Ohio-based journalist Gitlin chronicles the history and philosophy of the Ku Klux Klan, which was founded in 1865 and today maintains a presence in pockets around the US. A timeline opens the text, followed by six loosely chronological chapters covering the following themes: origin of the Klan, its growth after the release of the 1915 film Birth of a Nation, Klan terrorism during the Civil Rights era, attempts to depict a "cleaner" clan after 1970, the Klan philosophy, and the demographics and motivations of members. Following are a glossary of terms used within the KKK and biographical sketches of major leaders. Finally, 20 excerpts of primary press documents with reflections from the author are provided, including notes from Stetson Kennedy's undercover infiltration of the Klan that resulted in the group's secret codes being broadcast on the Superman radio show. Annotation ©2009 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)