Deliver Us from Evil: Defeating Terrorism, Despotism, and Liberalism
Encyclopedia
Deliver Us from Evil: Defeating Terrorism, Despotism, and Liberalism is a 2004 best-selling book by conservative political commentator and media personality Sean Hannity
.
, was owned by Rupert Murdoch
, owner of Fox News. ReganBooks focused on celebrity authors and controversial topics, sometimes from recent tabloids. It is now defunct but experienced significant financial success while it existed.
Hannity has said he dictated a lot of his two books into a tape recorder while driving in to do his radio show.
In the book, Hannity attempts to trace a direct line from Adolf Hitler
and Joseph Stalin
through Saddam Hussein
and Osama bin Laden
. He praises world leaders such as George W. Bush
and Ronald Reagan
for moral clarity and vision, and contrasts these with the viewpoints and actions of current politicians he labels as liberal.
said, "Deliver Us From Evil contains brilliant explanations and defenses of conservative principles Americans have come to count on Hannity to deliver. But in a most compelling fashion, Sean also has the guts to call evil for what it is, and the boldness to illuminate truth as the only answer." The conservative magazine National Review
summarized it as providing a "compelling conservative
perspective"
Business Week stated that "Hannity's bias
es and rhetorical style
are revealed from the outset", and that the book is "full of name-calling trumped up as intellectual debate, one-sided history lessons designed to deceive the ill-informed, and good old-fashioned war-mongering", and that it "isn't a good sign that millions of Americans are lapping up copies of this and similarly simple-minded and intemperate books."
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch
complimented the book for its style of prose
that "steers clear of the dully academic", and then continued, "But that's the kindest thing to be said of Deliver Us From Evil. It reads like a long, long transcript of his television and radio shows, with their Manichaean monologues".
Publishers Weekly
said of the book, "Many readers...will find Hannity's 'irrefutable' evidence to be anything but", and that "his selective use of history and circular logic raise far more questions than it settles."
The magazine of the World Future Society
summarized the book, "The polarization
typified in this one-eyed rant is a further complication in seeking security in today's world".
A self-described liberal, Steve Young of American Politics Journal reviewed the book during an edition of the Hannity & Colmes
show before a live audience. During the show, Young pinpointed specific sections where Hannity misconstrued sources to say something they did not. Young says that Hannity's response was to start talking over him, while urging the crowd to chime in, and to deny the plain facts Young showed him from on-hand copies of the material Hannity had misconstrued.
Academics appear to have ignored the book, with one exception. Discussing the religiously-wedded political rhetoric in the book, Jason Carter, grandson of President Jimmy Carter
, arguing in the Georgia Law Review journal, stated that the book is "an example of not only 'us against them
' piety but also the inappropriate use of religious language." He stated that "Hannity compares American liberals
to terrorists and despots and categorically calls them 'evil'." Carter states that Hannity "takes a line from the Lord's Prayer, praying for God to deliver us from evil, and uses it to make a political statement as though his argument, his party, or his President would do the delivering."
Sean Hannity
Sean Hannity is an American radio and television host, author, and conservative political commentator. He is the host of The Sean Hannity Show, a nationally syndicated talk radio show that airs throughout the United States on Premiere Radio Networks. Hannity also hosts a cable news show, Hannity,...
.
Summary
The book's publisher, ReganBooksReganBooks
ReganBooks was an American bestselling imprint or division of HarperCollins book publishing house , headed by editor and publisher Judith Regan, started in 1994 and ended in late 2006. During its existence, Regan was called, by LA Weekly, "the world's most successful publisher". The division...
, was owned by Rupert Murdoch
Rupert Murdoch
Keith Rupert Murdoch, AC, KSG is an Australian-American business magnate. He is the founder and Chairman and CEO of , the world's second-largest media conglomerate....
, owner of Fox News. ReganBooks focused on celebrity authors and controversial topics, sometimes from recent tabloids. It is now defunct but experienced significant financial success while it existed.
Hannity has said he dictated a lot of his two books into a tape recorder while driving in to do his radio show.
In the book, Hannity attempts to trace a direct line from Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
and Joseph Stalin
Joseph Stalin
Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin was the Premier of the Soviet Union from 6 May 1941 to 5 March 1953. He was among the Bolshevik revolutionaries who brought about the October Revolution and had held the position of first General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union's Central Committee...
through Saddam Hussein
Saddam Hussein
Saddam Hussein Abd al-Majid al-Tikriti was the fifth President of Iraq, serving in this capacity from 16 July 1979 until 9 April 2003...
and Osama bin Laden
Osama bin Laden
Osama bin Mohammed bin Awad bin Laden was the founder of the militant Islamist organization Al-Qaeda, the jihadist organization responsible for the September 11 attacks on the United States and numerous other mass-casualty attacks against civilian and military targets...
. He praises world leaders such as George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
and Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
for moral clarity and vision, and contrasts these with the viewpoints and actions of current politicians he labels as liberal.
