Warrior Dreams: Violence and Manhood in Post-Vietnam America. - book reviews

For anyone with doubts, the bombing of the Alfred J. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City provided a clear sign that something in our society had gone seriously awry. With little warning, the militia movement became front page news. Many wondered how and, more important, why the paramilitary movement had developed. From where did these groups emerge? How had they remained apparently undetected until they unleashed their violent hatred upon America's heartland?

Although published in 1994, prior to the Oklahoma City bombing, Warrior Dreams: Violence and Manhood in Post-Vietnam America provides answers from a psychological perspective to many such questions. The author identifies the paramilitary movement as the "New War," a fictional clash between members of the movement and all of the perceived enemies of society - including liberals, government officials, feminists, minorities, communists, and drug dealers, among others. However, while the war might be fictional, the violence it spawns is all too real.

The author contends that the war grew out of a need for some Americans to deal with post-Vietnam malaise, changing relations between the sexes, and uncertainty concerning the Nation's future. Against this backdrop, he offers a thought-provoking diagnosis of many of the social ills that led to the rise of the militia movement.

The book is divided into three main parts, each of which examines the paramilitary phenomenon from a different perspective. Part one describes the origins of the New War, as recounted in "war stories" from its heroes. It then explores the relationship of these war heroes with others and with society as a whole. These first chapters also depict the war as extremely violent, fought by paramilitary warriors with a plethora of exotic weapons. The author chips through the rhetoric of the movement to find what might be its basic, unifying theme: White supremacy. He supplies interesting examples to support this theory.

Part two describes the games and social events that evolved as part of the New War. Conferences provide a forum for training and networking. Firearms competitions and war games (e.g., paintball) allow the New Warriors to play war while, at the same time, refining their combat skills for use against their enemies.

The third part tells the sad but true story of a country affected by these misguided warriors. Contrary to its myth of a defensive struggle, the paramilitary movement has produced hired killers, mercenaries, and violent white racist groups. The author details chilling, real-life examples of all three. In the book's final chapter, the author summarizes his diagnosis and outlines a prescription for change.

Warrior Dreams addresses a very broad and extremely complex subject, one that is particularly relevant to those charged with ensuring public safety and maintaining public order in contemporary America. The author presents the subject matter in an organized and methodical way, making it easy to understand. Police administrators, political leaders, and public policy officials will find Warrior Dreams well worth reading for its insight into an easily misunderstood, but obviously dangerous, segment of our society.

Reviewed by James J. Nolan, M.Ed. Hate Crime Training Coordinator Criminal Justice Information Services Division Federal Bureau of Investigation Washington, DC

COPYRIGHT 1995 Federal Bureau of Investigation
COPYRIGHT 2004 Gale Group