7 New Fascism Books Reshaping Thought in 2025

After analyzing how contemporary social media fractures traditional mass movements, Brian Massumi developed a fresh lens on fascism centered on the role of individual persona rather than collective identity. He explores how figures like Donald Trump embody reactionary energy that operates at a molecular level, influencing race, gender, and conspiracy dynamics. You’ll gain insight into the emotional and affective mechanisms driving modern fascist movements and the philosophical challenge of redefining collective personhood. This book is particularly suited if you want to understand fascism beyond old mass-leader models and are interested in the political and social psychology of reactionary forces.

What if everything you knew about American political extremism was challenged? Sue Coe and Stephen F. Eisenman dive into this with a blend of stark illustrations and incisive commentary, revealing how authoritarianism, racism, and xenophobia have long threaded through U.S. history and persist today. You’ll gain not just historical context but also insights into current threats to democracy, from election interference to foreign policy consequences. This book suits anyone eager to understand the deeper roots of fascism in America, especially young readers looking to grasp these urgent issues through a striking visual and narrative approach.

This tailored book explores the latest developments and cutting-edge insights in fascism as of 2025, focusing on your specific interests and background. It examines emerging patterns, newly discovered ideological shifts, and evolving manifestations of fascism in contemporary societies. By addressing your unique goals and areas of curiosity, this personalized guide reveals how recent political events and scholarly research reshape understanding of fascist movements and their impacts. Through a nuanced approach, it delves into the interplay of social, political, and cultural factors driving fascism's transformation, offering you an up-to-date perspective that matches your learning priorities.

Unlike most fascism books that focus solely on historical events, George Stanley's approach in "Fascism Step by Step" unpacks the ideology's core mechanics and its modern resurgence with clarity and precision. You learn how propaganda techniques, cults of personality, and economic controls function as tools to manipulate societies, illustrated by case studies spanning early 20th-century Europe to contemporary populist movements. This book suits anyone eager to dissect authoritarian trends and better grasp how fascism adapts in today's digital and globalized political landscape. It neither sensationalizes nor understates fascism's threat, providing you with a nuanced understanding of its persistent appeal and risks.

Jason Stanley, a noted Yale philosophy professor, draws from his extensive research on authoritarianism and propaganda to dissect how fascist movements manipulate historical narratives to gain control. You learn about the deliberate strategies used by far-right groups to erase critical aspects of history, particularly in education, aiming to destabilize democratic understanding and fuel division. The book delves into concrete examples of how schooling and public memory become battlegrounds where fascists attempt to rewrite progress on race, gender, and class. If you’re concerned about the erosion of democratic values and want to understand the intellectual tactics threatening society, this book offers a clear, evidence-based examination.

When Jun Tosaka first dissected Japan’s political climate in the 1930s, he revealed a disturbing alliance between liberalism and fascism that still resonates today. His analysis in this book goes beyond conventional narratives, exposing how ideological frameworks masked Japan’s imperial ambitions and societal shifts. You'll gain a deep understanding of the materialist critique that challenges idealism, seeing fascism not as an isolated phenomenon but intertwined with liberal thought. This book suits those interested in political philosophy, Marxist theory, and the history of reactionary ideologies, offering a lens to interpret fascism’s roots and complexities without oversimplification.

This tailored book explores emerging trends and threats in fascism, focusing on the latest developments shaping the political landscape in 2025. It covers contemporary ideological shifts, the resurgence of authoritarian tactics, and the social dynamics fueling extremist movements. By aligning closely with your background and interests, it reveals nuanced perspectives on how fascism adapts and evolves in diverse contexts. This personalized approach matches your goals by diving into cutting-edge insights and recent discoveries, empowering you to understand and anticipate fascism's future challenges. It examines the intersection of social movements, technology, and political rhetoric to equip you with an up-to-date, focused exploration tailored specifically to your needs.

The breakthrough moment came when Bill V. Mullen traced American fascism not as a fleeting political aberration but as a persistent current embedded in US law and settler-colonial history. You’ll gain insight into how the 1951 Civil Rights Congress petition “We Charge Genocide” laid the groundwork for contemporary movements like Black Lives Matter, while the book connects legal frameworks to the rise of white supremacist violence culminating in the January 6th Capitol riot. Chapters explore how race law functions as a tool for sustaining fascist modalities, backed by detailed historiography and critical theory from figures like Angela Davis and Herbert Marcuse. This is a rigorous examination best suited for those ready to confront uncomfortable truths about systemic racial violence in America.

Drawing on nearly thirty years of research in history and political science, Federico Finchelstein unpacks the rise of what he terms "wannabe fascists"—populist leaders who flirt with fascist tactics without fully crossing into dictatorship. You’ll gain a clear understanding of the "four pillars of fascism": xenophobia, propaganda, political violence, and dictatorship, and how modern figures like Trump and Bolsonaro fit into this framework. Finchelstein’s analysis is particularly timely, offering insights into how these leaders undermine democracy from within, making this essential reading if you want to recognize and respond to these threats in today’s political landscape.