Culture Warlords provides a chilling and insightful exploration into the dark web of white supremacy. Talia Lavin's investigative journey sheds light on the alarming realities of online extremism, making it a thought-provoking read.

Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

Talia Lavin could write up the process for cleaning a washing machine filter and I’d still be enthralled. The focus of Cultural Warlords is already juicy enough. A Jewish reporter goes on an immersive journey into the dark web where she befriends and enrages neo-Nazis in an attempt to understand the rise of white supremacy. Stories about getting chased through casinos by fascists and catfishing extremists abound, but it’s Lavin’s storytelling which elevates Cultural Warlords from intrigued rubbernecking to required reading.

Lavin makes her living reporting on the parts of the internet that most of us spend our lives avoiding. She poses as an incel, she joins a whites-only dating site and she meets right-wing terrorists. She does all this and she writes about it using the kind of rich, evocative language that draws the reader straight into an Angela Carter short story. Lavin writes about the internet and online hate as if it were a dank, festering bog. A dark place where grotesque things ripen and burst forth, only to shrink back when exposed to the light. It’s creative and slightly surreal and very, very engaging.

As Cultural Warlords continues and Lavin meets more people corrupted by hate (including the teenage extremist with thousands of eager followers), she also tells the story of how right-wing hate developed in the U.S. While many of us might assume that the internet has led to an explosion of hate, Lavin gently-yet-firmly shows us that this capacity for hate has been there all along. She takes us back to the start of the 20th century and tracks the way that anti-semitism has been used as both a shorthand for racism, and as a tool for radicalisation.

Once the reader’s eyes have been fully opened, Lavin takes us back to her kitchen. She cooks Jewish comfort food and talks about the fear and depression that can take hold when we realise just how full of the hate the online and offline worlds are. It’s a startlingly soft, endearing ending to a book that spends 250+ pages landing body blows.

With the rise of awareness around incel behaviour, Talia has stayed ahead of the curve in delivering insights into an ever-growing phenomenon. Read it, learn it, prepare.

Thoroughly enjoyed, in-spite of how terrifying the topic is.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

Originally I wasn’t able to download this book to my Kindle and was devastated as it’s a topic I’m really interested in. The power that individuals have when they are hidden behind a computer screen is amazing to me, and when an author explores this echo chamber through cat fishing I was intrigued to see how it would all shake out. Now, this is not a book that should be read if you are triggered easily. There is racism, sexism, other ism’s and all shouted out by people who won’t change. Scary. I really enjoyed the exploration of parts of the internet that, whilst I know they are there, I’m certainly not wanting to be a part of. My only issue, this sometimes reads like a University dissertation. All in all, interesting and recommended if you want to explore the darker side of the internet.

Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for the eARC of this in exchange for an honest review.

This book more than lived up to my expectations. It's at once a historically and sociologically rich look at a cultural phenomenon and a deeply personal confrontation. Lavin is an exceptional journalist who finds her way into the darker, slimier bits of the internet to see what the modern fascists of, chiefly, the USA are about. More accurately, those on the Internet, it's just that we see many of the worst expressions of this online.

Thank you so much for going there. I was horrified and fascinated, I had to take this book slowly. I was revolted by a lot of what I heard about. An absolutely essential book.

First of all, thank you to NetGalley for this ARC, in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.
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I just want to put some trigger warnings in place before continuing my review. As is obvious, this book contains racism, anti-Semitic views and actions, mentions of suicide and suicidal encouragement. Please be cautious if these pose a possible risk before reading this book.

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This was a really moving book. It covers white supremacy in regards to the Jewish community. Unfortunately, as this is more of a silenced movement than others, it is more ignored by white people, often only seeing anti-semitism as something in lines of Nazi Germany. Of course, that is not the case at all. Reading this book has shed an important and poignant light on aspects of this prejudice, some of which I myself wasn’t even aware of and should have been!

This book is quite heavy on facts, I had to separate the reading into chunks, despite how hard it was to put down, I needed time to absorb. The chapters can be quite long so please take your time if you need to but this information is vital so please don’t give up because you think it’s too long. It’s completely worth it and hopefully helps you become more of an active ally.

It is a very uncomfortable read, but as with all books based upon prejudice, discrimination based on religion or racism, it’s so so important to read and absorb these books. I can’t imagine how truly exhausting and suffocating it must be to have to research into so much hatred surrounding things you either can’t or shouldn’t have to change about yourself to be ‘accepted’. When people of black, brown, ethnic minorities, transgender, oppressed religions or anyone who is marginalised by white people, speaks up about their pain, and their constant oppression, you owe it to them, as the oppressor to read and digest the disgusting treatment they endure on a daily basis. It’s important to speak up in times where it’s dangerous for those communities to.

