
Culture Warlords
My Journey into the Dark Web of White Supremacy
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Narrated by:
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Talia Lavin
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By:
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Talia Lavin
About this listen
One reporter takes an immersive dive into white supremacy's explosive online presence, exploring the undercurrents of propaganda, racism, misogyny, and history that led us to where we are now.
Talia Lavin is every skinhead's worst nightmare: a loud and unapologetic Jewish woman, acerbic, smart, and profoundly antiracist, with the investigative chops to expose the tactics and ideologies of online hatemongers.
Culture Warlords is the story of how Lavin, a frequent target of extremist trolls (including those at Fox News), dove into a byzantine online culture of hate and learned the intricacies of how white supremacy proliferates online. Within these pages, she reveals the extremists hiding in plain sight online: Incels. White nationalists. White supremacists. National Socialists. Proud Boys. Christian extremists. In order to showcase them in their natural habitat, Talia assumes a range of identities, going undercover as a blonde Nazi babe, a forlorn incel, and a violent Aryan femme fatale. Along the way, she discovers a Whites-only dating site geared toward racists looking for love, a disturbing extremist YouTube channel run by a 14-year-old girl with over 800,000 followers, the everyday heroes of the antifascist movement, and much more. By combining compelling stories chock-full of catfishing and gate-crashing with her own in-depth, gut-wrenching research, she also turns the lens of anti-Semitism, racism, and white power back on itself in an attempt to dismantle and decimate the online hate movement from within.
Shocking, humorous, and merciless in equal measure, Culture Warlords explores some of the vilest subcultures on the Web-and shows us how we can fight back.
©2020 Talia Lavin (P)2020 Hachette BooksListeners also enjoyed...
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Performance
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The Flag and the Cross
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
Most Americans were shocked by the violence they witnessed at the nation's Capital on January 6th, 2021. And many were bewildered by the images displayed by the insurrectionists: a wooden cross and wooden gallows; "Jesus saves" and "Don't Tread on Me;" Christian flags and Confederate Flags; even a prayer in Jesus's name after storming the Senate chamber. Where some saw a confusing jumble, Philip S. Gorski and Samuel L. Perry saw a familiar ideology: white Christian nationalism.
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could use an accompanying pdf
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By: Samuel L. Perry, and others
Critic reviews
"Culture Warlords is a shock to the system - an urgent, incendiary work that takes us into the most hate-filled corners of American culture. Having immersed herself, Gonzo-style, in a toxic online world where white supremacy is the norm, Talia Lavin shows us the fun-house mirror reflection of American culture. Lavin writes like her hands are on fire, forcing us to take a hard look at our nation's ugliest truths." (Pamela Colloff, New York Times Magazine and ProPublica)
"In Culture Warlords, Talia Lavin capably leads readers through chilly tunnels of loathing, burrowing deep into dens of violent racism, anti-Semitism, and misogyny. She describes communities of hate and how they're growing with precision, seriousness, and humor. Even as she takes on multiple identities, readers will find in her a steady and often lyrical guide: transparent about her fears, fury, and ever-changing sense of self. Culture Warlords is surely brutal and urgent; it is also unexpectedly delicate." (Rebecca Traister, New York Times best-selling author of All the Single Ladies and Good and Mad)
"Talia Lavin's Culture Warlords is a necessary and urgent read that could not have come at a much better time. You will be astounded at the depths to which Lavin sinks to expose how far and wide white supremacy spreads across both real-life meetings and internet communities. Thoroughly researched and engaging, this debut demonstrates the work of a fearless reporter." (Morgan Jerkins, New York Times best-selling author of This Will Be My Undoing and Wandering in Strange Lands)

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Elite Psychobabble
- By A Reviewer on 09-30-23
By: Naomi Klein
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American Psychosis
- A Historical Investigation of How the Republican Party Went Crazy
- By: David Corn
- Narrated by: Steven Jay Cohen
- Length: 17 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
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A fast-paced, rollicking, behind-the-scenes account of how the GOP since the 1950s has encouraged and exploited extremism, bigotry, and paranoia to gain power, American Psychosis offers listeners a brisk, can-you-believe-it journey through the netherworld of far-right irrationality and the Republican Party’s interactions with the darkest forces in America.
