Reviews with content warning for Antisemitism - Prequel: An American Fight Against Fascism

It was truly horrifying to listen to some of the things preached by these nazi collusionists. Even more frightening to hear they, more or less, got away with it. This is an aspect of the US's involvement in WWII that you don't hear about. It's not difficult to draw connections between this book, the movement for a fascist United States, and the current political climate. I think it serves as a cautionary tale, and as the title says, a prequel.

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cmanson16's review against another edition

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informative inspiring sad medium-paced

4.25

This was a highly informative and richly detailed book about the Nazi/fascist infiltration prior to the American entry into WWII. Maddow did skilled research as she easily explains how Nazis stoked isolationist and Anti-Semitic leaders into doing their bidding including MEMBERS OF CONGRESS. This books really paints pre-WWII America as deeply divided and susceptible to foreign influence, while also highlighting the brave Americans who stood up to American Nazis. Maddow does not directly allude to the success of the far-right in 2024 but the parallels are eerily present (a Nazi aligned congressman wanted to build a wall on the border to keep out Jews fleeing the Holocaust, I wonder which orange conman likes that idea).

Sometimes Maddow does go off into unnecessary tangents and some chapters could have been combined into others.

Overall, this book is quite fantastic and shows how delicate the American Experiment is.

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