Reds Under the Bed is a vivid and meticulously researched account of one of the most turbulent political chapters in Canadian history—the clashes between the Communist Party of Canada and a paranoid, xenophobic and reactionary government which invaded civil rights and suspended the rule of law in an effort to purge Canada of Communist undesirables.
Betcherman deftly draws a portrait of the fascinating, idealistic and committed members of the Communist Party. Drawing on court records, police files, and firsthand accounts, she reveals how the state's paranoia vastly overestimated their influence, leading to midnight arrests, imprisonment without trial, and forced deportation of those whose only crimes were unpopular political opinions.
"A pungent and often rollicking account of panic, zealotry and high confusion in both the Left and Right." The Montreal Gazette.
"Rarely has the ambiance of an epoch been evoked with such a range of color." The Globe and Mail.