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Important history poorly read
- By A. Hawley on 09-16-22
By: David Corn
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Opus
- The Cult of Dark Money, Human Trafficking, and Right-Wing Conspiracy inside the Catholic Church
- By: Gareth Gore
- Narrated by: Gareth Gore
- Length: 13 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
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For over half a century, Banco Popular was one of the most profitable banks in the world—until one day, in 2017, when the Spanish bank suddenly collapsed overnight. When investigative journalist Gareth Gore was dispatched to report on the story, he expected to find yet another case of unbridled capitalist ambition gone wrong. Instead, he uncovered decades of deception that hid one of the most brazen cases of corporate pillaging in history, perpetrated by a group of men sworn to celibacy and self-flagellation who had secretly controlled Popular and abused their positions there.
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fascinating and disturbing
- By JRW on 10-06-24
By: Gareth Gore
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Republic of Lies
- American Conspiracy Theorists and Their Surprising Rise to Power
- By: Anna Merlan
- Narrated by: Suehyla El-Attar, Anna Merlan - introduction
- Length: 10 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
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American society has always been fertile ground for conspiracy theories, but with the election of Donald Trump, previously outlandish ideas suddenly attained legitimacy. Trump himself is a conspiracy enthusiast: from his claim that global warming is a Chinese hoax to the accusations of “fake news”, he has fanned the flames of suspicion. But it was not by the power of one man alone that these ideas gained new power. Republic of Lies looks beyond the caricatures of conspiracy theorists to explain their tenacity.
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even-handed and thought-provoking
- By Lenny Pozner on 04-17-19
By: Anna Merlan
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It Came from Something Awful
- How a Toxic Troll Army Accidentally Memed Donald Trump into Office
- By: Dale Beran
- Narrated by: Dale Beran
- Length: 10 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
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The internet has transformed the ways we think and act, and by consequence, our politics. The most impactful recent political movements on the far left and right started with massive online collectives of teenagers. Strangely, both movements began on the same website: an anime imageboard called 4chan.org. It Came from Something Awful is the fascinating and bizarre story of 4chan and its profound effect on youth counterculture.
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This book was way better than it needed to be.
- By Samuel T. on 10-13-19
By: Dale Beran
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The Quiet Damage
- QAnon and the Destruction of the American Family
- By: Jesselyn Cook
- Narrated by: Jesselyn Cook
- Length: 9 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
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In The Quiet Damage, celebrated reporter Jesselyn Cook unfolds the heartbreaking stories of five representative families from couples young and old to rural white parents to urban Black siblings, to show how QAnon shattered bonds once believed unbreakable. Cook paints a portrait of American suffering, of the vulnerabilities that have left people susceptible to outrageous theories promising order and control in a world where both are increasingly in short supply.
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Engaging story telling
- By Joshua M. Kuo on 09-30-24
By: Jesselyn Cook
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Invisible Rulers
- The People Who Turn Lies into Reality
- By: Renee DiResta
- Narrated by: Anna Caputo
- Length: 15 hrs
- Unabridged
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Renée DiResta’s powerful, original investigation into the way power and influence have been profoundly transformed reveals how a virtual rumor mill of niche propagandists increasingly shapes public opinion. While propagandists position themselves as trustworthy Davids, their reach, influence, and economics make them classic Goliaths—invisible rulers who create bespoke realities to revolutionize politics, culture, and society. Their work is driven by a simple maxim: if you make it trend, you make it true.
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the more things change...
- By Gina S. on 07-01-24
By: Renee DiResta
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Preparing for War
- The Extremist History of White Christian Nationalism—and What Comes Next
- By: Bradley Onishi
- Narrated by: Bradley Onishi
- Length: 7 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
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The insurrection at the US Capitol on January 6, 2021, was not a blip or an aberration. It was the logical outcome of years of a White evangelical subculture's preparation for war. Religion scholar and former insider Bradley Onishi maps the origins of White Christian nationalism and traces its offshoots in Preparing for War.
