| Contents |
Roots of empire: "war is a racket" -- World War I: Wilson vs Lenin -- The New Deal: "I welcome their hatred" -- World War II: who really defeated Germany? -- The Bomb: the tragedy of a small man -- The Cold War: who started it? -- Eisenhower: a not so pretty picture -- JFK: "the most dangerous moment in history" -- LBJ: empire derailed -- Nixon and Kissinger: The 'madman" and the psychopath" -- Collapse of detente: darkness at noon -- The Reagan years: death squads for democracy -- The Cold War ends: squandered opportunities -- The Bush-Cheney debacle: "the gates of hell are open in Iraq" -- Obama: managing a wounded empire. |
| Abstract |
In this companion to the ten-part documentary series the authors outline a "people's history" of the American empire and its rise and decline, aided by the latest archival findings and recently declassified documents and scholarly research. They challenge the prevailing orthodoxies of traditional history books in this look at the dark side of American history. They introduce readers to a pantheon of heroes and villains as they show not only how far the U.S. has drifted from its democratic traditions but the powerful forces that have struggle to get us back on track. They argue that the U.S. must face its troubling history honestly and forthrightly in order to set a new course for the future, and pose the question: Is it too late for America to change? |
| General note | Companion to the documentary series of the same name. |
| Bibliography note | Includes bibliographical references (pages 619-709) and index. |
| Genre/form | History. |
| LCCN | 2011051642 |
| ISBN | 9781451613513 |
| ISBN | 1451613512 |
| Standard identifier# |
40021530712 |
