Once again, Sarah Kendzior manages to write a treatise that will educate, engage, and downright piss off most readers. They Knew is another examination of the ‘transatlantic criminal organization masquerading as a government’ that has stolen, punished, cajoled, and committed various crimes against the populace, mostly minorities, to enrich a minute fraction of the population at the cost of safety and the future.

Kendzior goes into detail about how this criminal enterprise came to be, the current (and past) major players, and how, sadly, the people in power, regardless of proclaimed political affiliation, have not only failed to stop these proceeding but, in actuality, enable their continued practice. Like any publication or story about uncomfortable truths, reading They Knew inspires ire and rage at the actions and choices of elected officials and, at times, even the populace for allowing these continued steps toward demise and death.

Kendzior does not sugarcoat nor back down from discussing how our current circumstances came to be. She does not absolve anyone for where we are. Journalists, pundits, academics, etc. are all properly credited with how they share some blame for the current state of affairs. However, she also provides a few minor victories and beacons that demonstrate and instruct how to hold fast and potentially fight back against these regimes. It is not an easy fight or perfect solution, but, as the saying goes, nothing worth having is easy.

So, while I would recommend being in the right head space for this particular book, I would still highly recommend reading this book along with Sarah Kendzior’s other works that break down and dissect political and social turmoil that we are facing.