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The Ezra Klein ShowOct 14, 2022

What Rachel Maddow Has Been Thinking About Offscreen

Summary, books mentioned, transcript quotes, and timestamps for What Rachel Maddow Has Been Thinking About Offscreen on The Ezra Klein Show.

Books mentioned

Hitler in Los Angeles Hitler's American Friends Nazis in Copley Square+1 more

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What Rachel Maddow Has Been Thinking About Offscreen mentions Hitler in Los Angeles by Stephen Ross, Hitler's American Friends by Bradley Hart, Nazis in Copley Square by Charles Gallagher, and Down in New Orleans by Billy Southern with timestamps, quotes, and episode context.

Hitler in Los Angeles Hitler's American Friends Nazis in Copley Square Down in New Orleans

3 books from this episode

Hitler in Los Angeles

Stephen Ross

I should recommend to you that Hitler in Los Angeles by Stephen Ross. It's amazing.

Hitler's American Friends

Bradley Hart

I can highly, highly recommend all three of those.

Nazis in Copley Square

Charles Gallagher

There's another book that's set in Boston, which is around the same time called Nazis in Copley Square by a Jesuit priest named Charles Gallagher.

Episode summary

“The Rachel Maddow Show” debuted in the interregnum between political eras. Before it lay the 9/11 era and the George W. Bush presidency. Days after the show launched in 2008, Lehman Brothers collapsed, and a few weeks later Barack Obama was elected president. And then history just kept speeding up. The Tea Party. The debt ceiling debacles. Donald Trump. The coronavirus pandemic. January 6th. The big lie. Maddow covered and tried to make sense of it all. Now, after 14 years, she has taken her show down to one episode a week and is beginning other projects — like “Ultra,” the history podcast we discuss in this episode. But I wanted to talk to Maddow about how American politics and media has changed over the course of her show. We discuss the legacies of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the cycle of economic crises we appear to keep having, Maddow’s relationships with Pat Buchanan and Tucker Carlson, where the current G.O.P.’s anti-democracy efforts really started, how Obama’s presidency changed politics, how Maddow finds and chooses her stories, the statehouse Republicans who tilled the soil for Trump’s big lie and more. Book Recommendations: Hitler in Los Angeles by Steven J. Ross Nazis of Copley Square by Charles R. Gallagher Hitler’s American Friends by Bradley W. Hart The Oppermanns by Lion Feuchtwanger 1940 by Susan Dunn Down in New Orleans Billy Sothern Thoughts? Email us at [email protected]. (And if you're reaching out to recommend a guest, please write “Guest Suggestion" in the subject line.) You can find transcripts (posted midday) and more episodes of “The Ezra Klein Show” at nytimes.com/ezra-klein-podcast, and you can find Ezra on Twitter @ezraklein. Book recommendations from all our guests are listed at https://www.nytimes.com/article/ezra-klein-show-book-recs. “The Ezra Klein Show” is produced by Annie Galvin, Jeff Geld and Rogé Karma. Our researcher is Emefa Agawu. Fact-checking by Michelle Harris, Mary Marge Locker and Kate Sinclair. Original music by Isaac Jones. Mixing by Jeff Geld. Audience strategy by Shannon Busta. Special thanks to Kristin Lin and Kristina Samulewski.

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Hitler in Los Angeles

Stephen Ross

The host mentions 'Hitler in Los Angeles' to highlight the significant yet overlooked contributions of Leon Lewis in…

Card

Hitler's American Friends

Bradley Hart

The host mentions 'Hitler's American Friends' by Bradley Hart as part of a broader discussion on the historical conte…

Card

Nazis in Copley Square

Charles Gallagher

The host mentions 'Nazis in Copley Square' as part of a broader discussion on historical activism against Nazi threat…

Card

Down in New Orleans

Billy Southern

The host mentions 'Down in New Orleans' as a way to honor his late friend, Billy Southern, who was a talented writer…

Card

The Oppermans

Leon Feuchtwanger

The host mentions 'The Oppermans' to highlight its significance in portraying the impact of authoritarianism on Germa…

Card

1940

Susan Dunn

The host mentions '1940' by Susan Dunn as a way to contextualize the current economic climate and the historical pers…

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What is What Rachel Maddow Has Been Thinking About Offscreen about?

Summary, books mentioned, transcript quotes, and timestamps for What Rachel Maddow Has Been Thinking About Offscreen on The Ezra Klein Show.

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What are the main takeaways from What Rachel Maddow Has Been Thinking About Offscreen?

These are the strongest takeaways surfaced by the transcript, summary copy, and linked mentions for What Rachel Maddow Has Been Thinking About Offscreen.

The conversation centers on authoritarian takeover in Germany.
A second recurring theme is books about Nazi threats.
Referenced books include Hitler in Los Angeles by Stephen Ross and Hitler's American Friends by Bradley Hart.
The strongest audience signal points to Listeners interested in historical activism and anti-fascism and Readers interested in historical accounts of Nazi influence in America.

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Which books are mentioned in What Rachel Maddow Has Been Thinking About Offscreen?

Hitler in Los Angeles by Stephen Ross, Hitler's American Friends by Bradley Hart, and Nazis in Copley Square by Charles Gallagher are the clearest linked books in this episode, each tied back to transcript timestamps and quote cards.