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Talia provides an in-depth history on anti-semi risk and white supremacy over the century’s. It’s an excellent, harrowing and articulately written book (as if we expect anything else from Talia). It’s ridiculous how much of this history we’re taught in schools, it’s complicit to only know of anti-semitism in terms of Nazi Germany as if it didn’t exist beforehand or thereafter.

It never gets easier to read such abhorrent and vile events happening to people who aren’t white cis -gender Christian, or even worse, white cis -gendered Christina with a victim complex. The capacity of a white person playing victim when someone ‘other’ than them does better at something is sickening. It’s utterly repulsive to play the card that you’re being ‘oppressed’ because someone different to your race, religion, gender or abilities is bettering you at something. How people can be so hateful constantly is stomach churning.

It’s enraging reading this book and the disgusting mindsets of some people out there. It’s unsettling and also frightening, the privilege and entitlement these hateful and repulsive individuals shove down people’s throats in an attempt to condition and belittle others.

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I think it was so crucial that Talia included all aspects of prejudice, racism and xenophobia, as they do often come hand in hand, something that is often overlooked. One normally precedes the others but ultimately, misogyny, racism, homophobia, xenophobia, transphobia, hate crimes etc unsurprisingly become intertwined with one another, causing devastating effects for anyone falling into one or more of these categories.

Reading just snippets of the vile things these supremacists write behind locked and secured chats is repulsive and nauseating. I feel devastated and so remorseful towards the marginalised groups who are under constant scrutiny and targeted for things beyond their control.

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Overall, as uncomfortable and utterly devastating as this book was to read. I cannot thank Talia enough for creating this vital piece of literature. I would recommend this book to literally everyone, especially those who want to be better allies. I can’t imagine how exhausting this must have been to pose as different personas in various Nazi chat rooms just to expose how disgusting some people in this world really are. No amount of sorry’s or thank yous will be enough but hopefully with each person that reads this book, the world will slowly wake up and this place will become a little bit kinder.

I listened to this on audio which I really recommend - I love a book read by the author.

I didn’t really know what to expect from this but I definitely learned a lot! I expected a lot more first-person investigation from the author and those were my favourite parts but I also appreciated all the context Talia added - especially as there was a lot I didn’t know here.

My favourite parts were the “cat fishing” and the understanding of the actual individuals within the white supremacist system.

This is a well-researched, incredibly interesting and poignant book. It made me wildly angry but I also came out of it feeling well informed.

4 stars

Talia Lavin is a Jewish feminist and antifascist. Not exactly the kind of person who would be welcomed into the many white supremacist groups that litter the internet. In order to infiltrate some of the darkest places online, she had to become someone else. So she created Ashlynn, a blonde waitress from a small town in the Midwest. Ashlynn loves to hunt and dreams of raising her perfect Aryan children with a husband who wants nothing more than to kill all the Jews. Lavin was convincing enough at being Ashlynn that these men, who are wary of strangers and see imminent danger around every corner, had no problem bearing their dark soul to her. She also became Tommy O'Hara, an incel who goes looking for people like him on Reddit and quickly finds himself being radicalised into violent misogyny and anti-Semitism.

Lavin makes the case for antifascist activism in this book, working together with several organisations to out the men she encountered in her forays into white supremacist Discord servers, Telegram channels, dating websites. Because in most cases, these men don't limit themselves to despicable behaviour online. They form militias. They are involved in violent marches and terrorism. They revere mass murderers and egg each other on to emulate those acts. Whenever one of them does commit murder or terrorism, they're often described as lone wolves or an anomaly. Because most people have no idea these online hate factories exist. And that is the specific value of Lavin's work here. She sacrificed her own sense of security, her physical and mental health, and in doing so has partly lifted the shroud of secrecy that protects white supremacist groups.

But this book is also a fascinating anthropological look at online communities like the incels. They have their own vocabulary, dog-whistles, and deities. For people who aren't extremely online, Lavin explains the meaning behind seemingly innocent words and phrases these communities use to circumnavigate the censorship on forums like Twitter and Facebook and seek out like-minded people. She also explores how easy the internet has made it for someone to self-radicalise. All it takes is a few hours and the right amount of clicks to go from Youtube videos by right-wing pundits to the kind of places where genocide is a cool thing to desire.

This is one of the most horrifying books of non-fiction, but I would urge everyone to read it. These white supremacists out there and they are dangerous. We can only start eradicating the disease if we admit it exists.

[This review has been posted on Amazon and Goodreads]

The publication of Culture Warlords comes at a timely moment. America is racked with division, roots of which lay in its history, perhaps even its founding as a republic. Democracy as a concept is being attacked like never before - on the retreat in European countries such as Hungary and Poland, where the idea of rule of law has been challenged by populist governments ruling through the ‘will of the people’. The storming of the Capitol building by those stirred by the former President’s assertion that the election was ‘stolen’ has suddenly opened eyes to those who felt invasion of the seat of power were scenes reserved for banana republics, not western democracies and who were naive as a result.

