The Brown Peril
Johansen, Jan Otto: Den brune fare. Høyreekstremisme og rasisme i det nye EuropaFull title: The Brown Peril. Right-wing Extremism and Racism in the New Europe
This is a disturbing documentary account of the rise of neo-Nazism, racism and anti-Semitism in Europe since the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 and through to 2002. It sets out the historical background of the phenomena it describes, but the author's main intention is to present concrete examples - in part based on his own experiences - of the forces that are challenging democracy and which constitute an all-too-real threat to Jews, gypsies, third-world immigrants and other endangered communities. The author also warns against governmental apathy and cowardice in its dealings with the extreme Right.
Although far from pleasant reading, this book is terrifyingly topical. The terrorist attack on the World Trade Center on 11 September last year and the flare-up of the Middle East conflict have done nothing to further tolerance and understanding of "the others".
First published: 2002, Aschehoug Non-Fiction
Jahn Otto Johansen: Biography and bibliography
