A history of Houston during the McCarthy era and the community’s response to the fear of communism.

Winner of the Texas State Historical Association Coral Horton Tullis Memorial Prize for Best Book on Texas History, this authoritative study of red-baiting in Texas reveals that what began as a coalition against communism became a fierce power struggle between conservative and liberal politics.

Praise for Red Scare

“A valuable and sometimes engrossing cautionary tale.” —New York Times Book Review

“Judicious, well written, and reliable, Red Scare ranks among the top dozen books in the field. . . . A splendid book that deserves the attention of everyone interested in the South and civil liberties.” —American Historical Review 

“This outstanding study of the McCarthy era in Houston is not only the definitive work on ‘Scoundrel Time’ in that city, but also present in microcosm a brilliant picture of the phenomenon that blighted the entire nation in the 1950s.” —Publishers Weekly

“For those who still believe it didn’t happen here—or couldn’t happen again—Don Carleton’s Red Scare is required reading. . . . In fact, anyone who wants to understand modern Texas with all its wild contradictions should begin with Carleton’s massively detailed [book].” —Dallas Morning News 

“A permanently valuable addition to Texas history and to our understanding of the McCarthy period in the country.” —Texas Observer

“Readers can fully experience the agony and terror of this unimaginably ugly period. . . . Red Scare will surely become a standard work on this important subject.” —Southwest Review