Fantasyland
Fantasyland is a comprehensive, articulate account of America. It argues that what’s happening in our country today is nothing new, but rather the ultimate expression of our national character. America was founded by wishful dreamers, true believers, and magical thinkers. Hence, fantasy is deeply embedded in our DNA. Throughout five centuries, our love of the fantastic has made America exceptional in a way that we've never fully acknowledged. From the very start, our radical individualism was attached to epic dreams. If you want to understand the culture of 21st century America and how the lines between reality and illusion have become dangerously blurred, Fantasyland is the perfect book for you.
“With this rousing book, [Kurt] Andersen proves to be the kind of clear-eyed critic an anxious country needs in the midst of a national crisis.”
— San Francisco Chronicle
“A frighteningly convincing and sometimes uproarious picture of a country in steep, perhaps terminal decline that would have the founding fathers weeping into their beards.”
— The Guardian
“A spirited, often entertaining rant against things as they are.”
— Kirkus Reviews
“A provocative new study of America’s cultural history . . . In this absorbing, must-read polemic, Andersen exhaustively chronicles a development eating away at the very foundation of Americanism.”
— Newsday
“Andersen exhaustively explores with wit and extensive research.”
— HuffPost
“A staggering amount of research that’s both compelling and totally unnerving.”
— The Village Voice
“A stunning, sweeping explanation of how we got to Trump . . . the most important book that I have read this year.”
“This is a blockbuster of a book. Kurt Andersen is a dazzling writer and a perceptive student of the many layers of American life. Take a deep breath and dive in.”
— Tom Brokaw
“This is an important book—the indispensable book—for understanding America in the age of Trump. It’s an eye-opening history filled with brilliant insights, a saga of how we were always susceptible to fantasy, from the Puritan fanatics to the talk-radio and Internet wackos who mix show business, hucksterism, and conspiracy theories. Even the parts you think you know already are put into an eye-opening context.”
— Walter Isaacson, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Leonardo da Vinci
“Kurt Andersen is America’s voice of reason. What is he—Canadian? The people who should read this book won’t—because it’s a book—but reality-based citizens will still get a kick out of this winning romp through centuries of American delusion.”
— Sarah Vowell
“Fantasyland presents the very best kind of idea—one that, in retrospect, seems obvious, but that took a seer like Kurt Andersen to piece together. The thinking and the writing are both dazzling; it is at once a history lesson and an oh-so-modern cri de coeur; it’s an absolute joy to read and will leave your brain dancing with excitement long after you’re done.”