When the Clock Broke: Con Men, Conspiracists, and How America Cracked Up in the Early 1990s
Jun 2024 · Sold by Farrar, Straus and Giroux
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ONE OF THE WASHINGTON POST'S TEN BEST BOOKS OF 2024
One of The New York Times's 100 Notable Books of 2024
Longlisted for the National Book Critics Circle Award
AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER | National Indie Bestseller
A Barack Obama summer reading pick
One of Publishers Weekly's ten best books of 2024
"Terrific . . . Vibrant . . . When the Clock Broke is one of those rarest of books: unflaggingly entertaining while never losing sight of its moral core." —Jennifer Szalai, The New York Times (Editors' Choice)
"John Ganz is a fantastic writer . . . [When the Clock Broke] is phenomenal . . . truly, truly great." —Chris Hayes, Why Is This Happening? podcast
"When the Clock Broke is leagues more insightful on the subject of Trump’s ascent than most writing that purports to address the issue directly." —Becca Rothfeld, The Washington Post
A revelatory look back at the convulsions at the end of the Reagan era—and their dark legacy today.
With the Soviet Union extinct, Saddam Hussein defeated, and U.S. power at its zenith, the early 1990s promised a “kinder, gentler America.” Instead, it was a period of rising anger and domestic turmoil, anticipating the polarization and resurgent extremism we know today.
In When the Clock Broke, the acclaimed political writer John Ganz tells the story of America’s late-century discontents. Ranging from upheavals in Crown Heights and Los Angeles to the advent of David Duke and the heartland survivalists, the broadcasts of Rush Limbaugh, and the bitter disputes between neoconservatives and the “paleo-con” right, Ganz immerses us in a time when what Philip Roth called the “indigenous American berserk” took new and ever-wilder forms. In the 1992 campaign, Pat Buchanan's and Ross Perot’s insurgent populist bids upended the political establishment, all while Americans struggled through recession, alarm about racial and social change, the specter of a new power in Asia, and the end of Cold War–era political norms. Conspiracy theories surged, and intellectuals and activists strove to understand the “Middle American Radicals” whose alienation fueled new causes. Meanwhile, Bill Clinton appeared to forge a new, vital center, though it would not hold for long.
In a rollicking, eye-opening book, Ganz narrates the fall of the Reagan order and the rise of a new and more turbulent America.
One of The New York Times's 100 Notable Books of 2024
Longlisted for the National Book Critics Circle Award
AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER | National Indie Bestseller
A Barack Obama summer reading pick
One of Publishers Weekly's ten best books of 2024
"Terrific . . . Vibrant . . . When the Clock Broke is one of those rarest of books: unflaggingly entertaining while never losing sight of its moral core." —Jennifer Szalai, The New York Times (Editors' Choice)
"John Ganz is a fantastic writer . . . [When the Clock Broke] is phenomenal . . . truly, truly great." —Chris Hayes, Why Is This Happening? podcast
"When the Clock Broke is leagues more insightful on the subject of Trump’s ascent than most writing that purports to address the issue directly." —Becca Rothfeld, The Washington Post
A revelatory look back at the convulsions at the end of the Reagan era—and their dark legacy today.
With the Soviet Union extinct, Saddam Hussein defeated, and U.S. power at its zenith, the early 1990s promised a “kinder, gentler America.” Instead, it was a period of rising anger and domestic turmoil, anticipating the polarization and resurgent extremism we know today.
In When the Clock Broke, the acclaimed political writer John Ganz tells the story of America’s late-century discontents. Ranging from upheavals in Crown Heights and Los Angeles to the advent of David Duke and the heartland survivalists, the broadcasts of Rush Limbaugh, and the bitter disputes between neoconservatives and the “paleo-con” right, Ganz immerses us in a time when what Philip Roth called the “indigenous American berserk” took new and ever-wilder forms. In the 1992 campaign, Pat Buchanan's and Ross Perot’s insurgent populist bids upended the political establishment, all while Americans struggled through recession, alarm about racial and social change, the specter of a new power in Asia, and the end of Cold War–era political norms. Conspiracy theories surged, and intellectuals and activists strove to understand the “Middle American Radicals” whose alienation fueled new causes. Meanwhile, Bill Clinton appeared to forge a new, vital center, though it would not hold for long.
In a rollicking, eye-opening book, Ganz narrates the fall of the Reagan order and the rise of a new and more turbulent America.
ONE OF THE WASHINGTON POST'S TEN BEST BOOKS OF 2024
One of The New York Times's 100 Notable Books of 2024
Longlisted for the National Book Critics Circle Award
AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER | National Indie Bestseller
A Barack Obama summer reading pick
One of Publishers Weekly's ten best...
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Ratings and reviews
7 reviews
Keith Lommatsch
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November 29, 2025
It started off a little slow, citing history that I remember, but failed to make the connection to recent events. As I kept reading, it all started to come together. Trump is the byproduct of a political system in need of reforms from both parties.
rhea schroeder
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May 15, 2026
interesting and good information but a slog to get through
About the author
John Ganz writes the widely acclaimed Unpopular Front newsletter for Substack. His work has appeared in The Washington Post, Artforum, the New Statesman, and other publications.
John Ganz writes the widely acclaimed Unpopular Front newsletter for Substack. His work has appeared in The Washington Post, Artforum, the New Statesman, and other publications.
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