For Might and Right

"Michael Brenes has written an intriguing and thought-provoking work . . . For Might and Right is a unique blend of political history, class history, and domestic Cold War history that explains the evolution of the 'Cold War coalition' and its transformative effect on the United States during the Cold War and into the 1990s."—Journal of American History

"Brenes has significantly added to our understanding of the political economy of the Cold War and the reshaping of American values from the New Deal to the contemporary moment. A truly engrossing and important story told with depth and skill."—Mitchell B. Lerner, author of The Pueblo Incident: A Spy Ship and the Failure of American Foreign Policy

"For Might and Right will appeal not only to Cold War scholars but to anyone interested in the history of twentieth-century politics, liberalism or conservatism, and the history of U.S. foreign policy. A must-read."—Michael Koncewicz, author of They Said No to Nixon: Republicans Who Stood Up to the President's Abuses of Power

"Michael Brenes's remarkable and original study of the material life of anticommunism shows how deeply it reshaped not only ideological commitments but the daily economic experiences of millions of Americans. A beautifully researched and powerfully argued work of history, For Might and Right transforms our understanding of the Cold War."—Kim Phillips-Fein, author of Fear City: New York's Fiscal Crisis and the Rise of Austerity Politics

"The book makes a valuable contribution to the political history of defense spending during the Cold War and especially to understandings of how various interest groups sought to harness defense spending for their own economic and ideological purposes."—H-Diplo

"Brenes’ research provides a fast-paced, enjoyable introduction to a crucial period in American economic, political, and military history. It also raises further questions that are worth investigating by political scientists and historians alike."—International Journal