Under the Hood

Under the Hood exposes the modern Ku Klux Klan by describing the hateful odyssey & eventual disillusionment of Brad Thompson, former Indiana Grand Dragon of the American Knights of the Ku Klux Klan. An absorbing & fast read, it is also a valuable resource for civic leaders of communities faced by this growing nuisance. After describing Thompson's rise to Klan power through in-depth interviews with the ex-Grand Dragon as well as his former friends, this ground-breaking book then devotes several chapters to community leaders who have found ways to circumvent the Klan & its hateful message. Heavily illustrated by veteran photojournalist Worth Weller, who covered conflict in Nicaragua, El Salvador & southern Mexico before discovering it in his own back yard, the book convincingly describes what kinds of people make up the 1990s Klan movement & what can be done to halt them in their tracks. A thorough bibliography provides other important readings & the appendix includes details about Klan & counter-Klan groups on the Internet as well as a vivid description of how the Jerry Springer show uses the Klan to hype its own ratings.