American Fascists: The Christian Right and the War On America, by Chris Hedges, is a worthwhile read on a topic that seems beaten to death in popular punditry and conventional "blue-state" thinking.  The chief virtue of this book is Hedges' methodology, the use of which is almost unheard of in the reams of political best-sellers passed off as analysis.  In the idiom of most in the United States, the term "Fascist" is thrown around rather casually, especially among younger generations for whom 20th century fascist political figures are hardly more than boogie men.  To the reader's delight, Hedges outlines paradigms of fascism and uses the designation within the boundaries he sketches.  This gives the term "fascist" appropriate weight and keeps Hedges and his audience on the same page, so to speak.
Hedges uses his and his family's religious background as credibility, reminding the reader at every turn of both his first hand experience in the religious establishment and thus his right to criticize it.  By the umpteenth mention of these credentials, this reader at least found it rather tiresome and heavy-handed. Nevertheless, Hedges is privy to some inner-workings of Big Religion unknown to most - religious or not.
The main thrust of the book is in drawing out unsettling, though largely accurate, parallels between the Christian Right in the US - as a political, religious, and social entity - and aspects common to fascist movements.  The book stays on point, wanders only occasionally, and delivers on its objectives.  Whether this book confirms or challenges long-held beliefs, it is a provocative read - a quality without which no book on the topic would be worth the reader's time.