▁... ▁The ▁book ' s ▁tone ▁suff ers ▁as ▁it ▁oscill ates ▁between ▁revision ist ▁historical ▁anal ys es ▁and ▁the ▁application ▁of ▁fasc ist ▁them es ▁to ▁American ▁popular ▁culture ; ▁non eth eless , ▁the ▁controvers ial ▁arc ▁Gold berg ▁draw s ▁from ▁M uss ol ini ▁to ▁The ▁Matrix ▁is ▁well - res earch ed , ▁seriously ▁argued — and ▁fun ny . ▁ ▁Larry ▁Th orn berry ▁of ▁the ▁Washington ▁Times ▁called ▁the ▁book ▁▁ ▁a ▁major ▁contribution ▁to ▁understanding ▁the ▁history ▁of ▁political ▁ideas ▁and ▁att itudes ▁over ▁the ▁last ▁two ▁centuries ▁and ▁change . ▁... ▁Read ers ▁of ▁Mr . ▁Gold berg ' s ▁column ▁and ▁articles ▁are ▁war ned ▁that ▁they ▁will ▁find ▁little ▁of ▁his ▁usual ▁humor ▁and ▁wh ims y . ▁" L iber al ▁F asc ism " ▁is ▁not ▁a ▁t ome . ▁But ▁it ' s ▁a ▁rel ent lessly ▁analyt ic ▁treatment ▁of ▁a ▁large , ▁serious ▁and ▁complex ▁subject . ▁ ▁Ron ▁R ados h ▁of ▁The ▁New ▁York ▁Sun ▁wrote : ▁ ▁Mr . ▁Gold berg ▁presents ▁a ▁strong ▁and ▁comp elling ▁case ▁that ▁the ▁very ▁idea ▁of ▁fasc ism ▁em an ated ▁from ▁the ▁ranks ▁of ▁liberal ism . ▁... ▁He ▁has ▁read ▁widely ▁and ▁thoroughly , ▁not ▁only ▁in ▁the ▁primary ▁sources ▁of ▁fasc ism , ▁but ▁in ▁the ▁political ▁and ▁intellectual ▁history ▁written ▁by ▁the ▁major ▁histor ians ▁of ▁the ▁subject . ▁... ▁Some ▁will ▁right fully ▁take ▁issue ▁with ▁Mr . ▁Gold berg ▁when