Drawing Liberalism - by Simon Appleford (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

Drawing Liberalism is the first book-length critical examination of the political and social impact of the political cartoonist Herbert Block--popularly known as Herblock. Working for the Washington Post, Herblock played a central role in shaping, propagandizing, and defending the ideals of postwar liberalism, a normative set of values and assumptions that dominated American politics and culture after World War II.

Best remembered for his unrelenting opposition to and skewering cartoons of Joseph McCarthy and Richard Nixon, Herblock introduced the term "McCarthyism" into the American political lexicon. With its unstinting and unapologetic support for the liberal agenda, across a career spanning over fifty years at the Post, Herblock's work affords a unique lens through which to interpret and understand the shifts and contours of twentieth-century American political culture, from the postwar period through the civil rights era into the Nixon presidency.

Review Quotes

Simon Appleford has written a defining study of arguably twentieth century America's most important political cartoonist. Well-researched and convincingly argued, Drawing Liberalism recovers Herblock's impassioned defenses and critics of Cold War liberalism and anticommunism. This is a must-read book for understanding the political and cultural life of modern America.

This book gets high marks for originality, and is very likely to appeal to those interested in political history of the postwar period, political communication, and cartooning in general. An important work.

About the Author

Simon Appleford is Assistant Professor of History at Creighton University and Associate Director of Creighton's Digital Humanities Initiative.