And you may ask yourself, “Well, how did I get here?”

To gain an understanding of why we are where we currently are in this country, author Martin Gelin makes the quite successful argument that what we are currently experiencing with Donald Trump, Republicans, and the rise of White Nationalism all have their roots in the racism that has pervaded the United States throughout its history. He goes back into the history of the United States and highlights pivotal moments that highlight when the white population chose prejudice, discrimination, and fear over embracing those who had a different skin color than they did.

Although The White Storm was published in the United States in January of 2025, it is quickly apparent that the book was written at least a year or more before then. Trump has not been re-elected as of this writing, nor has there been the upheaval in the Democratic Party that substituted Kamala Harris as the nominee for President. I have to wonder what Gelin would make of the current climate and deportations without due process.

Gelin has been a Swedish correspondent in the United States for more than twenty years. He has written a number of books about his observations during that time. I haven’t read any of his other works, but this is a solid piece of research and writing that all too accurately sums up how racism has brought us to this moment. He goes back to the enigma that is Thomas Jefferson, a white President who owned slaves and fathered numerous children with one of them. Gelin makes the point that as much as Jefferson wrote that there would one day be a reckoning for the sin of slavery, he still had twelve-year-old boys whipped and did not free his slaves upon his death as George Washington did.

Slavery and colonization were justified by dehumanizing everyone who was not White.

Specifically, Gelin shows how, in the years since the Civil War, we failed to do what Germany did following World War II. We failed to come to terms with the dehumanization of those we had enslaved. Instead, thanks to politicians such as Andrew Johnson, freed slaves in the south were enslaved again in different ways that skirted the laws enacted following the War, giving them citizenship and all that comes from that. He cites examples that prove the point quite well. Some of it I had heard about before. Some of it I knew about but didn’t realize just how pervasive it was, especially in Southern society.

One of the clearest examples is forced prison labor. It was primarily black citizens that were picked up for vague crimes such a “vagrancy” or “loitering” and the like and sent to prison where they became unpaid labor for local businesses. In California, this happened as well with the Native population. Gelin makes the argument that California was better able to come to terms with its pained history than the rest of the country. It’s not perfect, but they don’t shy away from the negative part of their history.

Trump’s voters should more often be seen as “high-status American,” who do not fight inferiority but instead stubbornly try to preserve existing privileges.

Meanwhile, the rest of the country tries to literally whitewash its history. Gelin shows how Trump is a product of this racism and denial of history. The long-game for White Nationalists began with Nixon and has culminated in our own time. Gelin cites the moments in history that back up this assertion, and I found that my own experiences have matched the arguments brought up in The White Storm.

Most of the last hundred pages or so deal with the rise of White Nationalism and Trump. Even without him weighing in on the current deportations we are seeing, I could see how all of this comes out of this background. Perhaps we need an outsider looking in to see us as we are.

This is precisely why the nationalists are mobilizing in an impatient offensive against democracy itself – they have lost the battle of ideas…

Gelin’s argument and research are thorough. He provides anecdotes of his own interactions within the right-wing where he encounters racism. People think if you are white, you must automatically be racist like them and tend to open up, which some of them, such as Alex Jones and Roger Stone, do.

I highly recommend The White Storm to anyone who doesn’t think that our current situation all boils down to racism. Gelin doesn’t give us any real answers, except to cite the very imperfect state of California as having gotten it right better than the rest of the country. It’s not a particularly difficult read, but it does not paint a sunny picture for us, either.

This book was excellent. Well researched, presented in a digestible, easy-to-follow fashion, and fascinating. Not the lightest of topics to cover but the author tackles the history of racism in America in a way that focuses on informing rather than criticizing. I think many people in America need to read facts in this way to not immediately block them out and I think this book does that.

An interesting exploration of the way race permeates all aspects of American life, whether people like it, or want it to, or not. It is all around us, like the wind in a storm, and the author's ability to explore and analyze history and the repercussions we are facing today is exemplary.

The White Storm takes you through the history of racism- from slavery all the way up until current events. This book was definitely heavily researched and very easy to read. definitely heartbreaking with events that were talked about but SO important to talk about. with the hatred on the rise from the republican party it's so important to remember history so we can do better.

It’s funny how I managed to pick a book that has already been published in Swedish and thus breaking my longstanding New Year’s resolution of reading more books in Swedish one week into the new year.

This book is likely written for a Swedish audience to begin with and that reflects in some of the examples used by Gelin (Swedish kings, politicians etc.), but it’s not shallow in its analysis like some books written for an international audience can be. You can absolutely read and enjoy this as an American or any other nationality. This is a book for anyone who is interested in the history of racism in the United States. It’s thorough and well-researched.

One gripe I have with this book is that it brings up past sins of currently alive people without engaging with what they’ve said at a later point. It’s obviously fine to point out the Clintons’ overt racism in the 90s (I wrote a whole dissertation about the implications of how the Presidents’ policies devalued Black individuals’— in particular Black women’s — citizenship) but it feels a bit disingenuous to not bring up more recent statements attempting to rectify past wrongs. You can either think that 1. It’s not enough or a bad apology and engage with the why or 2. Believe decision-makers are capable of evolving and work with that as a path forward. Just dropping past statements and not engaging with them opens the argument up to being dismissed as not valid anymore.

