Product Description

Is the United States a force for democracy?

In this classic and unique volume that answers this question, William Blum serves up a forensic overview of U.S. foreign policy spanning sixty years.

Remarks from the previous edition:

"Far and away the best book on the topic."—Noam Chomsky

"A valuable reference for anyone interested in the conduct of U.S. foreign policy."—Choice

"I enjoyed it immensely."—Gore Vidal

"The single most useful summary of CIA history."—John Stockwell

"Each chapter I read makes me more and more angry."—Helen Caldicott

"A very useful piece of work, daunting in scope, important."—Thomas Powers, author and Pulitzer Prize--winning journalist

"A very valuable book. The research and organization are extremely impressive."—A.J. Langguth, author and former New York Times bureau chief

For those who want the details on our most famous -actions (Chile, Cuba, Vietnam, to name a few), and for those who want to learn about our lesser-known efforts (France, China, Bolivia, Brazil, for example), this book provides a window on what our foreign policy goals really are.

William Blum is the author of Rogue State: A Guide to the World’s Only Superpower.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #33452 in Books
• Published on: 2008-10-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 500 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9781567512526
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

About the Author
William Blum's latest book is "Freeing the World To Death: Essays on the American Empire." He lives in Washington, DC.

Customer Reviews

Best book on the topic...
This is perhaps the best political book I have read, certainly the best on US foreign policy I have seen anywhere. Every American needs to get this book and investigate what it says. If they doubt its truthfulness they can look in other places to find further information, but the plain fact is most Americans would not know 99% of what is in this book...and they have to or our "democracy" is a joke. Even if this book is biased, a biased view that can be investigated is better than total ignorance. However I do not think this book is that biased to begin with, most of the actual facts exist in thousands of other books, they have just never been brought together so effectively.

While there are a lot of books out there on the evils of American foreign policy, this is the only one I have seen that goes through country by country, state by state to show how we intervened, year after year. There are other books by authors such as Noam Chomsky that may contain more detail and analysis, but none are as complete or are ordered so well.

After you read this you cannot help but put foreign policy as the main issue you care about in politics. Sure domestic issues are important, but what can that compare to us literally participating in the killing of thousands, and in some cases millions overseas? How can you even weigh domestic concerns compared to supporting torturing dictators for decades? The fact is our foreign policy is not that of the Nazi's, it differs in one very important way: we have gotten away with it for 50 years.

This book will give you as ugly a view of America as there is, but if you want to improve things (if thats even possible anymore) you need to start with the ugly truth.

Higly Informative
Written by a former State Department employee, the author's wealth of knowledge and experience are thoroughly impressive, and this book is very easy to read and follow. Beginning at the end of WWII, the author lists, by country, US military involvement in chronological order. Readers will find the consequences - some of which are being seen today - profoundly interesting.

Another reviewer mentioned that the book had a "blame America first" slant, but I sincerely doubt that reviewer read the entire book. While the book does specifically mention US involvement in the overthrow of democratically elected governments in places like Iran, Chile, and Indonesia, these incidents are generally known now. The people responsible are blamed, not the American people who were not privy to such Washington secrets.

It is interesting to read why Washington powerbrokers chose military intervention: In some cases bowing to political interests, in other cases with fine intentions, in most cases not foreseeing the negative consequences for the US and the world.

This book provides a concise background for the state of the world today.

Fierce
It's a dense and heavily footnoted book, but turns out to be exceedingly readable. Pick any chapter at random and one can sit down for a smart 15-minute history lesson. I find Blum's book superior to others in the same field such as Chomsky. Blum throws in small doses of sarcasm and black humor even. He is merciless and sharp... I'm sure some would call it "slanted." However, considering the facts (or purported facts), one can see why the author is so relentless. Blum is fighting a tide of Americans growing less and less conscious of history, and this history, which has strongly shaped our present culture and political climate, was always propagandized, obscured, or swept under the rug as it unfolded. It is a subject of the highest importance, and Blum handles it admirably. Buy copies for your friends and enemies.