Defending the Master Race: Conservation, Eugenics, and the Legacy of Madison Grant »

JONATHAN SPIRO is a professor of history at Castleton State College in Vermont.

A historical rediscovery of one of the heroic founders of the conservation movement who was also one of the most infamous racists in American history

Publishers Weekly

Spiro's unfortunately-titled new book is a comprehensive examination of a powerful but nearly forgotten American figure, Madison Grant. A chief proponent of conservation, Grant spearheaded the creation of several national parks but also, as one of the most fervent proponents of science-based racism, introduced the world to the concept of the "master race." Grant's theories had an immeasurable effect on the turn-of-the-century world; a patrician academic who never held elected office, Grant nevertheless became a close confidante to several presidents, helping shape national policy on issues including conservation to immigration. Spiro also explores the complex history of the international eugenics movement and how it influenced organizations from the Nazi party to Planned Parenthood. Spiro's text is organized by theme, sacrificing clear chronology for a better grasp of Grant's pervasive influence-a worthwhile trade that keeps the narrative comprehensive and enlightening, peeling back layers of history to expose America's casual racism and the disturbing ways American law set the precedent for Nazi atrocities. A superb re-introduction to one of America's most complex modern figures, Spiro's account can only be faulted for a tendency to dig too deeply, occasionally stalling in minutiae.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Madison Grant: The Consensus

Pt. I The Evolution of Scientific Racism

Ch. 1 Big-Game Hunter 3

Ch. 2 The Bronx Zoo 31

Ch. 3 From Conservation to Preservation 52

Ch. 4 Wildlife Management 73

Ch. 5 From Mammals to Man 88

Ch. 6 The Eugenics Creed 117

Pt. II Conserving the Nordics

Ch. 7 The Passing of the Great Race 143

Ch. 8 Grant's Disciples 167

Ch. 9 Creating the Refuge 196

Ch. 10 Culling the Herd 234

Ch. 11 Saving the Redwoods 266

Pt. III Extinction

Ch. 12 Nordic and Anti-Nordic 297

Ch. 13 The Empire Crumbles 328

Ch. 14 The Ever-Widening Circle: The Third Reich 355

Epilogue. The Passing of the Great Patrician 384

App. A Organizations Served by Madison Grant in an Executive Capacity 391

App. B The Interlocking Directorate of Wildlife Conservation 392

App. C Selected Members of the Advisory Council of the ECUSA 394

App. D Selected Members of the Interlocking Directorate of Scientific Racism 395

Key to Archival Collections 397

Notes 401

Works Cited 443

Index 467