Prequel

The runaway #1 New York Times bestseller

' Timely and fascinating... There are many astonishing vignettes... an important book' Max Hastings, Sunday Times

'A ripping read. . . . The parallels to the present day are strong, even startling' New York Times

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 Nazis.

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.


#1 New York Times bestseller, November 2023

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.