I found this and season 1 to be very interesting and the parallels between then and now are uncanny. It just reinforces the idiom: “Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it.” I am a little disappointed there was no mention of the role Ed Murrow played in the push back against Senator Joe McCarthy

I couldn’t stop listening!

Aren’t your parents in correctional facility? Cousin didn’t your family business create those microchips that were “stolen”. Famous forced to work in publicity of robbed. Good Luck

What a bunch of fear mongering political propaganda. Any one who listens to this and believes it is being led off a cliff

If you never paid attention to politics in the 30s -60s, then you can’t understand how we got here today. People see the orange felon as unique. He is not. There is a scary past of the USA that isn’t spoken of and that is part of the problem. The hatred is real. It exists and has existed for eons. Be aware of the books your friends read.

Rachel Maddow consistently uncovers important and not well known history, and is to be lauded for that. The stories in this series certainly fit that description and I learned a lot by listening to the series. But, unfortunately, this podcast series is so poorly produced, it makes it almost unlistenable. There are a lot of techniques copied from her television show, and TV “news programming” in general, including repeating items multiple times to lengthen a show. The total running time of this entire series could probably have been cut by 75% and still told the story in just as much depth. Most annoying to me is the background music that runs continuously in the episodes, which sounds like it’s lifted from a circus carousel, or a kids cartoon. I’d love if she’d continue bringing us important history like this, and like the excellent podcast she did earlier about Spiro Agnew, but produce the shows less “slickly“ and with a little more seriousness. Overall, good stories though!

Pass.

Thanks for resuscitating this story that needs to be retold. I’ve never heard of it and there are so many glaring parallels to what we are going through and seeing daily.

I learned so much listening to this podcast! The U.S. Government has long been infiltrated by these traitors and perpetrators of treason, peddlers of hate and white supremacy. We have and continue to be at risk. History is repeating itself and so many of us simply do not know how relevant this time really is!! Thank you for these stories, I will share and never forget.

I really appreciate this podcast and at the same time I’m shocked that this happened once and it’s happening again. We haven’t learned anything and we seem to be doing the same thing again. This story is really laying out the game plan that is being played right now. Why don’t we have a way to stop this from happening again? We’re playing into their hands again.

Season 1 was amazing - eye opening, well written, well narrated, great research and super interesting topic. Season 2 is also fascinating but, the pizzicato violin is making me nuts. I feel like I’m in the Twilight Zone or the Shining once it catches my ear. Super distracting, please vary the music, or stop it altogether at times. It’s not really part of the story and sounds like AI. In any case, still worth the time. Lots to learn.

An incredible story well told, but the podcast channel is nothing but free advertising for MSNBC to peddle their subscriptions.

As a historian, I relish podcasts that tell stories many Americans might not be familiar with, such as Ultra, both season one and 2. While the story Maddow tells is factual and riveting, I cannot understand why she repeats herself so often in every episode. She’s writing the narrative, per the statements given at the end of each episode, so surely she’s aware of the constant repetitive descriptions. For just one example, how many times do we have to hear that Lester Hunt was beloved by all. I’m not sure if the repetitions are to stretch the material into more episodes or because she thinks we’re all morons, but we’re not. The facts of each season’s story are so interesting, as are the spliced-in recordings of the time. Please stop repeating yourself, Ms. Maddow, and at least this historian would recommend your podcasts to friends, strangers, and even my students.

By the end, I got really tired of them cutting to an expert or historian and only getting a sentence fragment sound bite. Let the people talk, give me full sentences and complete thoughts. It became annoying, and it gave the impression that you were aggressively cherry picking their words. It started to feel like you were trying to remove their words from their context, or maybe that you just sucked at interviewing these people and only got 5 minutes of usable material for the whole podcast. The subject and the stories were very interesting. The production and presentation were aggravating.

Every American — every high school history classroom — needs to hear and discuss this podcast series, and its predecessor, Ultra season 1. These two podcasts help us understand the history of hate that is deeply embedded in the GOP, and the devastation from its incorporation of the Dixicrats by Nixon. Far from being the “patriots” the proclaimed, it should not be surprising that they enthusiastically embraced the treason of fascism, antisemitism and racial prejudice. Rachel Maddow’s careful delivery makes these two podcasts exceptionally compelling and comprehensible. She richly deserves a Pulitzer.

Started watching MSNBC in Nov ‘16. Felt like our lives were at risk. Oh boy, Rachel did I learn. Rachel is brilliant

People who want power and control will do anything to get it. As a History teacher with two Masters Degrees, I have done my share of research and there are several portions of this story that I have shared in my classroom for decades with photos and other primary source evidence. What I CANNOT teach, is about their plot to overthrow the government. Teachers in conservative schools would get canned- we get angry phone calls for sharing basic truths about Supreme Court decisions. I once had a very angry dad e-mail my superintendent because I was teaching high schoolers that there were ‘Radical Republicans’ trying to impeach President Johnson. I had to explain to him that they were a very LIBERAL group who called themselves such and they did very much want Johnson gone. There is no winning- Most of the story of Ultra is easily verifiable. Any negative review I have read about Ultra that calls this story a lie simply has not attempted to verify it with any research. I really thought most Americans knew these things! Always be ready to defend Democracy!!!! And be careful who you vote for! The opportunists have no moral code!

I was really looking forward to this podcast. In this dangerous political climate , it is crucial to remind voters how fragile democracy is. I had to walk away at episode 5. The music is so distracting and annoying that I could not focus on the dialog. The message was compelling enough on it’s own with out resorting to creating a theatrical production! Very dissappointed.