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Top triggers

authoritarian takeover in Germany(1)books about Nazi threats(1)historical activism against Nazis(1)Nazi influence in America(1)remembering a friend(1)trust in the economy(1)

Mention sentiment

Highly Recommended(5)Deep Dive(1)

Audience signals

Listeners interested in historical activism and anti-fascismReaders interested in historical accounts of Nazi influence in AmericaReaders interested in New Orleans literature and those seeking meaningful reflections on loss.Readers interested in historical fiction and the dynamics of authoritarianism.Individuals interested in economic history and its impact on current events.

Books Mentioned

The full list below is ranked by how useful each mention is to a listener: stronger recommendation language, clearer quote context, and better timestamp support rise first.

Hitler in Los Angeles

Stephen Ross

Best for Listeners interested in historical activism and anti-fascismOften cited around Nazi influence in America

“A great book by a historian named Stephen Ross called Hitler in Los Angeles that tells the story of Leon Lewis's files and his activism against Nazi threats in L.A.”

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Sentiment: Highly Recommended

Trigger: Nazi influence in America

For: Listeners interested in historical activism and anti-fascism

Key quote: “I should recommend to you that Hitler in Los Angeles by Stephen Ross. It's amazing.”

The host mentions 'Hitler in Los Angeles' to highlight the significant yet overlooked contributions of Leon Lewis in combating Nazi influence in Southern California. The book provides access to Lewis's files and details his efforts to gather intelligence against Nazi activities when law enforcement was unresponsive.

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Hitler's American Friends

Bradley Hart

Best for Readers interested in historical accounts of Nazi influence in AmericaOften cited around books about Nazi threats

“Another book called Hitler's American Friends by a historian called Bradley Hart, which includes primary source documents used in Ultra.”

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Sentiment: Highly Recommended

Trigger: books about Nazi threats

For: Readers interested in historical accounts of Nazi influence in America

Key quote: “I can highly, highly recommend all three of those.”

The host mentions 'Hitler's American Friends' by Bradley Hart as part of a broader discussion on the historical context of Nazi activities in America. This book is highlighted alongside others to emphasize the importance of understanding the rise of authoritarianism and the responses to it during that era.

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Nazis in Copley Square

Charles Gallagher

Best for listeners interested in historical activism and anti-fascismOften cited around historical activism against Nazis

“Another book that's set in Boston around the same time called Nazis in Copley Square by a Jesuit priest named Charles Gallagher.”

View mention details

Sentiment: Highly Recommended

Trigger: historical activism against Nazis

For: listeners interested in historical activism and anti-fascism

Key quote: “There's another book that's set in Boston, which is around the same time called Nazis in Copley Square by a Jesuit priest named Charles Gallagher.”

The host mentions 'Nazis in Copley Square' as part of a broader discussion on historical activism against Nazi threats in America. This book, along with others, provides critical insights into the efforts of individuals like Leon Lewis who fought against rising fascism during a tumultuous period.

Direct Amazon listing · affiliate link

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Down in New Orleans

Billy Southern

Best for Readers interested in New Orleans literature and those seeking meaningful reflections on loss.Often cited around remembering a friend

“A book called Down in New Orleans by Billy Southern, which is both an elegy for my friend and a moving piece about New Orleans.”

View mention details

Sentiment: Highly Recommended

Trigger: remembering a friend

For: Readers interested in New Orleans literature and those seeking meaningful reflections on loss.

Key quote: “He has a book called Down in New Orleans, which you should find and buy.”

The host mentions 'Down in New Orleans' as a way to honor his late friend, Billy Southern, who was a talented writer and attorney. He reflects on the emotional impact of the book, especially after the recent loss, highlighting its beauty and depth in capturing the essence of New Orleans.

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The Oppermans

Leon Feuchtwanger

Best for Readers interested in historical fiction and the dynamics of authoritarianism.Often cited around authoritarian takeover in Germany

“A novel called The Oppermans by Leon Feuchtwanger, which tells the story of the rising threat of authoritarianism in Germany.”

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Sentiment: Highly Recommended

Trigger: authoritarian takeover in Germany

For: Readers interested in historical fiction and the dynamics of authoritarianism.

Key quote: “'The Oppermans is one of his novels that was one of the best efforts by anyone writing from inside Germany at the time to tell the story.'”

The host mentions 'The Oppermans' to highlight its significance in portraying the impact of authoritarianism on German citizens. He emphasizes its engaging narrative and the importance of understanding the responsibilities of individuals in resisting such threats.

Direct Amazon listing · affiliate link

Check price

1940

Susan Dunn

Best for Individuals interested in economic history and its impact on current events.Often cited around trust in the economy

“A book on the 1940 presidential election called 1940 by Susan Dunn, which is really worth reading.”

View mention details

Sentiment: Deep Dive

Trigger: trust in the economy

For: Individuals interested in economic history and its impact on current events.

Key quote: “To me, my cure for that is to spend a lot of time in history, right?”

The host mentions '1940' by Susan Dunn as a way to contextualize the current economic climate and the historical perspective needed to understand it. They reflect on how significant events in history can help alleviate the overwhelming pace of modern crises.

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