Somewhere along the line I mentioned this book when it first came out. He also wrote two articles for The New Republic before the release of this book. Truly, how do you come back from a $4B bankrupt state? Friends, lots of Russian friends.
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Power in the Age of Lies, by M Verant
It’s been described as a modern version of The Plot Against America, and one review says “A riveting thriller built on ruthlessly factual criticism of the Trump presidency.”
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I really enjoyed McCabe’s book. The last few chapters are about Trump but the rest is a fascinating FBI memoir. I sped through most of it this week to get to the Trump goods but I enjoyed it so much I’m now giving it a good through read.
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I have read quite a few of these books. I would add high in the list is Fascism A Warning by Madeleine Albright https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07HWSZQBV/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1
Also high in the list The Red and the Blue: The 1990s and the Birth of Political Tribalism
by Steve Kornacki Robot Check
Investigating American Presidents by Paul Rosenzweig https://www.audible.com/pd/Investigating-American-Presidents-Audiobook/1682769925?qid=1550802237&sr=1-1&ref=a_search_c3_lProduct_1_1&pf_rd_p=e81b7c27-6880-467a-b5a7-13cef5d729fe&pf_rd_r=7KRDJX80CM0G2WE1KFG7&
Lastly, The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness by Michelle Alexander https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0067NCQVU/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_tkin_p1_i0
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How about Power in the Age of Lies, by M Verant? It’s like the ultimate Trump resistance novel, very exciting and very well researched. I loved it.
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The Oath by Jeffrey Toobin. Gives a great picture of what’s happening in the Supreme Court (except for Gorsuch and Kavanaugh - but you can see how they fit in to the Roberts Court).
https://smile.amazon.com/Oath-Supreme-Jeffrey-Toobin-2013-06-04/dp/B01FKU0ZYU/ref=pd_day0_b_14_1/139-3032356-9885263?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B01FKU0ZYU&pd_rd_r=618d1a74-3658-11e9-b07b-c7bfd0064ef8&pd_rd_w=S3kEs&pd_rd_wg=QZu5F&pf_rd_p=b21f843a-654c-40f8-899e-282283dbe728&pf_rd_r=HW77KQKZG36J9ZZ1J86X&psc=1&refRID=HW77KQKZG36J9ZZ1J86X
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“How Democracies Die” by Levitsky & Ziblatt communicates the seriousness of the threats facing our country by comparative analysis with other states that have lost their democratic governments… obvious ones like Germany in the 30s, but also Venezuela, Turkey, Hungary, Chile, etc., as well as examples from our own past. The examples show that nothing is new here, and all of it fits a troubling pattern.
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Sarah Kendzior’s “View from Flyover Country.” An updated version of excellent essays she wrote over the last handful of years about how we find ourselves here, with this President. Great context about poverty, higher education, race (was present in Ferguson, MO), and her expertise in authoritarian regimes. Now has a podcast, too (Gaslit Nation).
The View from Flyover Country: Dispatches from the Forgotten America civil https://www.amazon.com/dp/1250189993/ref=cm_sw_r_sms_apa_i_uD4BCbCC39A45
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Thanks for this recommendation – I would have never thought to take a look at it. Read some of the user reviews and it sounds really interesting. I’m getting the audiobook. Cheers.
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Deep Roots by Avidit Acharya, Matthew Blackwell, and Maya Sen
Good and Mad by Rebecca Traister
Dark Money by Jane Mayer
Democracy in Chains by Nancy MacLean
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In no particular order:
The Devil’s Chessboard (David Talbot)-a delightful and well-documented conspiracy supporting book about the connections between the CIA, the political “establishment,” cold-war politics, cripto-fascism, and third world adventurism, among others. Basically demonstrates that not much has really changed-DJT is just more erratic and less wedded to any particular ideology. This will not make you feel warm and fuzzy about the Republic.
Political Fictions (Joan Didion)-written in 2001, documents the Gingrich years, WJ Clinton’s dalliances, and the clueless media. Lots of cameos from the usual suspects and an opportunity to revisit some old policy debacles still haunting us today.
Beautiful Country Burn Again (Ben Fountain)-a march through the 2016 political campaigns, in case someone wants to revisit the nightmare. Well written and exhaustively documented.
How Democracies Die (StevenLevitsky & Daniel Ziblatt)-provides an organizational scheme for understanding the threats posed by DJT. Relatively short and not too dense with plenty of references.
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Thanks for the nice comments! I will shamelessly add the Amazon link (I’m the author btw 
https://www.amazon.com/Power-Age-Lies-Political-Thriller-ebook/dp/B07J23PGPZ
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Loved this. Also recommend Star of the North by D.B. John…more in-depth than The Girl with Seven Names.
The Power by Naomi Alderman should be required reading. Mind-twisting story of sexual bias and the potent power of power to corrupt.
Hi Matt, I’ve just looked through your list and many of your entries are among my recent reads. If you are looking for some additional material, you may want to have a look at the following books for your interest:
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L. Tribe and J. Matz, To End a Presidency - The Power of Impeachment 2018
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The Case for Impeachment, Allan J. Lichtman 2017
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M. Nance, The Plot to End Democracy 2018
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R. Wilson, Everything Trump Touches Dies 2018
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D. Frum, Trumpocracy - The Corruption of the American Republic 2018
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The Dangerous Case of Donald Trump - 27 Psychiatrists and Mental Health Experts Assess a President, Bandy Lee Ed. 2017
These are all good books on the subject of the American presidency. Another good book, which is a fictional account of a futuristic American landscape is American War, Omar El Akkad 2017. This book will make any reader cringe at the thought of what a modern American civil war could look like.
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I recently finished Jill Lepore’s These Truths. It’s a dense read but really provides as great historical perspective for how we got here.
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Must watch - now on Netflix
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Rachel Maddow new book Blow Out
It’s a great connect the dots for understanding the links or path of corruption.
There are many great books, on this list, even stories not an exact fit are worth reading, take the life of Huey Long, he was often crass had way of speaking that would offend political elite but motivate a mass following to the working families. While there is no doubt of his corruption he at least did do good for the people of his state, so that it could be understood why it might be over looked, unlike the corruption today benefits small already wealthy few. So I would recommend a bio about Huey Long, seeing the lack of any good done for the people now as opposed to then, but also the evolution of how corruption affects those in power, as limits and boundaries are pushed.
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One of my personal “top ten” movies is the 1949 version of “All the Kings Men” which is based on the Robert Penn Warren novel of the same title – the lead character, Willie Stark, is closely patterned after Huey Long. It’s a riveting and chilling look at corruption in politics. As you say, the arc of Long’s rise to power so closely matches what we’re seeing today. @nowment Thanks for your post because it’s prompted me to look for a good bio on Huey Long – I know his fictional counterpart, Willie Stark, very well, but you reminded me that I’ve never examined the actual life of Huey Long.
P.S. IMO, the 1949 version is the one to watch. Not the later remake (which is an OK film, but can’t touch the original). The '49 version won the Oscar for Best Picture and Broderick Crawford was awarded Best Actor for his dynamic and mesmerizing portrayal of Willie Stark (it truly is an amazing performance).
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Hi all,
I’d like to STRONGLY reccomend Seth Abramson’s two books as REQUIRED READING for everyone who claims or aspires to be part of an informed society.
His Twitter feed is also a valuable immediate alert.
Proof of Conspiracy: How Trump’s International Collusion Is Threatening American Democracy: Seth Abramson
Proof of Collusion: How Trump Betrayed America: Seth Abramson
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