Prequel: An American fight against fascism

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Journalist Rachel Maddow's runaway #1 bestseller, with over 400,000 copies sold. This is the startling story of America's homegrown fascist movement in the run-up to WWII - and crucially how the good guys won (eventually...) As Hitler's ascendancy began to make a Second World War inevitable, a clandestine network flooded the United States with disinformation aimed at sapping the strength of its war effort and persuading Americans that their natural alliance was with the Axis. 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 US government and installing authoritarian rule. Some of the country's most influential elected officials, including senators and members of Congress, worked to disseminate Nazi talking points, while fascist paramilitaries stockpiled bombs and weapons in preparation for violent insurrection. Prequel unearths the forgotten story of these insurrectionists, as well as the heroic efforts of the journalists, prosecutors, and regular citizens who sought to expose their plot and bring them to justice. Deeply researched, the story of how the crisis was averted is also a deeply relevant tale for our own disquieting times.

Reviews

A timely and fascinating book... There are many astonishing vignettes here... Rachel Maddow has written an important book. Pity that so few Republicans are likely to read or heed it. The word fascism no longer frightens half the people it should. -- Max Hastings * Sunday Times *
A ripping read. . . . The parallels to the present day are strong, even startling * New York Times (Editor's Choice) *
A chilling history lesson... vivid, urgent, smart... Maddow makes clear that the crisis we face today is not new and that this realization should give us hope - because previous generations have faced this threat and overcome it. * Washington Post *

What readers are saying about Prequel:

***** 'Highly recommend if you want to learn about how a country can come close to losing its democracy'

***** 'This book will turn your hair white.'

***** 'Rachel Maddow is fast becoming one of our greatest contemporary historians.'

***** 'A must for anyone interested in American history in the 20th century.'

Author Bio

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 and Blowout, and the New York Times bestselling co-author of Bag Man. 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.