Overview

Instant New York Times Bestseller A searing, vital investigation of the Republican Party’s dangerous campaign to rewrite recent history in real time, from the Emmy Award-winning Rachel Maddow Show producer and bestselling author of The Impostors. “There is nobody who is writing in an episodic way who has more influence on the way I think about politics than Steve Benen.” —Rachel Maddow  For as long as historical records have existed, authoritarian regimes have tried to rewrite history to suit their purposes, using their dictatorial powers to create myths, spread propaganda, justify decisions, erase opponents, and even dispose of crimes. As the Republican Party becomes increasingly radicalized, the GOP is putting their own twist on a similarly despotic script. Indeed, the party is taking dangerous, aggressive steps to rewrite history—and not just from generations past. Unable to put a positive spin on Trump-era scandals and fiascos, GOP voices and their allies have grown determined to rewrite the stories of the last few years—from the 2020 election results and the horror of January 6th to their own legislative record—treating the recent past as an enemy to be overpowered, crushed, and conquered. The consequences for our future, in turn, are dramatic. Extraordinarily timely and undeniably important, Steve Benen’s new book tells the staggering chronicle of the Republican party’s unsettling attempts at historical revisionism. It reveals not only how dependent they have grown on the tactic, but also how dangerous the consequences are if we allow the party to continue. The stakes, Benen argues, couldn’t be higher: the future of democracy hinges on both our accurate understanding of events and the end of alternative narratives that challenge reality.

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9780063393677

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Reviews

""There is nobody who is writing in an episodic, daily way, in any medium, anywhere in the world, who has more influence on the way I think about politics than Steve Benen."" -- Rachel Maddow ""A fierce takedown of right-wing mendacity committed in the service of a bigger lie."" -- Kirkus Reviews ""Illuminating... well sourced and covers a lot of ground. This cogent survey of the Trumpist lie factory is worth checking out for more than just fans of Maddow."" -- Publishers Weekly

"""Thoroughly researched. ... Ably lays out the many disturbing trends in the Republican political arena, making a convincing case for his argument that the GOP has ""quit governing"" and now merely focuses on attaining and wielding power or simply negating any progress made by Democrats. ... A clear-eyed argument that 'strategy and governing [have] been replaced by instincts and partisan id.'"" -- Kirkus Reviews ""There is nobody who is writing in an episodic, daily way, in any medium, anywhere in the world, who has more influence on the way I think about politics than Steve Benen."" -- Rachel Maddow ""Through countless ripped-from-the-headlines examples, 'The Impostors' paints a grim picture of a political party in which the kids have taken over the grown-up table and the responsible adults are nowhere to be seen."" -- Washington Post ""A staggering chronicle of Republican duplicity. ... A skillful illustration of how rank cynicism allowed Donald Trump to easily take control of the Republican Party."" -- Washington Monthly"

Author Information

STEVE BENEN is a producer of The Rachel Maddow Show and the editor of The MaddowBlog. An MSNBC contributor, Benen's articles and op-eds have appeared in the New York Times, Washington Monthly, The American Prospect, Salon.com, and other publications. For his work on TRMS, he has been nominated for five Emmy Awards, winning twice. He lives in Vermont.

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