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.

The book examines the internet-based conspiracies that led to the assault on the Capitol in forensic detail.

Mike Rothschild cleverly traces a through-line from the Capitol riot back to QAnon.

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.

... an enlightening history of the QAnon conspiracy theory.