THEY KNEW: How a Culture of Conspiracy Keeps America Complacent
Conspiracy theories are effective, in part, because officials refuse to enforce accountability for real conspiracies. Uncritical faith in broken institutions is as dangerous as false narratives peddled by propagandists.
The truth may hurt―but the lies will kill us.
They Knew discusses conspiracy culture in a rapidly declining United States struggling with corruption, climate change, and other crises. As the actions of the powerful remain shrouded in mystery―“From Norman Baker to Jeffrey Epstein, Iran-Contra to January 6" (VF)―it is unsurprising that people turn to conspiracy theories to fill the informational void. They Knew exposes the tactics these powerful actors use to placate an inquisitive public.
Here, for the first time, author Sarah Kendzior blends her signature whip-smart prose and eviscerating arguments with lyrical and intimate examinations of the times and places that haunt American history. "America is a ghost story," writes Kendzior, as she unearths decades of buried history, providing an essential and critical look at how to rebuild our democracy by confronting the political lies and crimes that have shaped us.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Sarah Kendzior is the author of the bestsellers THE VIEW FROM FLYOVER COUNTRY and HIDING IN PLAIN SIGHT and of THEY KNEW, a finalist for the LA Times Book Prize. Her latest book is THE LAST AMERICAN ROAD TRIP. Kendzior has a PhD in anthropology from Washington University in St. Louis, where she studied authoritarian regimes of the former Soviet Union. After getting her PhD in 2012, Kendzior spent a decade writing about the decline of the United States for various publications around the world. She lives with her husband and kids in St. Louis.
OTHER SUGGESTED BOOKS FROM THE INTEGRITY PROJECT