This is a fascinating recounting of this history. My father in law experienced the fear of this right wing scourge when he was starting his medical career. This after serving as a surgeon in WW2 in North Africa and Italy. Now we hear the same old playbook in recent history of election denialism, monkeying with the electoral college, and shameless lying to further their cause. I appreciated the mention of Richard Nixon defending democracy in 1960. If only he had maintained that ideal into the late sixties and seventies. Next I want to hear about the thread from Yocky to the Heritage foundation.

Great job

It’s not the everyday news cycle. I think of it as one of the best classrooms for this type of American history. I have to slow my role and listen so I won’t miss all the pieces as they add up to an extraordinary story. Truly amazing work. Thank you so much. It’s really appreciated.

Can’t believe these people lie. We don’t believe anything you say

A fascinating podcast about fascism in the US. Many parallels to our current time.

If you need a perfect example of how history repeats and how preserving democracy is a full time job, this is your podcast. A friend recommended this podcast recently and I just find it incredibly informative and very well done. Rachel continues to impress me with her insight and steady steer through complex topics. A+

After dnc people want more content

This is the stuff that students should be taught about. So they understand how important our democracy is. It’s hard for somebody who’s never been out of their little community to understand how everything is intertwined. She brings it to you. She brings the states to you the countries to you and all the little intricate details of of government. Rachel Maddow is an excellent teacher. Keep on writing.

My high school did us all a deservice by not covering this. I wish Rachel had been my history teacher. With her calm voice and pragmatic presentation, she proceeds through all the ins and outs of this fascinating, hair-raising history. I hope our modern legislators know this history and are prepared to nip any copycats who want to try this game again. As she read this series, I could see the puppeteers behind Trump pulling the final strings to overturn this next election.

Impressively researched, fascinating topic but Ms Maddow’s delivery is just… so… drawn… out… I wanted to love this, but the only way to get through this is at 1.5 - 1.75 speed. It’s as if she is using the producers of Dateline and has to stretch 15 minutes of content into a 60 minute show.

A truly riveting story that should be heard by all, Rachael is an awesome story teller, Season 2 has been absolutely phenomenal! Simply well done. Thank you

As someone who is a history major in college, I find the series very very informative I’ve often heard it said that it is the victors who write the histories It’s nice to see something that they didn’t show us in school

The research was great, presentation, first rate, but the background music is so loud! It distracts from the important information.

Thank you for this informative and educational PodCast! I’ve learned a lot … I hope it will be heard by many, many people before the upcoming elections! Congratulations!

Once again, Maddow & company present a well and deeply researched telling of a dark side of our political history. Instead of hiding this history, we would do well to teach it to all our high school students so that they can make the distinction between the glory of fighting for our independence from a king and the hard work of perpetually fighting to keep it from authoritarianism. My compliments to all who made this series, it's a job well done.

Beautiful illustration of history repeating itself. I can hardly wait to see what you’re going to do next. I can see why Rachel had trouble getting through this one. The only problem is that the episodes are over so fast. Thank you, Rachel, for bringing me to tears at the end of every segment.

As all reviews here note, stunning work. Amazing narrative hook teaching graduate level political history in dramatic bites. More history and exposé of these dark forces in our politics please! Particularly as they relate to current figures. Keenly interested in the Roy Cohn linkage between McCarthy and Trump.

Wow Wow Wow!!! Rachel Maddow has done it again with another podcast with history that not many people know about. I really enjoyed listening to her and the historians learning about these two major events in history that have never been taught in schools. I’m a college student and listening to this made me want to hear more week after week on what happened next and what happened next and so on. I recommend people listen to Rachel Maddow podcast ultra season one and two because it’s very important that people know the history of what she is explaining and the historians and that history doesn’t repeat itself again! I also have read her book “Prequel” which I highly recommend reading. Hoping that she writes another book for Ultra season two like she did with Ultra season one for “Prequel”!! Fingers crossed 🤞🏽

Is it possible to further magnify the King has no clothes but is still incredibly dangerous.

Incredibly well researched and very detailed information. Rachel is such a great story teller that it is always gripping and yet easy to follow. Bravo!

Listened three times..awestruck at how we as a country manage most of these horrors of hate without stepping outside the lines of democracy and the nation of laws upon which we must depend! THANK YOU RACHEL.. you make my heart and brain much stronger.

Why we didn’t learn any of this in our history books, and yet it’s plainly available in the national archives is beyond me. It totally changes my way of thinking, filling in history that helps me to better see why we are here in this moment in US history. The great aha!

Those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it. Winston Churchill, 1948. While listening to this podcast series one cannot fail to notice the similarities with present-day America under the noxious influence of a political party led by a wanna-be dictator.

You have been doing such great work. Thanks again!

Loved this podcast

There are things I knew and things I didn’t. History always repeats itself and listening to this season is a clear reminder. Thank you Rachel and crew! Wonderful podcast!!

I have appreciated Maddow’s reporting for many years, but her approach to a historical narrative is outstanding.

Listen, learn, proceed accordingly. Rachel’s impeccable research, writing and presentation are not to be missed. She makes it clear that the past has a lot to teach us about our present and future.

It’s Rachael Maddow, what else you need to know?

Fascinating history of right wing fascist ideology in our politics, with clear echoes today. Excellent work

I have learned so very much from this material. The story telling is like no other, and packed with the human element with emotions running full blast. Thanks for sharing this wonderful work. I will never forget it. One last thing, we all have an important part to play in our American story.

Season 1 was just unbelievable, the end of season 2 just blew me away. Rachel Maddow deserves every award she can possibly win for this podcast, and for her fearless research and reporting. They have been following the playbook all along. We’re the heroes we’ve been looking for. Ballot box, here we come.