{"product_id":"the-playbook-by-james-shapiro-9780571372768","title":"The Playbook","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFrom the 'Winner of Winners' of the Baillie Gifford Prize, a timely and dramatic story of a utopian American experiment, and the self-serving politicians that engineered its downfall.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e1935. As part of President Franklin D. Roosevelt's progressive New Deal, the Work Progress Administration is created to support unemployed workers, including writers, artists, musicians, and actors. The Federal Theatre Project, a major part of that programme, begins to stage critically acclaimed, subsidised, and groundbreaking productions across America. These include Orson Welles's directorial debut, a landmark modern dance programme, and shows that sought to tell the truth about racism, inequality, and the dangers of fascism.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e1938. An opportunistic Texas congressman, Martin Dies, head of the newly formed House Un-American Activities Committee, successfully targets the Federal Theatre. He exploits rising tensions over communism and creates a new political playbook based on sensationalism, misinformation, and fear—a playbook that has proved instrumental in our current culture wars.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eFrom one of the world's great storytellers, \u003ci\u003eThe Playbook\u003c\/i\u003e is an invigorating re-enactment of a terrifyingly prescient moment in twentieth-century American cultural history.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Allen \u0026 Unwin","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46833710694636,"sku":"9780571372768","price":49.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/b24d0fb0738cc8745fa88ebff14e10a6.jpg?v=1758486964","url":"https:\/\/bookhero.live\/products\/the-playbook-by-james-shapiro-9780571372768","provider":"Book Hero","version":"1.0","type":"link"}