The Imposter's War: The Press Propaganda, And The Newsman Who Battled For The Minds Of America

In the lead-up to America’s entry into the First World War, Germany spent the modern equivalent of one billion dollars to infiltrate American media, industry, and government to undermine the supply chain of the Allied forces. The story of John Rathom, editor of the scrappy Providence Journal, encompasses the propaganda battle that set America on a course for war. He rose within the editorial ranks, eventually transitioning from an editor to a de facto spy. Rathom brought to light the Huerta plot and helped to upend labor strikes organized by German agents to shut down American industry. Arsenault tracks the rise and fall of this enigmatic figure, while providing the rich and fascinating context of Germany’s acts of subterfuge through the early years of World War I.