Michael Conner

"The Root Of Evil" by Thomas Dixon (1911) is the third of a trilogy (The One Woman-1903, Comrades-1909) which is a denouncement of Socialism and it's evils. The first two certainly are. This third book is a denouncement of wealthy industrialist and bankers who are out for themselves at the expense of the poor and less wealthy. The book is a romance novel. The story is about James Stuart, an honest lawyer whose fiancee (Nan) that truly loves him, leaves him for one of the most richest millionaires (Cal) in New York. Cal and James were childhood friends as was Nan. Nan chose money over love but leads James along in hopes of reuniting some day. Another character (Harriet) who is good friends with Stuart is secretly in love with him. There are twists and turns in which it seems that evil will overcome good, but in the end, good prevails and justice is done.This novel ends abruptly like several of his novels. Interestingly, Dixon's first wife was named Harriet.

Thomas Dixon wrote "The Clansman" in 1905 in which D.W. Griffith used to make the silent movie "The Birth Of A Nation" in 1915. Dixon wrote "The Fall Of A Nation as a sequel to the movie in 1916. WW1 had begun in 1915 with Germany invading France, etc and the United States had not yet entered the war. The novel is a "Red Dawn" story in which Germany invades the United States and sets up a emperor and institutes all types of tyranny. The Southern boys and girls fight back with lever action rifles, etc, "Red Dawn" style and drives the Germans back to Germany. It is an excellent novel, well written with a good story line and plot. I highly recommend the novel if you enjoy this genre.