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Religious Fundementalism and Freedom
- By John C. Morris on 06-06-24
By: Bradley Onishi
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How to End Christian Nationalism
- By: Amanda Tyler
- Narrated by: Suzie Althens
- Length: 6 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
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Christian nationalism is a powerful and pervasive ideology, and it is becoming normalized. From Amanda Tyler, lead organizer of the Christians Against Christian Nationalism campaign, comes How to End Christian Nationalism, your vital companion for countering this dangerous ideology. Tyler draws on her experiences, conversations with pastors and laypeople, research, Scripture, her Baptist convictions, and her work as a constitutional law expert to help us confront Christian nationalist fervor.
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A call to action
- By Arthur Kuehl on 11-16-24
By: Amanda Tyler
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Alt-America
- The Rise of the Radical Right in the Age of Trump
- By: David Neiwert
- Narrated by: Matthew Josdal
- Length: 14 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
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Just as Donald Trump's victorious campaign for the US presidency shocked the world, the seemingly sudden national prominence of white supremacists, xenophobes, militia leaders, and mysterious "alt-right" figures mystifies many. But the American extreme right has been growing steadily in number and influence since the 1990s with the rise of patriot militias. Following 9/11, conspiracy theorists found fresh life; and in virulent reaction to the first black US president, militant racists have come out of the woodwork.
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amazing. I want to recommend it to everyone.
- By Charlie Dubou on 05-13-18
By: David Neiwert
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Taking America Back for God
- Christian Nationalism in the United States
- By: Andrew L. Whitehead, Samuel L. Perry
- Narrated by: Tom Parks
- Length: 6 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
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Taking America Back for God points to the phenomenon of "Christian nationalism," the belief that the United States is - and should be - a Christian nation. At its heart, Christian nationalism demands that we must preserve a particular kind of social order, an order in which everyone - Christians and non-Christians, native-born and immigrants, whites and minorities, men and women - recognizes their "proper" place in society.
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Nuanced understanding of Christian Nationalism
- By Adam Shields on 07-12-20
By: Andrew L. Whitehead, and others
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The Longest Con
- How Grifters, Swindlers, and Frauds Hijacked American Conservatism
- By: Joe Conason
- Narrated by: Steve Marvel
- Length: 10 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
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The Longest Con tells the fascinating story of the partisan con artists who have corrupted conservative politics in our time, creating a toxic phenomenon that culminated in the election of Donald Trump, a bumptious fraud whose checkered career and tawdry retinue, including his presidential cabinet, have featured almost every variety of scam. But long before he appeared, Trump's path to power was blazed by the motley horde of swindlers and quacks who preceded him.
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America Needs to Know the Truth and Dangers of Trump
- By Tiberius on 12-01-24
By: Joe Conason
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Attack from Within
- How Disinformation Is Sabotaging America
- By: Barbara McQuade
- Narrated by: Barbara McQuade
- Length: 10 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
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Disinformation is designed to evoke a strong emotional response to push us toward more extreme views, unable to find common ground with others. The false claims that led to the breathtaking attack on our Capitol in 2020 may have been only a dress rehearsal. Attack from Within shows us how to prevent it from happening again, thus preserving our country's hard-won democracy.
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Trump bashing
- By joseph clayson on 03-09-24
By: Barbara McQuade
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The Wannabe Fascists
- A Guide to Understanding the Greatest Threat to Democracy
- By: Federico Finchelstein
- Narrated by: Tom Beyer
- Length: 7 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
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With The Wannabe Fascists, historian Federico Finchelstein offers a precise explanation of why Trumpism and similar movements across the world belong to a new political breed, the last outcome of the combined histories of fascism and populism: the wannabe fascists.
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Be afraid. Be very afraid.
