Prequel: An American Fight Against Fascism by Rachel Maddow

Inspired by her research for the hit podcast Ultra, Rachel Maddow charts the rise of a rugged American strain of authoritarianism that has lived on the far right edge of politics for much of a century. Before our troops began fighting abroad in World War II, and even after they did, a network of secrecy undercut the U.S. war effort and flooded the country with disinformation aimed at convincing Americans that our natural alliance was with the Axis powers, not against them. It was a sophisticated and shockingly well-funded campaign to undermine democratic institutions, foster anti-Semitism, and destroy public confidence in elected leaders.