Reception and views
Rebecca Hagelin, vice president of the conservative Heritage FoundationHeritage Foundation
The Heritage Foundation is a conservative American think tank based in Washington, D.C. Heritage's stated mission is to "formulate and promote conservative public policies based on the principles of free enterprise, limited government, individual freedom, traditional American values, and a strong...
said, "Deliver Us From Evil contains brilliant explanations and defenses of conservative principles Americans have come to count on Hannity to deliver. But in a most compelling fashion, Sean also has the guts to call evil for what it is, and the boldness to illuminate truth as the only answer." The conservative magazine National Review
National Review
National Review is a biweekly magazine founded by the late author William F. Buckley, Jr., in 1955 and based in New York City. It describes itself as "America's most widely read and influential magazine and web site for conservative news, commentary, and opinion."Although the print version of the...
summarized it as providing a "compelling conservative
Conservatism
Conservatism is a political and social philosophy that promotes the maintenance of traditional institutions and supports, at the most, minimal and gradual change in society. Some conservatives seek to preserve things as they are, emphasizing stability and continuity, while others oppose modernism...
perspective"
Business Week stated that "Hannity's bias
Bias
Bias is an inclination to present or hold a partial perspective at the expense of alternatives. Bias can come in many forms.-In judgement and decision making:...
es and rhetorical style
Rhetoric
Rhetoric is the art of discourse, an art that aims to improve the facility of speakers or writers who attempt to inform, persuade, or motivate particular audiences in specific situations. As a subject of formal study and a productive civic practice, rhetoric has played a central role in the Western...
are revealed from the outset", and that the book is "full of name-calling trumped up as intellectual debate, one-sided history lessons designed to deceive the ill-informed, and good old-fashioned war-mongering", and that it "isn't a good sign that millions of Americans are lapping up copies of this and similarly simple-minded and intemperate books."
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch is the major city-wide newspaper in St. Louis, Missouri. Although written to serve Greater St. Louis, the Post-Dispatch is one of the largest newspapers in the Midwestern United States, and is available and read as far west as Kansas City, Missouri, as far south as...
complimented the book for its style of prose
Prose
Prose is the most typical form of written language, applying ordinary grammatical structure and natural flow of speech rather than rhythmic structure...
that "steers clear of the dully academic", and then continued, "But that's the kindest thing to be said of Deliver Us From Evil. It reads like a long, long transcript of his television and radio shows, with their Manichaean monologues".
Publishers Weekly
Publishers Weekly
Publishers Weekly, aka PW, is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers and literary agents...
said of the book, "Many readers...will find Hannity's 'irrefutable' evidence to be anything but", and that "his selective use of history and circular logic raise far more questions than it settles."
The magazine of the World Future Society
World Future Society
The World Future Society is a nonprofit educational and scientific organization in Bethesda, Maryland, US, founded in 1966.The Society investigates how social, economic and technological developments are shaping the future...
summarized the book, "The polarization
Polarization (politics)
In politics, polarization is the process by which the public opinion divides and goes to the extremes. It can also refer to when the extreme factions of a political party gain dominance in a party. In either case moderate voices often lose power and influence as a consequence.-Definitions of...
typified in this one-eyed rant is a further complication in seeking security in today's world".
A self-described liberal, Steve Young of American Politics Journal reviewed the book during an edition of the Hannity & Colmes
Hannity & Colmes
Hannity & Colmes was a live television show on Fox News Channel in the United States, hosted by Sean Hannity and Alan Colmes, who respectively presented a conservative and liberal perspective. The series premiered on October 6, 1996, and the final episode aired on January 9, 2009. It was the...
show before a live audience. During the show, Young pinpointed specific sections where Hannity misconstrued sources to say something they did not. Young says that Hannity's response was to start talking over him, while urging the crowd to chime in, and to deny the plain facts Young showed him from on-hand copies of the material Hannity had misconstrued.
Academics appear to have ignored the book, with one exception. Discussing the religiously-wedded political rhetoric in the book, Jason Carter, grandson of President Jimmy Carter
Jimmy Carter
James Earl "Jimmy" Carter, Jr. is an American politician who served as the 39th President of the United States and was the recipient of the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize, the only U.S. President to have received the Prize after leaving office...
, arguing in the Georgia Law Review journal, stated that the book is "an example of not only 'us against them
False dilemma
A false dilemma is a type of logical fallacy that involves a situation in which only two alternatives are considered, when in fact there are additional options...
' piety but also the inappropriate use of religious language." He stated that "Hannity compares American liberals
Liberalism
Liberalism is the belief in the importance of liberty and equal rights. Liberals espouse a wide array of views depending on their understanding of these principles, but generally, liberals support ideas such as constitutionalism, liberal democracy, free and fair elections, human rights,...
to terrorists and despots and categorically calls them 'evil'." Carter states that Hannity "takes a line from the Lord's Prayer, praying for God to deliver us from evil, and uses it to make a political statement as though his argument, his party, or his President would do the delivering."