Why we picked it
About this pick
By Jenna Picascio · 5 min read
About the book
In THE COUNTERREVOLUTION: The Fall and Rise of Donald Trump and the MAGA Movement, New York Times-bestselling author Victor Davis Hanson examines the years between 2021 and 2025 when Trump went from a political exile to launching an incredible second presidential election and—in the first year of his second term—proving himself to be the most significant counterrevolutionary of his age.
BOHEMIA, N.Y. — November 2026 — The AMAC Book Club is pleased to announce The Counterrevolution: The Fall and Rise of Donald Trump and the MAGA Movement by bestselling author and historian Victor Davis Hanson as its November Book of the Month.
In his latest book, Hanson examines one of the most consequential political stories of modern American history: Donald Trump’s return to the White House and the evolution of the Make America Great Again movement.
Following Trump’s departure from office in January 2021, his political future was the subject of intense debate. Four years later, Trump returned to the presidency following the 2024 election. In The Counterrevolution, Hanson examines the years between Trump’s two administrations and offers his interpretation of the political, cultural, legal, and economic forces that contributed to that comeback.
Drawing on his background as a historian, Hanson places Trump and the MAGA movement within a broader historical context. The book explores the aftermath of the 2020 election, the Biden presidency, Trump’s legal battles, the 2024 campaign, changes within the Republican Party, and the opening period of Trump’s second administration.
Hanson also considers a question that extends beyond any single election: What is the future of the MAGA movement, and can it endure beyond Donald Trump?
“The Counterrevolution gives AMAC Book Club members an opportunity to examine a remarkable period in recent American political history and discuss the forces that continue to shape the country,” said AMAC CEO Rebecca Weber. “Whether readers agree or disagree with Hanson’s conclusions, the book raises important questions about political movements, American institutions, the changing electorate, and the direction of the nation.”
Throughout the book, Hanson argues that Trump’s years outside the White House were essential to understanding both his return to power and the priorities of his second administration. He examines what he views as strategic mistakes by Trump’s political opponents, changes in Trump’s electoral coalition, and the populist forces that helped reshape the Republican Party.
The result is a wide-ranging examination of an extraordinary chapter in American politics—one that invites readers to consider not only how Trump returned to the presidency, but what his comeback reveals about the country itself.
Victor Davis Hanson is a senior fellow in military history at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University and professor emeritus of classics at California State University, Fresno. He is the author of more than two dozen books, including The Case for Trump, The Dying Citizen, and The End of Everything. His scholarship and commentary have covered subjects ranging from ancient warfare and military history to American culture and contemporary politics.
Throughout November, AMAC Book Club members are encouraged to read The Counterrevolution and consider its larger questions: What explains the durability of the MAGA movement? How did American politics change between the 2020 and 2024 elections? What role did economic, cultural, and institutional concerns play in those changes? And what might the movement look like in a future without Donald Trump at its center?
How to Join the Conversation
- Get your copy of The Counterrevolution – available here.
- Participate in our online discussion forum using discussion questions.
- Share your thoughts on social media using #AMACBookClub and #TheCounterrevolution
For more information about the AMAC Book Club, please visit amac.us/bookclub or contact: Bookclub@amac.us
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