Levin’s work shines a light on how the internet, undoubtedly a democratising tool in itself through the dissemination of knowledge, cultures and ideas, can be co-opted by those members of society who feel unheard and disregarded, left behind by the pace of change in society.

The book discusses arenas of the internet most average users would be unaware of: dating sites proudly for “Europeans” (read: white), forums where ‘incels’ (those who self identify as ‘involuntary celibates’, who cannot find a relationship with women no matter how hard they try) discuss how a mix of genetics and pseudo-psychology on the part of women as a whole conspire against them and encrypted apps groups hosting white supremacists spouting hate 24/7 against the other. Nonetheless, some of the more unnerving elements of discussion in this book are those where we notice the creeping antisemitism, racism and misogyny into those networks we are familiar with - Twitter, Facebook and YouTube, among others. A strong argument is made by Levin that we require more stringent moderation of these platforms, that the First Amendment should not protect those whose sole mission is to spread hate and promote violence. Only recently perhaps have we seen the tide starting to turn, with the recent call to arms of Trump to fight against the election results being deemed beyond the pale by the gatekeepers of social media debate, who, it must be mentioned, do benefit from the increased activity and attention given to their platforms by those espousing controversial views.

The Overton Window, the term given to those ideas deemed politically acceptable to the general population at any given time has shifted firmly to the right over the past 4 years in America and elsewhere, as norms and traditions are slowly eroded. It is in this environment that many of those subjects in Levin’s book have felt encouraged to step into the light, whereas before they were shrouded in the corners of the web where only like-minded communities engaged. Indeed, Levin notes “Trump’s election was a white hot shot of adrenaline into the arm of white nationalism”. There is a common thread throughout the book of an exploration into the jump from anonymised forum posting to real life actions, such as the Turning Point USA tours, when a Republican party that had fanned the flames of the more extreme elements of their membership met with the ugly truth of this same element’s mindset.

The argument in Culture Warlords is at its strongest when discussing the roots of division (with surprising details as to its age), and how pseudo-science and fear of the other has transcended generations, with society’s losers seeking to blame others for their travails.

A lot of books in the recent past have focused on Trump’s links to far right policies and therefore groups that wholeheartedly identify with these ideas, but I found the more interesting and novel sections of the book where the author sought to communicate directly the subject of these books, the lords who would be the gatekeepers of culture, and sought to shut down any of those that do not share the same world-view. However, I was ultimately left slightly disappointed by these exchanges, as although Levin was astute at observing these groups, the exchanges she did attempt to make, albeit for a few exceptions, did not reveal illuminating insights into what makes these people tick and what drove them to take such strident positions. However how much more insight or subtlety can you gain from those who already seem to post their inner-most thoughts online that most of civilised society would say was beyond the pale?

I appreciated the discussion as to the disconnect between the most prevalent forms of terrorism in the US today (being white supremacist based) and those which post 9/11 have had the most funding, which again feeds into society’s fear of the other (i.e. those who do not look the same as the majority of the population).

A small criticism would be the presence of repetition between the chapters, with ‘incel’ and other definitions being described multiple times as well as the meaning behind certain philosophies, which could have perhaps been picked up to make the book read a little more like a cohesive whole rather than individual chapters, but this is perhaps nit-picking.

The internet affords anonymity yet a sense of community, offering the perfect breeding ground for those who hold unpopular views that most members would never say in public to find like-minded associates, a fact the KKK was quick to seize upon as Levin notes, establishing their online presence as early as 1984. Once radicalised, ‘it [the internet] offers members community, solace and opportunity to deepen and flesh out one’s commitment to violent ideologies’.

I would recommend this book to those seeking to gain an understanding of the background to the division that racks our society today, and as a primer to those looking to read further about how we deal with moderating social media platforms.

I first heard of Talia Lavin through her appearance on the podcast ‘Worst Year Ever’, where she discussed her experiences going undercover and tracking the extreme Right. I was intrigued and popped her book on my reading list.

I believe that it is important to explore how and why people dedicate their lives to hate. Lavin investigates different aspects of the alt-right for this purpose, devoting chapters to incels and white supremacy, as well as covering beliefs commonly held by the extreme right.

Lavin deftly weaves research with her own experiences as a Jewish Bisexual AntiFacist. This worked well, especially in her coverage of Anti-Semitic and how it has affected her family through generations.

This must have been a very difficult book to write and I appreciate the work and emotion the author has put into it. I’d recommend Culture Warlords to anyone interested in understanding more about the Far Right in the USA and how the situation got to where it is today.

