Red Scare in the Green Mountains

Rick Winston grew up in Yonkers, New York, and became hooked watching old films on TV at a young age. He went to Columbia College and University of California, Berkeley, where there were many opportunities to catch up on films while putting off writing English Literature papers. He co-founded the Savoy Theater in Montpelier, Vermont in 1981, and was co-owner until he and his wife Andrea Serota sold it in 2009. Winston's previous book, "Red Scare in the Green Mountains" (Rootstock, 2018) won the 2019 Richard O. Hathaway Award from the Vermont Historical Society for "Outstanding Contribution to Vermont History." He currently teaches film history throughout Vermont.

IPPY Award for Best Regional HistoryReader's Favorite AwardWhat happened in Vermont when the anti-Communist fear known as the "Red Scare" swept the country? Quite a bit, as it turns out. Rick Winston explores some forgotten history as we see how a small, rural "rock-ribbed Republican" state with a historically libertarian streak handled the hysteria of the time. Far from the klieg lights of Washington D.C., Hollywood, and New York City, the Green Mountain state challenged the national narrative with its own fascinating stories. Here are nine of the most gripping dramas played out in Vermont during "scoundrel time," including a high-profile academic firing, controversies involving left-leaning summer residents, courageous newspaper editors who spoke out against McCarthy's tactics, and a conservative senator who helped take down Joseph McCarthy. Now, as our country again experiences a political atmosphere charged with intolerance, condemnation, and widespread falsehoods, this book could not be more timely.