Prequel: An American Fight Against Fascism
Rachel Maddow
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. 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. more
416 pages, Hardcover
First published Crown
4.49
Rating
6246
Ratings
834
Reviews
Rachel Maddow
14 books 1427 followers
Rachel Maddow is host of the Emmy Award–winning Rachel Maddow Show on MSNBC, as well as the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Drift: The Unmooring of American Military Power; Blowout: Corrupted Democracy, Rogue State Russia, and the Richest, Most Destructive Industry on Earth; and Bag Man: The Wild Crimes, Audacious Cover-Up, and Spectacular Downfall of a Brazen Crook in the White House. Maddow received a bachelor’s degree in public policy from Stanford University and earned her doctorate in political science at Oxford University. She lives in New York City and Massachusetts with her partner, artist Susan Mikula.Community reviews
Rachel Maddow is a journalist, but she's also one of our leading public intellectuals, a historian in the vein of Howard Zinn's People's History of the United States. I also listened to her book about the oil and gas industry--not a good look for capitalism, big biz and social and economic equality. Prequel, in the light of election-denialism and the rise of fascist tendencies in the US today, takes a look at how what goes around, comes around: The pro-fascist, pro-Hitler, anti-semitic movements in the US were widespread in the forties, in part fueled by Germany's media-bombing of the US with millions of leaflets and letters. Conspiracy theories about the Jews, intermarriage, blood-spoiling white purity, all of it, i the guise of America First and isolationsism, and nationalism and populism. The book had its roots in Maddow's podcast, Ultra, an exploration of how close America came to falling into Nazi Fascism in the lead up to and during WW2. more
4. 5 Stars. Back when I watched mainstream news Rachel Maddow was one of my favorite people to watch. I loved Chris Hayes, Keith Olbermann, Joy Ann Reid and Lawrence O'Donnell. While I no longer watch cable news I do still enjoy those people in other forms. more
On the grounds that the review of a book should reflect how it landed on you, I'm going to start this one with an observation that rattled around in my head pretty much every minute I was reading this: I just don't get antisemitism. Yeah, I understand the concept that groups need someone to focus their hate on in order to feel better about themselves and explain away their failures, and that Christians nominated Jews to fill this role millennia ago. And that Christian leaders, from Jesuits to Nazis to today's right wing extremists, have honed this idea to promote their own causes. But as for me, personally, I've never been able to understand it. I'm not trying to paint myself as a paragon of open-mindedness when it comes to matters of bias; after all, I harbor my own resentments against certain groups. more
“Nazi lawyers regarded America, not without reason, as the innovative world leader in the creation of racist law. ”Excellent interview of Rachel Maddow on C-Span about her new book. https://www. c-span. org/video/. more
I don't think any book Maddow writes will be as impactful on me as Drift: The Unmooring of American Military Power was, or even Blowout: Corrupted Democracy, Rogue State Russia, and the Richest, Most Destructive Industry on Earth. I do think that this is slightly undermined by the fact I spent weeks listening to the podcast this feel like a companion piece to, and so some of the information felt more repetitive because I'd already had the part where the information could land like a shock. I do think that the book does a good job of expanding on the information first presented in the podcast and even allowing some of the other tendrils that were part of the zeitgeist that allowed for other events to happen. I definitely don't regret pre-ordering and I do think that it does a valuable service of shining a light on a period of history that while so often discussed might also be leaving out other aspects of the conversation. I think you sort of know if you're the kind of reader that wants to read about a 20th century fascist effort in America in the run up to WWII or not, but even if you're just a little curious I think that you'll find the book is engaging and easy to follow. more
Ah, where do I start. This is the first of Maddow’s books I’ve read. And even knowing and loving her style on TV, her writing is a whole new tier. I’m only mad that I didn’t dive in sooner. If you like Eric Larsen, Maddow will take everything you like—the engaging, novel-like pace of actual events and dimensional figures—and then one up him by not being afraid of humor and tongue in cheek jokes. more
This book explores our prior dalliances with fascism during the 1930s and 1940s, and the people who fought to expose its evil and prevent the United States from sinking into authoritarian rule. It just shows that we have to remain vigilant, because this idiocy never completely dies and has obviously resurfaced in a big way. I had read about some of this before, including the Nazi propaganda program that infiltrated Congress. I was unaware of the aggressive fascist and antisemitic campaign by PhilipJohnson. I don’t understand how he got to almost completely wipe that from his resume and become a lauded architect. more
