Strange People on the Hill: How Extremism Tore Apart a Small American Town - Hardcover

by Michael Edison Hayden (Author)

A 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.

"A timely and engagingly written account by an expert on extremism and hate groups." ―Ruth Ben-Ghiat, author of Strongmen

When 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.

From 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.

Strange People on the Hill urgently 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.

Through 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.

Author Biography

Michael Edison Hayden 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.