A Book Talk with Spencer Sunshine

On July 9th at 1 PM ET, the Program on Extremism at the George Washington University hosted an online event with Spencer Sunshine to discuss his new book, Neo-Nazi Terrorism and Countercultural Fascism: The Origins and Afterlife of James Mason’s Siege. The discussion was moderated by Program research fellow Jon Lewis. 

In Neo-Nazi Terrorism and Countercultural Fascism, Spencer Sunshine traces the evolution of James Mason's Siege, from its origins within internecine conflicts within the American Nazi Party in the 1970s to becoming a bible for modern neo-Nazi terrorists. Based on years of archival work and interviews, the book explores a previously overlooked period of American white supremacist history and unearths Mason's hidden connections with a countercultural clique responsible for reviving Siege from its nadir. The panelists discussed the key findings of Sunshine's book, examined the coalitional fascist milieu which promoted and adopted Mason's views, and contextualized the enduring legacy of Siege and accelerationism on the modern far-right both in the United States and abroad.

Spencer Sunshine holds a PhD in Sociology and has researched the Far Right for twenty years. He has been published by outlets like the Southern Poverty Law Center, Daily Beast, and The Forward, and is widely translated. His latest book is Neo-Nazi Terrorism and Countercultural Fascism: The Origins and Afterlife of James Mason’s Siege (Routledge, 2024).

Jon Lewis is a Research Fellow at the Program, where he studies the evolution of domestic terrorist movements and federal responses to the threat. His analysis and insights have been featured in numerous media outlets and academic publications, including The New York Times, The Washington Post, AP, BBC News, The Guardian, Los Angeles Times, and Rolling Stone.