Rachel Maddow compiles & frames an almost overwhelming amount of relevant-to-today details that feel so vital and prescient to Trump's vendetta (too strong to call it a jihad. ) against democracy, decency, and multiculturalism. I am amazed that even into the 1940s so many right-wing intellectuals and politicians unabashedly supported the cause, the megaphone, the anti-semitism, and the marketing of Adolf Hitler's already-sophisticated propaganda, media, and marketing machine. Trump has learned and coopted many of these tactics media and marketing tactics. Consider this a 4. more
4. 5 stars. Interesting and scary how history is repeating itself in many ways - fascism, racism, anti-semitism - and people agreeing or going along with things. It’s a warning for us to take action and make our voices heard. It would be unbelievable if it wasn’t part of the history of our country. more
Rachel Maddow's new book Prequel: An American Fight Against Fascism reminds us of the struggles waged against American far right groups in the '30s and '40s. Long neglected by historians, this topic has received significant attention in recent years due to its obvious timeliness, with books like Charles Gallagher's Nazis of Copley Square and Steven J. Ross's Hitler in Los Angeles exploring specific groups and movements of Nazi sympathizers and their disturbing parallels to the alt-right. Maddow (building on her podcast) ties these stories together into an engaging narrative, introducing (or reintroducing) readers to the creeps, crooks and would-be dictators who sought to emulate Hitler. Some of these movements are relatively well-known, like the Nazi-backed German-American Bund, racist "Radio Priest" Father Charles Coughlin, and Charles Lindbergh's America First movement. more
prequel…. you should read thisThis book will keep you awake late into the night. The crazies are not a new phenomenon, they have always been around. Haters gotta hate. more
In Light of our Fractured and Divided Political Climate currently playing out within USA and beyond- Maddow has expertly crafted an absolute Must Read. Meticulously researched, Maddow takes the listener on a Sombre yet Beautifully Melancholic Journey into American History, Tracing with Vivid Imagery Our Past- the Forgotten Sufferings and Remembered Triumphs. Identifying that Humanity finds itself once more at the precipice of collapse, Maddow outlines two possible Trajectories- one of our Impending Doom which will follow failures’ to act or the exact opposite: A Future Destiny Shaped through Hope and Love, provided we choose correctly from here on. With emotive yet sound language, Prequel sets out the stakes clearly- Her audience leaves with a sound understanding that through Unity and Compromise, we will be able to mould a Future of Increased Peace, Prosperity and Success, and most importantly, these fruits are shared equitably amongst the many Magnificent Peoples who Proudly call themselves American. Employing Reasoned Grace, Rachel implores Unity, and choosing a path which Honours our Founding Ideals: Liberty Equality and Fraternity. more
3. 5In Prequel, Rachel Maddow highlights specific Americans (and in one instance a Canadian-American) who were holding and acting upon antisemitic beliefs, fears of communism, and pro-Nazi alliances. In opposition she introduces the reader to Americans who saw these fascistic behaviors and who worked to counteract them. A good part of the book details the Great Sedition Trial of 1944, wherein 30 defendants were accused of violations of the Smith Act. I especially liked reading about Mr. more
Rachel is a fantastic writer. No matter what your political persuasion, this book is a MUST READ. She presents a historical story of the people and politicians who took the side of Nazi Germany before and during WWII. The story has many parallels in modern day America - the stark divide between the Republicans and Democrats, the Christian Right and everyone else, blacks and whites, etc. I highly recommend - I couldn’t put it down (except to take care of my grandson). more
Shocking Gripping Tale of Craven CrimeI read the recently released “Fall of Fox News” and found it kind of a dry slog, except in its revelation of the depth of Roger Ailes’ sins. I was braced for a possible slog when I pre-ordered this book and opened it on Day One. I’m thrilled to report Rachel Maddow’s “PREQUEL” reaches deep into the time of the World Wars and vibrantly unearths the plot by Nazi Germany to cultivate and exploit people and resources in the US in the 1930s - to stop the US from entering the war against Germany, and even split the country for eventual conquest and subjugation. Maddow is at the top of her game as a journalist assembling the facts, and as a commentator inserting wry subtle comparisons to you-know-who-and-what from 2021. I COULD NOT PUT IT DOWN. more
In the US, communists have long been the boogieman, and authoritarians admired. Before I was born, Sen. McCarthy and others accused people in government and Hollywood of being communists, many were blackballed and unable to work (e. g. , Charlie Chaplain, Orson Welles, Pete Seeger, Lena Horne). more
Rachel Maddow is a national treasure and I hope one day she is declared so. In the introduction she said the stories in the book would curl your hair. She wasn’t wrong. 😳. more
