Attack from Within

“A comprehensive guide to the dynamics of disinformation and a necessary call to the ethical commitment to truth that all democracies require.”

– Timothy Snyder, author of the New York Times bestseller On Tyranny

“A great public servant and one of the most acute observers of our time shares insightful views about the menace of disinformation — its history, its dangers, how it threatens America in particular and how we fix the problem. This is a compelling work about a challenge that — left unexamined and left unchecked — could undermine our democracy.”

– Eric H. Holder Jr, 82nd Attorney General of the United States

“Barbara McQuade offers a superb, easy-to-read assessment of the information war being waged in America right now, what the stakes are, and what can be done to turn things around. As someone who grew up behind the Iron Curtain, I understand the dangers of authoritarianism. If you want to understand the risks to democracy and how we can address them, read this important book.”

– Martina Navratilova

“Barb McQuade has the rare ability to ask the right questions and then answer them. Her take on disinformation — how and why it's been used — is critical to understanding this point in our nation's history. Attack from Within is essential reading for everyone.”

– Joyce Vance, Distinguished Professor of the Practice of Law, University of Alabama School of Law, and former US Attorney in Alabama

“Meticulous, lucid, compelling. Spurred by the 'fierce urgency of now,' McQuade has laid out how we can recognize and then disarm the weapon of disinformation and, in the process, save American democracy.”

– Carol Anderson, author of One Person, No Vote: How Voter Suppression is Destroying our Democracy

“Barb McQuade traces the history of disinformation from its inception to modern day brilliantly linking past challenges of falsehoods and how they become amplified in the digital age. Barb then goes a step further offering a comprehensive plan for restoring the integrity of information and instilling resiliency in our democracies. A remarkable, well versed study that’s a must read for all citizens.”

– Clint Watts, Former FBI Special Agent, Consultant to FBI National Security Branch

“Is our democracy destined for death by disinformation? That is among the urgent questions addressed by Barb McQuade in this timely and engaging book. McQuade, a former national security prosecutor, argues that information warfare is at the center of efforts by far-right operatives, including Republican party elites, to turn Americans against each other and inflame racial and other hatreds, sabotaging our civil society and America's position as a leader of the free world. She also offers solutions to the epidemic of disinformation, from enhanced regulation of social media companies to accountability measures against bots to support for local journalism. It is essential reading and her message that we must make truth in democracy our national purpose could not come at a better moment.”

– Ruth Ben-Ghiat, author of Strongmen: From Mussolini to the Present

“Barb McQuade offers a sweeping and panoramic view of the disinformation landscape and how it contributes to the erosion of our shared reality, which is a sine qua nonfor the rule of law. Like any seasoned prosecutor she marshals the evidence, presents expert testimony, and makes the case for why this threat is one we must address together, as citizens. Her book is a wake-up call for the need to take back power from social media platforms and would-be authoritarians and restore our democratic norms and responsibility to the truth.”

– Asha Rangappa, Assistant Dean and Senior Lecturer, Jackson School of Global Affairs, Yale University, and Former FBI Counterintelligence Agent

““Barbara McQuade brings an experienced and refreshingly sober lens to America's current challenges. Her writing and legal analysis is an antidote to both ignorance and political hysteria -- at a time when we all need to be informed and vigilant about the threats posed by would-be authoritarians and their enablers.”

– Ari Melber MSNBC Chief Legal Correspondent; Host, "The Beat with Ari Melber"

“In a scholarly yet accessible approach as befits her status as a respected former U.S. attorney, current professor of law at the University of Michigan and MSNBC/NBC legal analyst McQuade presents an overwhelming litany of examples of falsehoods that are threatening American democracy through their undermining of foundational institutions. Buttressed by contributions from acclaimed political and legal experts too numerous to name here, McQuade’s argument for the need to recognize and correct this pernicious assault on the nation’s norms is airtight.”

– Publishers Weekly