In 1967, the satirical Report from Iron Mountain was published. It purported to be a government document laying out the dangers of world peace. War, it stated, provided many benefits--economic, social, and more. The book was fiction. The author wrote a foreword, but didn't let on that the entire book was a work of his own imagination. There were others involved in the creation of the book--those who first approached the author, as well as the publisher, who categorized it as nonfiction. The book was very popular on the political left. Some were skeptical about the authenticity of the book, but said that even if it was fiction, there were some basic truths within it. Finally, the people involved admitted that the report wasn't real. For a while, this made no difference. People still read it and believed it on various levels. Eventually, interest in the book waned and it went out of print. Then one day the author discovered bootleg copies being sold on a right wing website. Turns out the book became a darling of right wing conspiracy theorists, which continues to this day.

In this timely and important book, Phil Tinline traces the history of the Report from Iron Mountain, situating it in cultural contexts as times and audience change. He's very clear about drawing the line between satire and conspiracy theory. He shows how facts can be manipulated to fit an existing worldview and how difficult it is to break through conspiracy theorists' beliefs. Tinline shows how this work is still an influence today--and the book is current, including the impact of the Report on the most recent US election. Another important aspect of the book for me is the illustration of how far left and far right political movements have much in common. My own observations bear this out. Although the ideological viewpoints aren't the same, there is often a common enemy, even if the solutions each side wants to implement are wildly different. The behavior and rhetoric is often quite similar. As this book shows, the same words get interpreted in different ways and can be used to justify opposing points of view.

This book has much to show us about how conspiracy theories operate and how even work done with the best of intentions can be taken up and twisted by anyone, leading to serious unintended consequences. I am very glad I read this book and I highly recommend it.