Excellent. Everyone should read this. The evil tendrils of authoritarians and fascists run deep in the US…and they have always been there, way before Trump…he was not an anomaly, he was the result of years and years of far right threats in our country. It isn’t going to disappear…we need to learn to identify fascism and know the difference between it and democracy. more
As much as I was truly enjoying this book, I was equally disappointed in it. I liked reading the history of the fascism movement that crossed the pond from Germany and infiltrated the United States in the early to late 1930’s, but I found that the book did not progress as it should have. The more I read of this, the more I wanted her to get to the point. I wanted her to bridge then and now together and pull the parallels together, which never came. It was very interesting, and there were things in the text that I truly did not know, so it is an educational book in that sense, but I would have liked to have today’s political faction added to this book to bring it all together. more
Compelling narrative flawed by the author’s innumerable & insufferable insertions of irrelevant snark. Apologies for the alliteration. It’s a frightening… hell, prelude to what this country will soon (next 25 years or so- maybe even sooner) have to contend with if our politics remain so incendiary. You know who to blame and which political party enables them. Fascism never died out. more
Interesting and disturbing book. I'm glad I listened to the "Ultra" podcast first. It helped me contextualize as I read and I think it made for a richer reading experience. I hate that I didn't know any of this. How is that possible. more
I didn't realize that there was a push for fascism in the U. S. in the years leading up to and during WWII. Honestly this book was terrifying to read. I see way too many parallels to people and events today for my comfort. more
Of course, I knew this to be a five star read before I began. I was not disappointed. I listened to the audiobook version, because I wanted to hear the author narrate her own work. The diction is good, with a Bavarian pronunciation of German words. As a funny aside, I did mishear "Bolshevism" as "Bullshitism," which I will use from now on. more
America prefers to deny the existence of its Dark Side. With stunning detail and documentation, Rachel Maddow takes us through what may well be a "Through the Looking Glass" history of the anti-democratic forces operating in the US before and during WWII. She describes unsung heroes of anti-fascist resistance, up against a professional and astonishingly funded propaganda machine from the German Reich that found enthusiastic supporters with political influence right here. In taking us step by step through the minutiae, the parallels of today cannot be more clear. But the outcome isn't preordained. more
As a HUGE Rachel Maddow fan since I could remember. This book is phenomenal. I had the pleasure of seeing Rachel on her book tour and getting a copy of the book. No regrets on the trip. This book is vital in these times. more
Maddow is a brilliant story teller. The history of America's earlier flirtation with fascism should be a wake up call, but alas it seems not to be. Maddow has blown the dust off a shelf of names that many of us have never heard of or do not know much about. If you have time to listen to the podcast that birthed this book you will not regret it. Learn from history. more
This is how to write non-fiction. Well researched storytelling that focuses on facts, clearly states analysis, and, mostly, allows the reader to make their own judgements based on the evidence provided. And holy crap we’re there a lot of Nazis in the US before, during, and after 👀, WWII. This book offers a perspective that matters right now. . more
5/5 stars. The deja vu is strong with this one. Everyone's been talking about the parallels between Nazi Germany and today's United States, but I have yet to see anyone discuss the rise of fascism initially in the United States. For, oh I don't know, about 8 years or so, I've been asking myself one question consistently: "how the hell did we get here. " And while I've read a lot on that topic over the past 8 years, I haven't read a riff on it quite like this one. more
Damn I got so hyped for this book, but it let me down. This is the second of Maddow’s books I’ve read and the weaker of the two. While she writes about important but understudied subjects, her writing style doesn’t vibe for me. For one it’s randomly spastic, similar to her speaking style (with random parentheses, unnecessary. exclamation points, And staccato endings. more
I struggle to write reviews in the best of circumstances but absolutely suck at it when I’ve listened to the audiobook because I don’t have highlights and notes to refer to and most of my listening is done while multitasking. What I can say is that I highly recommend Prequel, particularly if you’re from the US. The parallels between the current sociopolitical climate in the US and the little known, hushed up antisemitic, pro Hitler, pro Nazi, pro fascist sociopolitical climate of the 1930s and 40s are chilling. Maddow does a fantastic job diving deep and pulling an incredible number of threads together to weave a coherent narrative from a complex web of intertwined characters and individual stories. As the blurb says,The tentacles of that unslain beast have reached forward into our history for decades. more