History

Prequel: An American Fight Against Fascism

Prequel: An American Fight Against Fascism

  • Downloads：3586
  • Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
  • Create Date：2023-10-23 00:20:30
  • Update Date：2025-09-07
  • Status：finish
  • Author：Rachel Maddow
  • ISBN：B0C7284Q2X
  • Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle

Reviews

Prayerpilgrim ，

Excellent and important “history we never learned in school” plus the extra bonus of being read by Rachel herself。 An important read about fascism in the US in the 30s and 40s reaching into the highest levels of society and government， and how it was deliberately spread by unregistered agents of the German government and the US citizens they recruited。

Deb ，

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）。

Christopher Saunders ，

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 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。 Others， however， are so bizarre: William Dudley Pelley's wacko Silver Shirts， a combination political movement-religious cult that preached spiritual enlightenment through extermination of Jews; George Deatheridge， a professional Southern bigot who orchestrated an elaborate plot to overthrow the American government in the late '30s; George Van Horn Moseley， a high-ranking Army General who ranted about Jewish conspiracies and toyed with becoming America's Fuhrer; Lawrence James， the Nazi intellectual who proved to be a Black man "passing" as a white fascist 。 Where historians often tend to dismiss or downplay these groups， Maddow makes clear that， if often ineffectual in practice， their ideology and intentions were extremely serious， plotting massacres of Jews， mass poisoning of celebrities and plotting against the government。 She also demonstrates that a shocking number of isolationist congressmen， including well-known figures Burton K。 Wheeler and Hamilton Fish， were actively fed Nazi propaganda by German agent George Sylvester Viereck （who besides his fascist activities， Maddow tells us， authored "the first gay vampire novel in history"）。 Maddow demonstrates how a team of unlikely heroes， from journalists Eric Sevareid and Arthur Derounian to Los Angeles businessman Leon Lewis and prosecutor O。 John Rogge， worked to expose and foil their efforts， to general ridicule and indifference。 A circuslike Sedition Trial of key fascist leaders in 1944 fizzled out when the Judge died during the trial; afterwards， the Justice Department buried Rogge's report， allowing the indicted to escape justice。 Maddow's book is well-researched and fluently written， though her snarky， conversational style （referring to one pro-Nazi businessman as a "gazillionaire" or wondering if James would make a killing on Substack today） might grate on some readers。 Still， Maddow's to be commended for re-introducing this subject to a wider audience; hopefully， readers will take the appropriate lessons from her work。 。。。more

Conrad ，

Unfortunately Maddow is a proponent of everything this book condemns， this is simply virtue signalling for profit while she ignores modern day fascism because she has invested interest。 It is nauseating to watch hypocrisy on full display with zero sense of shame or remorse， while knowingly peddling propaganda due to fear of losing profit or career。 History will not look kindly upon individuals like this as we live in the age of information are able to see what is happening and dissemble lies and Unfortunately Maddow is a proponent of everything this book condemns， this is simply virtue signalling for profit while she ignores modern day fascism because she has invested interest。 It is nauseating to watch hypocrisy on full display with zero sense of shame or remorse， while knowingly peddling propaganda due to fear of losing profit or career。 History will not look kindly upon individuals like this as we live in the age of information are able to see what is happening and dissemble lies and propaganda output by certain countries that profit from fascism and continuous war。 Make no mistake， Maddow is in full support of genocide and is complicit in war crimes that benefit her personally。 Keep your eyes and ears open。 。。。more

