The use of industrial chemicals to eradicate foliage in the name of economic, scientific, and military progress was a cornerstone of post–World War II US policy. Needless to say, their use also provoked significant controversy within the United States and across the world. It is that controversy that Amy H. Hay explores in her new book. The Defoliation of America is not only a history of Agent Orange chemicals (phenoxy herbicides) but is, more importantly, an examination of how diverse networks of grassroots activists questioned state and scientific authority. The book offers new and interesting insights into the history of how “ordinary citizens” became activists and the processes through which they challenged the use of phenoxy herbicides in agriculture, land management, and warfare.
The book is divided into three sections each containing three chapters, as well as an introduction and conclusion. The first section explores the origins of phenoxy herbicides...
