The imposter's war The press, propaganda, and the newsman who battled for the minds of America

John R. Rathom, editor of the Providence Journal in Rhode Island, was one of the most ardent proponents of the U.S. entering World War I. His blockbuster stories of German subterfuge and sabotage in America made the Journal a top source of information, quoted by large and small newspapers across North America. The articles, however, were embellished to cast Rathom as a master spy hunter in addition to an investigative journalist, and the government intelligence agencies of the time as lax or incompetent. After WWI, his propensity for self promotion ran afoul of his sources, including Attorney General Thomas Gregory and Assistant Secretary of the Navy Franklin Delano Roosevelt. He was publicly exposed as a fraud in both his professional and private lives, leading to a swift and complete downfall. In his first nonfiction book, Boston Globe reporter Arsenault not only resurrects Rathom and uncovers the surprising secret of his true background but also provides a complete sense of the world in which Rathom lived. Well researched and clearly written, this book provides insights into journalism and parts of American history that still resonate.

In this superb debut, Pulitzer Prize--winning journalist Arsenault tells the stranger-than-fiction story of the efforts of John Rathom (1868--1923), the Australian-born editor of the Providence Journal, to shift American attitudes toward involvement in WWI. Rathom spent months exposing German covert operations in the U.S., documenting sabotage, campaigns to undermine industry and labor, and even a plot to incite a war with Mexico. In response to this relentless drumbeat, President Woodrow Wilson ordered the recall of two top-ranking German diplomats implicated in Rathom's accounts. But Rathom's fidelity to the truth was highly selective, and even his name was false. Digging both by the pro-German press and federal investigators exposed his unwarranted taking of credit for others' work and outright lies. Arsenault's own sleuthing details this remarkable character's entire life, even coming up with a convincing case for Rathom's real name and origins. His eye-opening account, which also covers a Navy scandal that could have derailed FDR's political career, is a valuable look at both the ethics of journalism that prioritizes the ends over the means and century-old antecedents for foreign propaganda disseminated as part of a sophisticated scheme. Not only those interested in the path that led the U.S. to enter WWI in 1917 will be enthralled. Agent: Michael Signorelli, Aevitas. (Apr.)

World War I German skulduggery combined with the biography of a flamboyant newspaper editor who trumpeted it. Although many of the familiar events of the war appear throughout the book, Arsenault, an investigative reporter for the Boston Globe, focuses on John Rathom (1868-1923), editor of the Providence Journal, a largely unknown publication until it began printing violently anti-German stories, reports that were too juicy for other papers to ignore. Although much of the information was false, British undercover sources began feeding him tidbits, so he broke some spectacular stories. He became famous, but Arsenault's research reveals Rathom as a fraud. "The imposter was undeniably brilliant. He was also a grifter, a con man, and an extortionist," writes the author. "He was one of the most gifted liars of his era and immune to shame. Under ordinary circumstances, someone of his dark talents would have been best suited for a career fleecing marks at a crooked carnival." Rathom invented a fictional past as a hypereducated, adventurous journalist who traveled the world and covered many wars, where he was often injured and befriended famous generals. An aggressive reporter, he jumped from job to job before going to work for the Journal in 1906. Once America entered the war, his persistent claim that America was awash in German spies offended the Department of Justice. Officials confronted him with his errors, threatened frightening legal action, and forced him to sign a confession of their falsity, which they kept secret--for a while. This suppressed him until 1919, when he accused--perhaps correctly--Assistant Secretary of the Navy Franklin Roosevelt of overseeing an operation that recruited sailors to covertly gather evidence against gay shipmates by engaging in actual sexual acts. Roosevelt fought back, publicizing Rathom's confession and suing for libel, but he lost interest when he began his battle with polio. Rathom was quickly forgotten, but Arsenault does readers a favor by reviving his memory. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.