Shaz ，

Given the Fractured and Divided Political Climate currently at work within USA and beyond- Maddow has expertly crafted an absolute Must Read！ Meticulously researched， Maddow takes the listener on a Somber yet Beautifully Melancholic Journey into American History， Tracing with Vivid Imagery Our Past- the Forgotten Sufferings and Remembered Triumphs。 Understanding that we as a People have found ourselves once more at a Critical Juncture， Maddow outlines two possible Trajectories- one of Impending Given the Fractured and Divided Political Climate currently at work within USA and beyond- Maddow has expertly crafted an absolute Must Read！ Meticulously researched， Maddow takes the listener on a Somber yet Beautifully Melancholic Journey into American History， Tracing with Vivid Imagery Our Past- the Forgotten Sufferings and Remembered Triumphs。 Understanding that we as a People have found ourselves once more at a Critical Juncture， Maddow outlines two possible Trajectories- one of Impending Doom or the exact opposite: A Destiny Shaped through Hope and Love。 That we might all understand that Together we can Aspire for a Future of Increased Peace， Prosperity and Success， shared equitably amongst the many Magnificent Peoples who Proudly call themselves American。 Employing Reasoned Grace， Rachel implores that we， as Americans unite once more， and choose the path that honours our Founding Ideals: Liberty Equality and Fraternity。 A Tomorrow that Unequivocally rejects the Ideology of those seeking to inject within our national conscience with the poisonous malignancies of bigotry， racism， sexism， xenophobia， homophobia， religious intolerance and isolationism。 Instead， Rachel's narrative begs of the reader/listener to pay homage to the past present and future stalwarts who willingly risked their lives， their security， their family and their happiness to bring about change and fashion a national character which values Inclusivety， Respect， Reason， Diversity and Equity。 Throughout Prequel， urges the reader/listener to confront the ominous truth; The enemies of progress have never been absolutely vanquished。 These insidious forces have always and will always lie beneath the surface。 Serpentine; patiently waiting for the opportune moment， when the country is at its most vulnerable， then strike with painful precision， envenomating the Nation's Soul with the toxic mix of Hatred and Enmity。 This murderous impulse， born from Baseness， Perceived Victimhood and the Old Lie: "Dulce et Decorum est Pro Patria Mori。" Nought， except a Misguided attempt to reclaim that which they have been convinced was stolen from them: Control; of our Institutions， Culture， Economy and Paragons of Intellectual Discourse。Though Painful， it is imperative that We look inside ourselves and confront the difficult truths， one of which is: At an indefinable point， We Lost Ourselves， somewhere out there between the intersection of Fear and Hate， becoming that which We have always Despised， that which We have Fought so Valiantly against， that which is the very Antithesis of who We truly are。Today， it is an Irrefutable Fact that the Ascension of Donald Trump， a man without Principle， Integrity， Honour， Empathy， Decency and Humanity， is without Equal in Exploiting the Grievances and Paranoias of those who feel Ignored and Scorned。 Trump has without pause， used their Pain only for the Betterment of Himself。 He possesses a Remarkable Understanding of Envy， Anger， and Vanity， seeing it clearly in others as it Mirrors his Reflection。 This Gift enables him to accurately appeal to almost every Negative Character Trait present in Humankind， thus moulding himself into the Far Right's Divinely Inspired Messiah。 They see in Trump their Deliverance， a Vessel which can be used to Legitimise their Darkest Natures and Grant them Permission to crawl out from the Dark Undergrowth and Walk Proudly in the Light， without Fear of Reprisal， and More Menacing and More Determined than ever before。 Finally， though the premise and subject matter of Prequel is Bleak- There is Always Hope。 History is littered with Anecdotes which bear Testament to the Power and Goodness of the Human Spirit and its ability to Triumph， even when faced with Grave Evil。 This Powerful Phenomenon should never be underestimated and those who are Fearful can find Solace in its Promise。 We are Not Defined by these last years， nor are We Eternally bonded to Trumpism。 Yes， We are Flawed。 We are， afterall， only Human which is both Beautiful and Terrifying。 Paradoxically， it is our Flawed and Fragile humanity that will also prove our Salvation and Redemption。 Man's true Beauty lies entirely in Culmination of his Follies， Dancing exquisitely with His Binaries， Ringed with Flame and Pulsing like that of a Sensual Salsa Routine。My Prayer: Like the Phoenix， that Immortal Bird of Fire， which Rises from its Bed of Ashes， so to will We Rise from the Charred Debris that Fell upon Us through the Mistaken Fealty to Trump。 Trump， though Justly Despised， should also Evoke within Us a sense of Pity。 Trump's Legacy will remain a Testament to Selfishness。 A Lifetime of Lies and Cruelty has left Him in a World without Wonder， A World of Thirsts that can Never be Quenched。 He has Never nor will He Ever Know Genuine Love and Friendship。 His Narcissism is so Innate， His Soul so Rancid; that were he capable of Remorse， The ensuing Reality of His Broken Existence would lead Him into an Abyss of Insanity。 Of the Phoenix， Trump will Never Understand that the True Beauty of the Creature lies not in its Majestic Extravagance， but in the Ashes that Framed and Defined all it Lived to Be。 XOXOShaz 。。。more