An American journalist specializing in technology and conspiracy theories, Rothschild has been investigating QAnon since 2018 ... In clear, punchy prose Rothschild explains how the movement that started on a message board for white supremacists, antisemites and fans of hard-core porn moved into the mainstream, capturing the hearts of Instagram influencers as well as nearly 90 Republican candidates for the House of Representatives ... The Storm Is upon Us is an impressive piece of research and a gripping read. Unfortunately the storm is upon us, in the form of a vast online army that’s still here, and mad as hell.
In clear, punchy prose Rothschild explains how the movement that started on a message board for white supremacists, antisemites and fans of hard-core porn moved into the mainstream ... The story of QAnon has so many twists and turns, it’s sometimes hard to keep track. But Rothschild’s book reads like a thriller, with cliffhangers that leave you eager for the next episode ... Rothschild writes with compassion about some of those who have been sucked into it ... What he doesn’t quite do is explain the psychological leap that enables perfectly ordinary people to believe that liberals and Jews are child-trafficking paedophiles. Perhaps no one really can ... The Storm Is Upon Us is an impressive piece of research and a gripping read.
The book examines the internet-based conspiracies that led to the assault on the Capitol in forensic detail ... a profoundly sobering read for anyone who retains faith in the inevitable progress of human reason, or a belief that in a free-speech environment where all opinions are given equal weight, Enlightenment views will necessarily prevail over violent untruths ... His book examines all the theories about QAnon’s original identity, without needing to come to a conclusion.
Mike Rothschild cleverly traces a through-line from the Capitol riot back to QAnon ... Rothschild is less concerned with uncovering the identity...and more interested in tracing QAnon’s causes and effects ... This is not a book that will bring your Q-crazed relative back from the brink, but it will provide the context to ensure that you understand the movement far more than they could ever hope to.
Rothschild’s compelling, comprehensive, meticulously-documented reporting provides ample context. He occasionally slips into a wry tone when describing some farcical episode or badly misspelled manifesto, but things turn dark as he lists the acts of violence perpetuated by QAnon believers: death threats, kidnapping, even murder. He also exposes the reluctance of social-media platforms and e-marketers to shut down QAnon’s incendiary messaging.
Rothschild, who draws on a large body of interviews with family members and a few apostates, delves into the origins of such beliefs, which hark back to antisemitic screeds of centuries past ... To conjure a truly disturbing portrait of an ever growing subculture, read this one alongside Pastels and Pedophiles by Mia Bloom and Sophia Moskalenko. Given the odds that someone you know buys into QAnon doctrine, Rothschild’s rabbit-hole dive is a valuable guide.
... an enlightening history of the QAnon conspiracy theory ... Though the contours of Rothschild’s findings are familiar, he unearths startling examples of the group’s twisted logic and wide reach ... Rothschild also offers useful advice on how to help loved ones get out of QAnon. This is a disturbing and well-informed look at the darker side of modern American politics.
