Items related to Colossus: The Rise and Fall of the American Empire
Is America the new world empire? Presidents from Lincoln to Bush may have denied it but, as Niall Ferguson's brilliant and provocative book shows, the US is in many ways the greatest imperial power of all time. What's more, it always has been an empire, expanding westwards throughout the nineteenth century and rising to global dominance in the twentieth. But is today's American colossus really equipped to play Atlas, bearing the weight of the world on its shoulders? The United States, Ferguson reveals, is an empire running on empty, weakened by chronic defecits of money, manpower and political will. When the New Rome falls, he warns, its collapse may come from within.
'One of the timeliest and most topical books to have appeared in recent years' Literary Review
'Yet another tour de force from a writer who displays all his usual gifts of forceful polemic, unconventional intelligence and elegant prose ... guaranteed to spark fierce debate' Irish Times
'A bravura exploration of why Americans are not cut out to be imperialists but nonetheless have an empire. Vigorous, substantive, and worrying' Timothy Garton Ash
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Review:
"The United States today is an empire--but a peculiar kind of empire", writes Niall Ferguson in Colossus: the Price of America's Empire. Despite overwhelming military, economic and cultural dominance, the US has had a difficult time imposing its will on other nations, mostly because the country is uncomfortable with imperialism and thus unable to use this power most effectively and decisively. The origin of this attitude and its persistence is a principal theme of this thought-provoking book, including how domestic politics affects foreign policy, whether it is politicians worried about the next election or citizens who "like Social Security more than national security".
Review:
Ferguson, author of Empire: How Britain Made the Modern World, has no objection to an American empire, as long as it is a liberal one actively underwriting the free exchange of goods, labour and capital. Further, he writes that "empire is more necessary in the 21st century than ever before" as a means to "contain epidemics, depose tyrants end local wars and eradicate terrorist organisations". The sooner America embraces this role and acts on it confidently, the better.
Ferguson contrasts this persistent anti-imperialistic urge with the attitude held by the British Empire and suggests that America has much to learn from that model if it is to achieve its stated foreign policy objectives of spreading social freedom, democracy, development and the free market to the world. He suggests that the US must be willing to send money, civilians and troops for a sustained period of time to troubled spots if there is to be real change, as in Japan and Germany after World War II--an idea that many American citizens and leaders now find repulsive. Rather than devoting limited resources and striving to get complex jobs done in a rush, Americans must be willing to integrate themselves into a foreign culture until a full Americanisation has occurred, he writes.
Overall, this is a trenchant examination of a uniquely American dilemma and its implications for the rest of the world. --Shawn Carkonen, Amazon.com
Colossus confirms Niall Ferguson's standing as one of the most incisive writers of history, politics and economics today (Sunday Telegraph)
One of the timeliest and most topical books to have appeared in recent years (Literary Review)
Yet another tour de force from a writer who displays all his usual gifts of forceful polemic, unconventional intelligence and elegant prose ... guaranteed to spark fierce debate (Irish Times)
A bravura exploration of why Americans are not cut out to be imperialists but nonetheless have an empire. Vigorous, substantive, and worrying (Timothy Garton Ash)
One of the timeliest and most topical books to have appeared in recent years (Literary Review)
Yet another tour de force from a writer who displays all his usual gifts of forceful polemic, unconventional intelligence and elegant prose ... guaranteed to spark fierce debate (Irish Times)
A bravura exploration of why Americans are not cut out to be imperialists but nonetheless have an empire. Vigorous, substantive, and worrying (Timothy Garton Ash)
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- PublisherPenguin
- Publication date2009
- ISBN 10 0141017007
- ISBN 13 9780141017006
- BindingPaperback
- Edition number1
- Number of pages416
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Book Description Paperback. Condition: new. Paperback. Is America the new world empire? Presidents from Lincoln to Bush may have denied it but, as Niall Ferguson's brilliant and provocative book shows, the US is the greatest military and economic colossus of all time. What's more, it always has been an empire, with its founding fathers battling westwards for territory and their successors spreading freedom across the world - at gunpoint if necessary. Yet is the US really equipped to play Atlas, bearing the weight of the world on its shoulders? America, Ferguson reveals, is now an empire running on empty, backing away from the crucial imperial commitments of time, money and manpower - and resting on perilous financial foundations. When the New Rome falls, its collapse may come from within. Is America the new world empire? Presidents from Lincoln to Bush may have denied it but, this book shows, the US is in many ways the greatest imperial power of all time. This title reveals, is an empire running on empty, weakened by chronic defecits of money, manpower and political will. Shipping may be from multiple locations in the US or from the UK, depending on stock availability. Seller Inventory # 9780141017006
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Book Description Paperback / softback. Condition: New. New copy - Usually dispatched within 4 working days. Is America the new world empire? Presidents from Lincoln to Bush may have denied it but, this book shows, the US is in many ways the greatest imperial power of all time. This title reveals, is an empire running on empty, weakened by chronic defecits of money, manpower and political will. Seller Inventory # B9780141017006
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Book Description Condition: New. 2009. 01st Edition. Paperback. Is America the new world empire? This title charts America's rise as a world power, and issues a dire warning about its future. Num Pages: 416 pages, Illustrations. BIC Classification: 1KBB; HBJK; JPS. Category: (G) General (US: Trade). Dimension: 197 x 129 x 25. Weight in Grams: 304. . . . . . Seller Inventory # V9780141017006
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