There is something very satisfying about the fact that the author - a Jewish woman who has frequently found herself the target of alt-right abuse online - managed to infiltrate many of the groups that had previously targeted her by posing as one of their own, and was subsequently able to expose some of them and their practices. This book explores her journeys into the worlds of online forums for white supremacists, incels and Christian extremists. These parts of the book are of course entertaining and fascinating, but they are also backed up by a wealth of research and valuable information, including discussions of how the hell we got here.

Talia Lavin is a bold, brave and articulate woman. I was utterly horrified by the tales she had to tell in this book. What a time to be alive, folks! I came for the Incels, stayed for the Christgang vs Pagang rumble. I had NO IDEA about most of this stuff. It's terrifying. The language is not always as accessible as I would have liked but overall it's an enlightening, sobering read and you can't help but admire the lengths that Lavin had to go to in order to write it.

A difficult and challenging read. Talia Lavin is a brave human being, and a necessary writer. Her explorations and excavations of one of the most challenging and frightening subjects facing modern culture is extraordinary. I read this over the week of the election, and I found myself viewing the news, the pundits, the parties, the polls with new eyes. Lavin's book serves as a warning, as much as a lesson in radicalised subcultures. This book is immediate, emotional, and raw.

This was such a compelling and horrifying read. While I obviously knew that White Supremacy was a thing, I had no idea about the levels it goes to. White Supremacist dating sites?! Who knew?

I found parts of it quite difficult to read - the levels of hate that spill out from the boards Talia Lavin infiltrates is just awful. I honestly don't know how she managed to spend enough time reading them and participating in order to get enough material for this book.

Culture Warlords is a highly uncomfortable - but necessary - read. Talia Lavin investigates the deplorable world of white supremacy via forums, chatrooms and dating sites in order to attempt to understand why these people behave they do, with the ultimate aim of exposing them.

As much as I was aware of these groups, I wasn't fully aware of the vulgarity of their beliefs and was appalled at the casual way such hatred and vitriol was discussed. Lavin explains the historical significance of these groups as well as how the political landscape of today is exacerbating the situation. I found it chilling to think that these people are mostly able to blend into society. They could be a relative, neighbour or even a friend,

I have given the book 3 stars due to Lavin's writing style which is extremely erratic. Highly repetitive (e.g. in the chapter on incels, Lavin gives a definition of an incel 3 times), and jumping from subject to subject with no flow or connection made it a chore to read at times. It almost reads as if it hasn't been proofread, with sections that would be appropriate in other chapters haphazardly scattered throughout the book as if the author has just remembered to include them as opposed to putting them in a relevant section.

Overall, rather poorly written, but an essential read in today's climate.

Thanks to NetGalley and Octopus Publishing for the ARC.

This is an excellent and worthwhile book that I hope gains a large readership. It really did examine white supremacy online and how the movement is evergrowing. If you have read Laura Bate's book 'Men Who Hate Women', you will be familiar with much of what Lavin talks about, I do think that this book in time will become a textbook about the growth of far-right and emboldening of neo-nazism during this decade. A must-read!

This powerful and important book was an extremely uncomfortable read, intimately examining incredible hatred and vitriol. ⁣Talia Lavin infiltrated white supremacist Telegram groups, forums, and dating sites in an attempt to understand and expose this ideology. What she encountered was horrifically perverse and, despite mainstream numbing to alt-right chatter, still shocking. There are Telegram chat groups named after the poison gas used during the Holocaust and allegations that all leftists are HIV positive. This is a world so completely inverse to what I hold dear that it has often been easier to dismiss it as fantastical. Lavin shows that this hatred is not fantastical, but one that is very real, extremely dangerous, and has already costed many lives.
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The book alternates between details of her encounters online and solid analyses of white supremacist ideology, history, and its intersection with misogyny, religion, and right-wing politics. Lavin does a wonderful job of writing about these horrors with sharp condemnation and acerbic wit - I was particularly tickled by the love letters her character Ashlynn received on a white supremacist dating site, which she described as a cross between Mein Kampf and Nicholas Sparks. She also speaks with admirable levity about the torrent of abuse she receives online - ‘after the thousandth time someone points out that I’m Jewish, or fat, or a bitch, I struggle with the urge to point out that I know all these things about myself already, and it’s really not much of a revelation’. ⁣
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What I found most frightening is how ordinary most of these people are, quiet neighbours who pass you in the supermarket or are tasked with keeping your community safe - ‘The worst people are still people; their humanity is impossible to disregard, but it does not absolve them. If anything, it makes their choices more abhorrent, surrounded, as they are, by the banality of a life indistinguishable from other lives... They choose to dream not of peace or of equality or of anything better...but of a worse world, riven by terror, awash in the blood of those they consider subhuman.’
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