Overall, I’m very impressed with the book and enjoyed reading it. I do hope Gelin follows up because the original Swedish version is already a few years old and things have happened since — the French coalition broke down, the German ditto and trump was re-elected. It would be interesting to see in a few years what more there is to say because I’m guessing plenty.

Thanks to Prometheus via NetGalley for providing an ARC of this very interesting book! The review is given freely and is an honest review.

Thank you, NetGalley and Prometheus Books for this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
Author, Martin Gelin's main point of this book is the perpetual target that Black Americans have had on their backs since 1619. The United States, while founded on freedom, this freedom did not include Black Americans or other ethnic minorities.
From enslavement to systemic murder to being murdered by police, this story of racism in America needs to be told. The alt-right ultra-conservative Republicans want to keep this information out of our schools because they feel that it will look down on white supremacy which still has a stronghold in our nation. One interesting thought from the book by Alex de Tocqueville that still rings true today is that American ideals of freedom and democracy were not compatible with these ideals. He declares that racism is the Achilles heel of the United States and it is our greatest weakness and our foreign adversaries want to take advantage of it.
Martin Gelin thoroughly researches this topic from the founding fathers of our country to our current political climate. Interviewing historians and study books from foreign observances, the author accurately delivers his message that America needs to hear. I recommend this book to everyone in America so they will know the truth without the whitewashing to protect the fragile egos of the white supremacists who hide behind the word patriots. I am buying a final copy to add to my home library so that my children will read this book in the future.

This is an incredibly important book that needs to be read by everyone, especially by other white people more specifically white Americans who want to act like racism is no longer happening in America but then turned around and voted for a known and outspoken white supremacist. While being an incredibly important read and helps educate a lot of people it is also very well written and doesn't shy away from any part of America's past and present racism.

*The White Storm* by Martin Gelin is a powerful and thought-provoking exploration of the deep-seated racism that has shaped and continues to threaten American democracy. Drawing on over two decades of experience as a political correspondent, Gelin takes readers on a historical journey, examining key moments from Thomas Jefferson’s era to modern-day issues like mass incarceration and the legacy of lynching.

Gelin’s analysis offers a compelling argument that every step forward for Black Americans has been met with backlash, often manifesting in violent extremism and white flight. His exploration of these recurring patterns of resistance to Black advancement highlights the ongoing challenges to achieving true democracy and racial equality in America.

The book offers not only a sweeping historical perspective but also an urgent call to confront the systemic racism that still underpins many of the nation's most significant political conflicts. Gelin’s insights make *The White Storm* a crucial read for anyone seeking to understand the roots of America’s political divisions and the perilous state of its democracy today. Thoughtful, timely, and deeply unsettling, this book is a stark reminder of the unfinished work of justice in America.

The White Storm looks at American racism by detailing American slavery all the way up to the Capitol Riots in 2021. Domestic terrorism is on the rise in the US and this work looks at how the Republican Party has become the party for racists. The book looks at Monticello and Thomas Jefferson’s slaves. James Baldwin is discussed and personally I did not know how involved he was in racial politics in America so that was really interesting. The zero tolerance of the police was discussed alongside the increase in militarised policing which was an important read. The capitol riots were discussed in detail and I gained a lot of insight into how and why they started.

I really enjoyed reading this and I’m giving this 5 stars. The writing was good and this was incredibly well researched. I appreciate how many people were referenced in this and how the author did his own research by actually going and meeting people in this book such as Alex Jones. This helped to make the book more balanced because the author has first hand knowledge of certain situations and isn’t just putting a personal opinion down as fact. I was personally touched at times because this is not an easy read and I did tear up at the end when Trayvon Martin was mentioned and when the National Museum of African American History and Culture was spoken about simply because of how much history has passed. I really appreciate this novel and it’s strange to consider how much has changed since slavery was widely practiced to now in the modern day but also how little has changed in people’s attitudes. I would definitely recommend this book, it’s an incredibly important read that has touched me on a personal level.

“A single American life bridges the gap between the birth of America and our own time. History is that close.”

Thank you, Globe Pequot / Prometheus Books, for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

I just finished The White Storm: How Racism Poisoned American Democracy, by Martin Gelin.

This book will be released on January 21, 2025.

This was an excellent history of racism in the United States. The author started the book with an excellent and devastating critique of Thomas Jefferson and slavery. There were so many great chapters in this chapter, including ones on reconstruction, segregation, January 6, the “Lost Cause” revisionist history of the Civil War, the militarization of the police and so much more.

One sign of a great book is how much highlighting I did in the text. This one was off the charts.

I give this book an A+ and inducted it into the Hall of Fame. Goodreads and NetGalley require grades on a 1-5 star system. In my personal conversion system, an A+ equates to 5 stars. (A or A+: 5 stars, B+: 4 stars, B: 3 stars, C: 2 stars, D or F: 1 star).

I hope that this book is also released as an audiobook, so I can also listen to it.

This review has been posted at NetGalley, Goodreads and my blog, Mr. Book’s Book Reviews

i finished reading this on October 9, 2024.