It’s the worst kept secret in the world that America has people involved in some of the most authoritarian regimes in the world. The book Foreign Agents by Casey Michael exposes the Americans entrenched to guide U.S. policy in secret, and how sometimes they turn on the United States in the process. The book explores the history of lobbyists like Ivy Lee, the person who basically invented public relations and also helped sway Americans into initially trusting figures like the Nazis and the Soviets. There’s also figures like the more modern figure of Paul Manafort.
Foreign Agents is a book that leaves the reader worried, uncomfortable, and genuinely wondering what people will do for money. If you aren’t already horrified by our government and what public relations and lobbying does to a country, Foreign Agents is going to make sure to lock in that feeling for you. You’ll learn how lobbying turns to lawmaking, and how lawmaking can turn history. For those who prefer the audiobook version, narrator Joseph Dwyer’s pacing and delivery keep listeners focused and fascinated, even with such a tough subject.
Foreign Agents is now available from St. Martin’s Press.
