I’ll go with the low-hanging fruit: Mein Kampf. I’ve read it, cover to cover. As a piece of propaganda, it’s good. As an example of good writing? Absolutely not (though I will admit I have only read it in translation). Oh, and the whole fascist, racist, and generally shitty worldview of the author that he infuses into the text. And the fact that the author is literally Hitler. You 5-star that book? You’re a Nazi. Period. And as a Jewish person, I don’t look too kindly on them.
I was surprised at how readable it was. Honestly I’d expected a turgid Mein Kampf experience. (I feel I need to add quickly that I’m a historian. Read part of MK for a college class.)
I was interested at how early it was for the “group of plucky resistance fighters up against occupying force” storyline. It was only a few years later that V was a huge miniseries hit. I also expected it to be 100% racist and antisemitic and was interested that while it was those things, it was focused on hating the federal government. I think even now a lot of liberals miss how much resentment of the federal government underlies a lot of the bigotry that draws more attention.
I have never discussed it on a date! I don’t even admit to my friends that I read it.
There’s a documented phenomenon nicknamed the “Crunchy to alt-right pipeline” and I think one of the things that connects those two groups is distrust of the government.
Well, the book was written post-civil rights, meaning that those kind of people were (and are) full of resentment against the US federal government for having ruined their dream of state-based apartheid.
likewise. it was at least as readable as tom clancy.