Book Review - HATE -George Lincoln Rockwell and the American Nazi Party

BOOK REVIEW: Hate - George Lincoln Rockwell ad the American Nazi Party

I joined the National Front as a founder member, way back in 1967. I knew a few things about British Nationalism - enough to know I was a British Nationalist - but the deeper and more important aspects of what were to become my White Nationalist World View, and that view with very little modification I hold to today and if anything, in the light of recent events both in the United Kingdom and in the world, even more fervently than before.

So what has that got to do with a book review about George Lincoln Rockwell and the American Nazi party (ANP)? 

One of the first contacts I had as a National Front member was Alan Holmes (I have no idea where and what he is doing these days) who received a lot of literature from America.

Alan was also the Sheffield organiser of the NF and Sheffield National Front in 1967, was far bigger than the fledgling NF Local we had in Leeds. Leeds NF had eight members, whereas Sheffield NF had around twenty - along with its own bookshop and private meeting room, which impressed the hell out of me.

OK, back to Rockwell. Alan Holmes passed on to me regularly the stuff that was coming in from the United States, periodicals such as 'Thunderbolt' edited by Ed Fields, and which I think is still published today under the name of 'The Truth At last'.

Its was very radical stuff with no holds barred on the Jewish question as an instance.

Alan also passed on to me three other publications - the ANP's "Stormtrooper" magazine which was filled with 'action reports' showing uniformed Neo Nazis picketing and pulling off the most outrageous stunts - 'White Power' - the monthly newspaper of the ANP and most significantly 'In Hoc Signo Vinces' (Under This Sign We Conquer) which blasted into a new form my own ideas on propaganda and organisation.

The ANP had at that time started to change its name to 'The National Socialist White People's Party' which was the next and more up-market phase of its development. It also had a new quarterly publication - 'National Socialist World' which was edited by Dr. William Pierce who went on to found the National Alliance.

I was a very active member of the National Front then (still am today only in differing roles as age takes its toll), and Rockwell's ideas made sense. I disagreed with his using the swastika as a symbol and calling his outfit the American Nazi Party. In Great Britain those names are a sure way to political suicide. Rockwell did it to get publicity and he did - it worked in America.

It will NEVER work in Britain. The groups I have seen using Nazi symbolism have died off pretty quickly OR attracted such weirdos and oddballs to them as to become just a damned nuisance to we serious White Nationalists.

On August 25th, 1967, I was dumbfounded when I saw on the news that Rockwell had been shot dead in Arlington, Virginia by a disgruntled former ANP member, John Patler - his real name was Yanacki Patsalos, and he had been the editor of 'Stormtrooper' magazine.

We will never know what Rockwell would have achieved, especially when his assassination occurred just at the time he was leading a transition from 'Nazi' to National Socialist and laying down plans to recruit a broader spectrum of people.

A few weeks ago I bought the book 'Hate' from  Amazon and expected the usual hatchet job. I was greatly surprised that its author - William H Schmaltz takes a very objective look at Rockwell and his activities. He goes over Rockwell's strengths, and also his weaknesses - including the arrogance which Rockwell often showed to people at the wrong time, yet also how charming and how much charisma the man had too,

The book is well worth reading for all students of politics and especially if you are interested as I am, on agitation and propaganda.

Amongst some very far out stuff there was also some very clever stuff too.
"HATE -George Lincoln Rockwell and the American Nazi Party" is readily available on Amazon it is a very worthwhile read.

Love Rockwell or hate him - you will find that whatever you might think of him, he was never ever boring, and his fast frenetic political style still leaves that unanswered question - Which way would White Nationalism have gone in America had Rockwell lived?

George Lincoln Rockwell  - (March 9, 1918 – August 25, 1967)