowledge.
While there were times when the amount of detail felt overwhelming, I think Fieseler does a great job at the end of explaining the importance of including all of these details.
It's amazing how timely this book still is, and I highly recommend it.

American Scare covers an important and eye-opening part of history that I hadn’t known much about before. The research is clearly solid and the stories are powerful, but I found the writing style a bit hard to get into, so it was a tough read for me personally.

At the end of Robert Fieseler's stunning history of the Johns Committee in the late 1950s and early 1960s, he writes of the idea that "what was old is new again."

And that line perfectly encapsulates the parallels between the ideological 'wars' of that era, which followed closely on the heels of the McCarthy Era, and the ideological 'wars' currently being waged today in America.

It's depressing to think that we've collectively learned nothing - that nothing good comes of targeting one gender, race, sexual orientation, etc. and so we are doing it all again.

And yet it is some small comfort to read a book like American Scare and realize that those who would judge and punish us for being who we are do end up defeated and disgraced, often through their own hubris.

In a sense, that's one of the things carried this book through the horrific things that the Johns Committee did to it's targets, which are not always easy to read.

To see single white female teachers accused of lesbianism (because they had roommates and played in softball leagues) join a lawsuit with a black male music teacher who was strong-armed into admitting to having gotten a blowjob once - and they all lost their teaching licenses - take the suit all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court and win... that's what the important lesson from history is.

To see staff members of the NAACP refuse to turn over lists of names even as the KKK was beating a black dentist with chains and getting away with it, as boxes of dynamite were being left on their doorsteps - and often exploded outright... that's what the important lesson from history is.

To see scholars still working today to shed light on this horrible chapter in American history... that's what the important lesson from history is.

And you have to wonder, given how much the government of Florida went through, and continues to go through, to hide the records of the Johns Committee - from the time they were scandalized by the Purple Pamphlet (which they more or less asked for) to the current governor signing Don't Say Gay and Stop WOKE Acts... if there's nothing horrible there, why hide?

All of this happened because Charley Johns wanted power, and he surrounded himself with people who wanted to mooch off his power. McCarthy had cemented the idea that Communism was bad, and Johns was adept at taking that thread and weaving it into the Jim Crow idea that integration was bad (and segregation was good), so it stood to reason that those arguing for integration were Communists. And Communists, the committee decided, were probably homosexual. They were sure of this even though when investigator was absolutely baffled by and fascinated with how two women could have sex. So they targeted everyone.

But they proved almost nothing; no Communists, one NAACP person went to jail, and hundreds of teachers were stripped of their ability to teach - though almost none of it based on hard evidence.

Along the way, even J. Edgar Hoover's FBI - the master of snooping and adjusting laws to suit the overreach used for his investigations, said the Johns Committee investigators were guilty of bad investigating and nothing they found held any merit.

The fight, though, still ruined thousands of lives.

As it always has, and apparently always will.

I received an advanced copy of American Scare through NetGalley, Dutton, and the author in exchange for an honest and original review. All thoughts are my own.

Please note, I am white and do not identify under the umbrella of LGBTQIA+. I simply believe that no one should be targeted for discrimination because of who they are.

An important recollection of all the harm done under the hands of the Charley John's and associates and even when he wasn't an elected official in the state of Florida and his investigations into "communism" that ended up sprouting into a witch hunt against the gay community and black community in Florida.
From accusing the NAACP of Communism (which goes against the morals of the organization) to making it as difficult as possible for a person of color to get anything done in the state of Florida, even after desegregation laws were passed.
They're is also the harm done to the LGBTQIA community because of Johns and his associates adding to the "Lavender Scare", where he and his administration went and hunted gay men and women because they found them to go against the administrations morals.
I absolutely loved this as it gave a real account of how and why Florida seems to be so far behind politically still. It took a bit to process but I am glad I read it. Thanks NetGalley and Dutton for this ARC read.

A fascinating read on why Florida is the way it is today and the people who made it so. Fieseler does a great job of showing the humanity of the poor people targeted by the Floridian government, and kept me invested throughout even with the heavy subject matter.

A vital exposé for both our history and our present day, American Scare tells the riveting story of how the Florida government destroyed the lives of Black and queer citizens in the twentieth century.

In January 1959, Art Copleston was escorted out of his college accounting class by three police officers. In a motel room, blinds drawn, he sat in front of a state senator and the legal counsel for the Florida Legislative Investigation Committee, nicknamed the “Johns Committee.” His crime? Being a suspected homosexual. And the government of Florida would use any tactic at their disposal—legal or not—to get Copleston to admit it.

