{"product_id":"strange-people-on-the-hill-how-extremism-tore-apart-a-small-american-town","title":"Strange People on the Hill: How Extremism Tore Apart a Small American Town","description":"\u003cp\u003eby Michael Edison Hayden\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBold Type Books\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e4\/7\/2026, hardcover\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSKU: 9781645030607\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eA gripping story that reveals what happened to a small American town when an influential white nationalist group relocated its headquarters there, illustrating how radical changes in American politics impact our psyches and divide our communities. \u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhen the white nationalist group VDARE used dark money to purchase a historic castle overlooking Berkeley Springs in West Virginia, America's \"cold civil war\" spilled into this scenic tourist town.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFrom behind the imposing stone walls of their castle, VDARE's Peter and Lydia Brimelow spread propaganda focused on the \"great replacement\" conspiracy theory, sowing discord in the once peaceful town below. In an attempt to restore civility, a group of neighbors banded together to oppose VDARE's presence in Berkeley Springs.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eStrange People on the Hill \u003c\/i\u003eurgently demonstrates how extreme reactionary ideology and the national politics that embody it disrupt the lives of everyday Americans while highlighting the intimate relationship between violent, racist radicalism and what now passes for mainstream conservatism.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThrough extensive on-the-ground reporting, renowned researcher and investigative reporter Michael Edison Hayden shows how the politicized culture wars manifest in deeply personal dramas and conflicts in a moving narrative about how the people of Berkeley Springs are bravely standing up against hate and division and forging a community built on inclusivity, respect, and neighborliness.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eReviews:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"A truly remarkable achievement. One of the most intimate, gripping journalistic accounts to date of this fascist moment in our politics. A deeply reported, and deeply American, descent into madness, chronicling a small town at war with itself, and a writer coming undone as he grapples with what that war means for the future of his country. \u003ci\u003eStrange People on the Hill\u003c\/i\u003e is a rare and brave book, not only for the evil it boldly confronts, but for the confessional honesty of its author, who throws himself into darkness to help show us all how to find the light.\" -- Christopher Mathias, author of \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/burningbooks.com\/products\/to-catch-a-fascist-the-fight-to-expose-the-radical-right-1\" title=\"To Catch a Fascist\"\u003e\u003ci\u003eTo Catch a Fascist\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"Michael Hayden is one of the leading reporters covering far-right extremism in America, and he's got the scars to prove it. Now, in \u003ci\u003eStrange People on the Hill\u003c\/i\u003e, he's written a gripping thriller about a white supremacist takeover of a small town--a battle over a castle, and the heart of America itself.\" -- Will Sommer, author of\u003ci\u003e Trust the Plan\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"Deeply personal, disturbing, and intense, this meticulously documented account is an urgent call to action.\" -- \u003ci\u003eBooklist\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAbout the Author:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eMichael Edison Hayden\u003c\/b\u003e is an investigative reporter and a leading expert on far-right extremism. As a reporter, he broke some of the biggest stories on the radical right over the last decade, and his analyses--featured in outlets like NPR, MSNBC, and CNN--helped shape perspectives on the authoritarian, anti-democracy movement that took over the Republican Party. He resides in New York.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Burning Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52081574281499,"sku":"Strange People on the Hill","price":30.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0466\/5121\/files\/81JxqWojp9L._SL1500_109ff681-12dc-4111-a6ec-3bec08a36c4a.jpg?v=1776727074","url":"https:\/\/burningbooks.com\/products\/strange-people-on-the-hill-how-extremism-tore-apart-a-small-american-town","provider":"Burning Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}