- By Geoffrey Barrett on 07-02-24
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The Shock Doctrine
- The Rise of Disaster Capitalism
- By: Naomi Klein
- Narrated by: Jennifer Wiltsie
- Length: 9 hrs and 2 mins
- Abridged
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In her groundbreaking reporting, Naomi Klein introduced the term "disaster capitalism." Whether covering Baghdad after the U.S. occupation, Sri Lanka in the wake of the tsunami, or New Orleans post-Katrina, she witnessed something remarkably similar. People still reeling from catastrophe were being hit again, this time with economic "shock treatment," losing their land and homes to rapid-fire corporate makeovers. The Shock Doctrine retells the story of the most dominant ideology of our time, Milton Friedman's free market economic revolution.
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If It's Bad for Humanity, It's Good for Business
- By Nelson Alexander on 09-29-07
By: Naomi Klein
What listeners say about Culture Warlords
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- Christina -- Audible
- 10-13-20
Gonzo journalism online
Talia Lavin explored a toxic and violent online subculture so you don't have to. In person at events, and online undercover (assuming personae both hilarious and sad), she spent 2019 in the belly of the beast of white supremacy. I know I sound like I'm clutching my pearls, but I was taken aback by the specificity of the attacks against her and others, and the personal hatred fomented online by people who -- ironically -- don't even know each other. I listened to this audio at 1.1 speed; I enjoyed the narration, and the story -- while uncomfortable -- was an eye-opener.
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6 people found this helpful
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- kitty heite
- 02-12-21
most relevant book you could read right now
talia Lavin clearly lays out the links between misogyny and white supremacy. timely and important
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- Jessica
- 11-11-20
Cannot recommend this book enough
This might be the most important read of 2020 and beyond. And Lavin did just as phenomenal of a job reading it for the audio version as she did writing the book in the first place. I stand in awe of the work she did to be able to create this book and I hope everyone reads it.
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- Diane
- 10-31-20
I’m recommending this book to friends
Talia Lavin has done a phenomenal job. I have heard of the various violent white supremacy attacks over the years but I never knew that they were just the tip of an iceberg. I feel like Talia could have written seven books on all the strains of evil going on around us. I commend her (and her editor) for organizing it and presenting it in a way that is engaging and forceful. Somehow Talia also sustains a cushion of humor that provides a bit of levity despite the infuriating revelations.
Talia performs this audio version. I enjoyed how she mimicked the tone of on-line commenters. The reading doesn’t have the even sound level of voice professionals but it’s worth adjusting the volume a bit to get the full force of Talia’s strong message.
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- Arron
- 11-17-20
An important book.
If you have someone in your life who is steeped in gamer culture if you have someone in your life who spends most of their time online if you have someone in your life who is insular and lonely. Buy them this book. They may or may not be part of the subject matter but they are close enough to it that they could accidentally end up wrapped up in it. This will at least give them some context when they are swimming about in the Internet soup all alone.
Then, after you get them this book, make sure you tell them how much you care about them and make sure you include them in the parts of your life that would bring them joy.
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- backupbesty
- 10-22-20
Telling all my friends to read this
Finished it really quick and found it to be very useful in understanding the depth and depravity of alt-right, white nationalist, Nazis, white supremacists and even incels. She didn't pull any punches. q very fine piece of muckraking!
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3 people found this helpful
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- Anonymous User
- 08-19-21
fantastic
very well written and engaging. kinda hard to listen to at times because of the content...
very important book
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- Amazon Customer
- 02-28-22
Great listen; Too much author
Talia's book is a fantastic dive into the topic, but she is also very much the main character of the book. I was hoping for something a bit more dry and informational. Overall , great listen though, especially if you enjoy the behind-the-scenes details on how journalism happens.
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- Nicole L Smith
- 11-12-20
Important!
In order to heal, we must understand! At times it was painful to hear, and I fear for her , may she stay safe and healthy.
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- Suzanne Dallimore
- 03-21-21
Brilliant
Remarkable. Prescient. Evocative. Powerful. Beautifly written. Excellent narration.
You will understand hate vs. Jews, women, citizens of color.
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