Using a secret trove of primary source documents that have been decoded and de-censored for the first time in history, journalist Robert Fieseler unravels the mystery of what actually happened behind the closed doors of an inquisition that held ordinary citizens ransom to its extraordinary powers.

The state of Florida would prefer that this history remain buried. But for nearly a decade, the Florida Legislature founded, funded, and supported the Johns Committee—an organization using the cover of communism to viciously attack members of the NAACP and queer professors and students. Spearheaded by Charley Johns, a multi-term politician in a gerrymandered legislature, the Committee was determined to eliminate any threats to the state's white, conservative regime.

Fieseler describes the heartbreaking ramifications for citizens of Florida whose lives were imperiled, profiling marginalized residents with compassion and a determination to bring their devasting experiences to light at last. A propulsive, human-centered drama, with fascinating insight into Florida politics, American Scare is a page-turning reckoning of our racist and homophobic past—and its chilling parallels to today.

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Genres
History
496 pages, Hardcover

Expected publication June 17, 2025

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Format
496 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication
June 17, 2025 by Dutton
ISBN
9780593183953 (ISBN10: 0593183959)
ASIN
0593183959
Language
English
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Dutton
2025
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2025
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Robert W. Fieseler
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Robert W. Fieseler is a journalist and the author of the acclaimed debut book Tinderbox, winner of the Edgar Award, the Louisiana Literary Award and Lambda Literary's Judith A. Markowitz Award for Emerging Writers. Fieseler graduated co-valedictorian from the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism and is a recipient of the Pulitzer Traveling Fellowship. He lives with his husband and kittens in New Orleans.

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Lynn Strickland
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April 10, 2025
I got an advanced copy of this non-fiction book called, "American Scare." Reading it because the subject matter intrigued me. I lived my first forty years of life in Florida. This is both our southern history in Florida in mid-century 1950s as a riveting story of how the Florida government destroyed the lives of Black and its gay citizens during this period in time. It is a book telling the story of old southern racism. This part of the book I can relate to because I lived as a young child during this dark time which I felt something was not right in society. I listened, observed, and experienced the racism. I remember the separate water fountains, luncheon counters at department stores, separate restroom facilities for the colored people. Being a young boy in the 1950s and full of mischievous things to do to my younger sister. I thought it would be funny to take her to the colored restroom instead of the white restroom when asked to take her while my mom shopped. You never heard such noise coming out of the colored restroom when I pushed her inside. A big colored woman came dragging her out and pointing to the white restrooms. She saw me laughing and boy did I get a fright from the lecture she gave me. I remember words such as dangerous, crazy thing to do, what will happen to them because of this act. I did not realize at that time the police could be involved because of the colored women having a little white girl in their restroom. She taught me a life lesson that afternoon. I told her I did not understand the implications of my actions. After our little talk and my apologies she shook my hand and said I would be a good man some day. I was more aware of the racism of my time. Another instance, in Jacksonville, Florida where I lived I often rode on the city transportation bus to our downtown area. Getting on the crowded bus there were no seats. This elderly black grandmother got up and told me to sit down in her place. Being raised a southern gentleman I refused. I told her I was young and could stand easily. I wanted her to have the seat. Her eyes teared up and she told me it was the law. If she did not give up her seat to a white person she could be arrested. Another life lesson of the injustice of the time. I guess I did not have the race gene in me because my parents raised me to respect all adults no matter of their color. This book is a page-turning realistic history of a sad era in our history. I always respected the police but I did witness cruelty to black Americans happening right in front of my eyes in Jacksonville. Reading this epic uncensored story I saw deeper into the abyss of southern racism. Now jumping into the other topic of the horrific things done to the queer citizens of our state. I could not imagine being dragged out of a university class because the person's name had an association to other gay people. This was an eye opening story of this Nazi like actions of our government towards innocent people because the people might have relations in private that goes against the moral beliefs of certain people. I enjoyed and learned lots from this epic look into the 1950s. This book was well researched and had insight into a trove of primary source documents. My hat is off to Robert Fieseler for this soon to be an award winning book especially for anyone interested in American history and into our social and cultural times. I just hope that history never repeats itself.

This was a solid read with some enjoyable moments. While the premise was interesting and a few characters stood out, the pacing dragged in places and the plot felt a bit uneven. Not a favorite, but worth checking out if the genre appeals to you.