Join the Conspiracy
How a Brooklyn Eccentric Got Lost on the Right, Infiltrated the Left, and Brought Down the Biggest Bombing Network in New York
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Dive into the electrifying tale of a Brooklyn-born patriot turned radical activist, in an era when America was torn by its ideological extremes
In the shadow of recent turmoil, Join the Conspiracy transports readers to a pivotal moment of division and dissent in American history: the late 1960s. Against the backdrop of the Vietnam War and a nation grappling with internal conflict, this compelling narrative follows the life of George Demmerle, a factory worker whose political odyssey encapsulates the era’s tumultuous spirit. From his roots as a concerned citizen wary of his country’s leftward tilt, Demmerle’s journey takes a dramatic turn as he delves into the heart of radical activism.
Participating in iconic protests from the March on Washington to the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, Demmerle’s story is a whirlwind of political fervor, embodying the struggle against what was perceived as imperialist war and racial injustice. His transformation is marked by alliances with key figures of the time, including Abbie Hoffman, and an eventual leadership role within an East Coast Black Panther affiliate. Yet, beneath his radical veneer lies a secret: Demmerle is an FBI informant.
Join the Conspiracy reveals Demmerle’s complex role in a society at war with itself, where his deepening involvement with the radical left and a bombing collective forces him to confront his loyalties. The narrative, enriched by a rare trove of period documents, candid photos taken from inside the radical movement, and underground art—more than a hundred of which are included in the book—not only charts Demmerle’s saga but also reflects the broader story of a nation struggling to find its moral compass amidst chaos.
As Demmerle navigates the dangerous waters of political extremism, readers are invited to ponder the price of ideology, the nature of loyalty, and the fine line between activism and betrayal. This book is not just a recounting of historical events but a vibrant portrait of a man and a movement that sought to reshape America.
Never heard of George Demmerle—aka, Prince Crazie? Well, so much the better. Here was a man at the center of a crazy place (the East Village) in a crazy time (the late Sixties), plotting a revolution—while secretly working as an FBI informant. Jonathan Butler recreates it all in vivid, cinematic detail, while adding a whole new chapter to the history of the American Left. Clear your calendar and buckle up for a wild ride.—Jonathan Mahler, Author of Ladies and Gentlemen, the Bronx Is Burning and a staff writer for the New York Times Magazine
A story so wild it had to be true. Butler has unearthed an important slice of history and presented it with smarts and style. Like all the best history books, this one will help you understand the present as well as the past, and probably the future.—Jonathan Eig, King: A Life
Delving deep into a hidden history, Jonathan Butler relates an extraordinary drama with betrayal at its heart. Deeply researched and beautifully written, this previously unknown story set in the passionate, violent politics of the 1960s, stands with Conrad's The Secret Agent.—Andrew Cockburn, Washington Editor, Harper’s Magazine
During the late 1960s, opposition to a half-million troops being in Vietnam, and to virulent racism and cultural conformity at home, morphed from a mass movement into a frenzied effort by some to tear down and rebuild society—violently if needed. Jonathan Butler’s Join the Conspiracy ably sifts through that increasingly chaotic time by centering on an FBI-enabled infiltrator and the all-in radicals he both befriended and betrayed. The result is a new perspective about a country at war with itself, and about those who were willing to consume themselves in struggle.—Abe Peck, author of Uncovering the Sixties: The Life and Times of the Underground Press
An entertaining study of a right-winger who spied on the New Left. Through focusing on the story of George Demmerle, Butler uncovers just how far the surveillance state went to stop the social movements of the 1960s.—Michael Koncewicz, author of They Said No to Nixon: Republicans Who Stood Up to the President's Abuses of Power
Join the Conspiracy is a wild romp through one of the most-studied but least-understood moments in American political history, when peace-loving and often absurdist white kids of the ‘60s turned toward violent tactics in their quest to change the world. At least that is the traditional narrative. Butler’s fascinating book, however, shows us a more complex and troublesome history, which puts an FBI informant, George Demmerle, at the center of the action. Through Demmerle’s biography, the traditional narrative begins to look itself like a conspiracy that we have all joined.—Stuart Schrader, author of Badges Without Borders: How Global Counterinsurgency Transformed American Policing
. . . [Includes] well-constructed protest scenes, including the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago . . .Vivid, suspense-filled.—Publishers Weekly
People, times, and dates are meticulously recorded here, sourced to a combination of media reports, public records, and firsthand accounts. In his rigor and exactitude, Butler proves himself a worthy successor to the late sociologist and activist Todd Gitlin, whom he cites frequently.—The Washington Independent Review of Books
A fascinating and surprisingly timely political biography…a seminal work of meticulous scholarship, Join the Conspiracy is extraordinarily well written, organized and presented.—Midwest Book Review
Prologue | ix
Introduction | 1
Part I: Initiation
1. Born Under a Bad Sign | 7
2. Right-Wing Seduction | 16
3. Getting Inside | 34
4. The Revolutionary Contingent | 49
Part II: Infiltration
5. The Pentagon | 73
6. Yippies and Motherfuckers | 81
7. Riots of Spring | 95
8. Summertime Blues | 112
9. Let’s Go Crazie | 129
Part III: Ignition
10. Sixty-Nine | 161
11. Point of No Return | 206
12. Bombs Away | 212
13. On the Case | 223
14. Join the Conspiracy | 238
15. The Trial | 250
16. Aftermath | 267
Epilogue: Heroes and Villains | 284
Groups and People | 287
Notes | 295
Index | 331
