When the Clock Broke; Con Men, Conspiracists, and How America Cracked Up in the Early 1990s

One of The Washington Post's Ten Best Books of 2024
A New York Times 100 Notable Books of 2024 Selection

Longlisted for the National Book Critics Circle Award

Instant New York Times Bestseller | National Indie Bestseller
A Barack Obama Summer Reading Pick
One of Publishers Weekly’s Ten Best Books of 2024

"Terrific . . . Vibrant . . . When the Clock Broke is one of those rarest of books: unflaggingly entertaining while never losing sight of its moral core." —Jennifer Szalai, The New York Times (Editors’ Choice)

"John Ganz is a fantastic writer . . . [When the Clock Broke] is phenomenal . . . truly, truly great." —Chris Hayes, Why Is This Happening? podcast

"Leagues more insightful on the subject of Trump’s ascent than most writing that purports to address the issue directly." —Becca Rothfeld, The Washington Post

A Riveting Exploration of the Tumultuous Early 1990s and Its Lasting Impact

At the dawn of the 1990s, with the Soviet Union collapsed, Saddam Hussein defeated, and U.S. global dominance at its peak, many expected a "kinder, gentler America." Instead, the era gave rise to domestic unrest, intensifying polarization, and the early stirrings of extremism that continue to shape today’s political landscape.

In When the Clock Broke, acclaimed political writer John Ganz revisits this pivotal moment in American history, tracing the fractures in the Reagan-era order. From the unrest in Crown Heights and Los Angeles to the emergence of figures like David Duke and Rush Limbaugh, from survivalist movements in the heartland to bitter ideological battles between neoconservatives and the "paleo-con" right, Ganz captures a nation at a crossroads. The 1992 presidential campaign saw Pat Buchanan and Ross Perot disrupt the political mainstream, fueled by economic recession, anxieties over social change, and a shifting global power dynamic. Conspiracy theories flourished, intellectuals wrestled with the rise of “Middle American Radicals,” and Bill Clinton sought to redefine the political center—though his vision would soon face its own challenges.

Through incisive analysis and gripping storytelling, When the Clock Broke unpacks the unraveling of a political era and the birth of a more volatile America, offering essential insights into how we arrived at our current moment.