In an age of news silos, is it possible to reach folks? Especially folks who only seem to listen to only one viewpoint? Peter Pomerantsey has not given up hope. He draws inspiration from Sefton Delmer who ran a black propaganda system during World War II that caused problems for the Nazi propaganda machine.

Sefton Delmer was born in Berlin to Australian parents. His father was a professor in Imperial Germany and he was ten when World War I broke out. He experienced the effects of propaganda first-hand as school friends turned on him in a matter of weeks. His family did not get out of Germany for several years and this experience shaped his view of life and people. He finished growing in England, got an Oxford degree and then became a journalist for the Daily Express in 1920's Germany. He chronicled the rise of the Nazi regime, acting as an aide-de-camp to Ernest Rohm, the leader of the Nazi storm troopers at a private meeting. Delmer accompanied Hitler on his airplane as he campaigned to become president against Hindenburg. Delmer also gave lots of parties in Berlin that attracted a number of Nazi officials. After World War II, broke out and France was occupied, Hitler gave a speech offering peace to Great Britain. Sefton Delmar was selected at the BBC to provide an immediate reply that threw the Nazis for a loop. This was what he wanted to do, using language to subvert the enemy. But before he could get a position in the psych-ops wing of the British intelligence services, he had to persuade the powers that be that he was not a Nazi infiltrator and that he had an idea that would reach beyond the "Good German" that the current BBC programming was focusing on.

In late1940, Delmer was posted to Lisbon by the Daily Express. He was also to find out German plans regarding Gibraltar for the Secret Intelligence Service. Then he got recalled to London where he resigned from the Daily Express and was placed in charge of a "Research Unit" - actually a code for "freedom radio." Delmer had the challenge of setting up a right-wing sounding radio to influence the German public! Finally Delmer could put his ideas into practice! Propaganda was what was needed and that was what was delivered using language, tone, and innuendo that got the listeners to stop believing everything on the official radio broadcasts. Delmer took the German broadcasts and spun them with sly bits of commentary that would get listeners rethinking their attitudes toward Nazi officials, the military, their neighbors, and eventually everything. Delmar used the truth to undercut the lies and "fake news" that the official German broadcasts had regarding bombings, outcomes of battles, and survival of individuals. But, Delmer's success in floating some propaganda ideas during the war had unintended consequences after the war, specifically, the stories he spread regarding the German general's opposition to Hitler. After the war, Delmer never knew the success he had before and during the war, but his contribution to winning the war was immense.
So if you are interested in the concept of propaganda and/or black ops during World War II, do pick up Peter Pomerantsev's How to Win An Information War! You might even get some ideas on how to be subversive in countering today's propaganda silos.

Outstanding. I've loved this author since his book Nothing is True and Everything is Possible but his last one fell a little flat for me. Not so with this story, which deftly weaves the historical account of Sefton Delmer (never heard of him and can't believe I haven't) with modern Russian propaganda in/around Ukraine. This was so well written and incredibly informative. Very important for our current times and an interesting historical perspective.

Peter Pomerantsev wrote a fantastic biography of WWII propagandist Sefton Delmer while at the same time tying the tactics Delmer used to modern-day propaganda. Too many historians don’t tie history to the present, so five stars and a gold medal for Mr. Pomerantsev. We need to hear more about Delmer; he created Der Chef, a German who spoke up and questioned Nazis. His listeners included German soldiers and citizens, as well as politicians. Do not underestimate the power of intelligence and propaganda in winning WWII. Tactics are still being used, and most people still fall for it.

I thoroughly enjoyed learning about someone I had heard a little about. Thank you, NetGalley and PublicAffairs, for an advanced copy.

This book includes a wealth of comprehensive historical information on the spread of propaganda (of course) and how it was utilized, specifically, during WWII. My library is likely to purchase this title. If official discussion questions are released by the author or publisher, I'd recommend for Book Clubs.

A masterpiece. Ever since I read his first book, Nothing is True and Everything is Possible, I have considered Peter Pomerantsev one of the most important voices on disinformation and Russian influence. And he proves me right once again.

You may be surprised that he has dedicated his forthcoming book to a virtually unknown figure from the Second World War era, but it is much more than just another history book. In almost every paragraph, you will find a disturbing connection between the era of Nazi Germany and our present-day reality.

"Hitler’s power stemmed not so much from his ability to win people over with clever arguments but by his articulating the feelings that already lay within them and taking them on an emotional journey from feeling humiliated to humiliating others,” writes Pomeramtsev, and adds: “Skim through the speeches of current leaders from America to China and Russia today, and they will all play the same tunes of humiliation”.

The forgotten story of a propaganda genius allows the author to analyze the true nature of this dark craft and how to make it successful - because sometimes it can be used for good, as a tool that can save a world from true evil. But it is a devil's bargain, swollen with moral dilemmas: "This is the danger of dabbling in disinformation even in a ‘good cause’: it nurtures an environment of endless distrust that benefits authoritarian instincts."

Pomerantsev raises many important questions in this timely book - but he also offers some answers. And anyone who cares about the future of liberal democracy should read it and act on it.

Many tnaks to the publisher, PublicAffairs, and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book.

Will be getting this for my library. Our nonfiction book club will love it. Really enjoyed it myself!

After reading a lot about the history of WW2 this is a part of the story not mentioned often or at all and I really appreciate the time and care that obviously went into telling this important tale.