Prequel: An American Fight Against Fascism (Unabridged)
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4.5 • 230 Ratings
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- $14.99
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- $14.99
Publisher Description
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • Rachel Maddow traces the fight to preserve American democracy back to World War II, when a handful of committed public servants and brave private citizens thwarted far-right plotters trying to steer our nation toward an alliance with the Nazis.
“A ripping read—well rendered, fast-paced and delivered with the same punch and assurance that she brings to a broadcast. . . . The parallels to the present day are strong, even startling.”—The New York Times (Editors’ Choice)
Inspired by her research for the hit podcast Ultra, Rachel Maddow charts the rise of a wild American strain of authoritarianism that has been alive on the far-right edge of our politics for the better part of a century. Before and even after our troops had begun fighting abroad in World War II, a clandestine network flooded the country with disinformation aimed at sapping the strength of the U.S. war effort and persuading Americans that our natural alliance was with the Axis, not against it. It was a sophisticated and shockingly well-funded campaign to undermine democratic institutions, promote antisemitism, and destroy citizens’ confidence in their elected leaders, with the ultimate goal of overthrowing the U.S. government and installing authoritarian rule.
That effort worked—tongue and groove—alongside an ultra-right paramilitary movement that stockpiled bombs and weapons and trained for mass murder and violent insurrection.
At the same time, a handful of extraordinary activists and journalists were tracking the scheme, exposing it even as it was unfolding. In 1941 the U.S. Department of Justice finally made a frontal attack, identifying the key plotters, finding their backers, and prosecuting dozens in federal court.
None of it went as planned.
While the scheme has been remembered in history—if at all—as the work of fringe players, in reality it involved a large number of some of the country’s most influential elected officials. Their interference in law enforcement efforts against the plot is a dark story of the rule of law bending and then breaking under the weight of political intimidation.
That failure of the legal system had consequences. The tentacles of that unslain beast have reached forward into our history for decades. But the heroic efforts of the activists, journalists, prosecutors, and regular citizens who sought to expose the insurrectionists also make for a deeply resonant, deeply relevant tale in our own disquieting times.
Customer Reviews
Highly Recommended
I chose the audiobook instead of the print version because I enjoy hearing Rachel’s voice. I mean, if you were reading it, then you would hear her inflection in your mind, but she has a great voice.
As far as her premise, that our past experience with defeating fascism can help guide us in defeating it this time, I think it may also be true that the fascists may learn from their mistakes and be smarter about it now. Many of the characters in her story were not terribly clever or careful. They didn’t think they needed to be. They thought they would get away with it. How much more sophisticated are today’s fascists? Also, Russia, North Korea, and Iran are being aided by our own social media companies, who would promote any sort of propaganda in order to keep our attention and generate clicks. Capitalism is on the side of fascism this time. Our corporations don’t care if we are a democracy or dictatorship. I hope that many people will read this book, and that we can somehow organize ourselves to fight the fascists at home and abroad.
Personally, I have not been as brave as the heroes of her story, such as John Rogge. He was willing to tank his career to make sure the truth got out. I know that Facebook is a destructive force, tearing our country apart by feeding the right and the left just what they want to hear, deepening our divide. I ought to leave Facebook, as should everyone. I stay on Facebook because it has become a basic utility, and I need it for my work and for my nonprofit. I can’t afford to tank my life by getting off Facebook, so I am letting them get away with dividing our country for a profit.
I don’t know what the solution is, but we had bet get together and figure it out. I enjoyed the book as it is, but I might have liked it even better if Rachel had added more chapters to explicitly state the correlations with our current challenges, and perhaps give us a plan for how to fight back this time.
If we let the fascists win this time, we can’t say we didn’t know.
Appropriately Titled
Great book. Clearly well researched and well written. Sadly it’s the same people doing the same things over and over again. This telling of history could be called the center piece that connects those who forced the 3/5ths Comprise straight through to the 1/6th Insurrectionists. One has to wonder when these people will finally destroy the country. (It’s not from a lack of trying). Rachel has brought history to life.
Excellent
An intriguing listen very much enjoyed.
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