- 242 pages
- English
- ePUB (mobile friendly)
- Available on iOS & Android
eBook - ePub
About this book
New York TimesāBestselling Author: A penetrating account of the post-Cold War follies and delusions that culminated in the age of Trump.
When the Cold War ended with the fall of the Berlin Wall, the Washington establishment felt it had prevailed in a world-historical struggle. Our side had won, a verdict that was both decisive and irreversible. For the world's "indispensable nation," its "sole superpower," the future looked very bright. History, having brought the United States to the very summit of power and prestige, had validated American-style liberal democratic capitalism as universally applicable.
In the decades to come, Americans would put that claim to the test. They would embrace the promise of globalization as a source of unprecedented wealth while embarking on wide-ranging military campaigns to suppress disorder and enforce American values abroad, confident in the ability of US forces to defeat any foe. Meanwhile, they placed all their bets on the White House to deliver on the promise of their Cold War triumph: unequaled prosperity, lasting peace, and absolute freedom.
In The Age of Illusions, Andrew Bacevich takes us from that moment of seemingly ultimate victory to the age of Trump, telling an epic tale of folly and delusion. Writing with his usual eloquence and vast knowledge, he explains how, within a quarter of a century, the United States ended up with gaping inequality, permanent war, moral confusion, an increasingly angry and alienated population, and, of course, the strangest president in American history.
"Offers tantalizing insights into how America's Cold War victory soured.Ā .Ā .Ā . Most interesting." ā The Economist
"Those unfamiliar with Bacevich's work will be thrilled to encounter a first-rate thinker whose trenchant, objective, well-written analyses defy glib labelingĀ .Ā .Ā . Highly recommended." ā Choice
"This engrossing recounting of the irresponsibility of America's ruling classāaided and abetted by a citizenry grown complacentāclarifies the absurdities of the ascent of Trump [and shows] how America's self-congratulatory past has led to our wrenching presentĀ .Ā .Ā . he offers hope for a future free of self-deception, and points the way toward a newly responsible American civic life." āPatrick J. Deneen, author of Why Liberalism Failed
When the Cold War ended with the fall of the Berlin Wall, the Washington establishment felt it had prevailed in a world-historical struggle. Our side had won, a verdict that was both decisive and irreversible. For the world's "indispensable nation," its "sole superpower," the future looked very bright. History, having brought the United States to the very summit of power and prestige, had validated American-style liberal democratic capitalism as universally applicable.
In the decades to come, Americans would put that claim to the test. They would embrace the promise of globalization as a source of unprecedented wealth while embarking on wide-ranging military campaigns to suppress disorder and enforce American values abroad, confident in the ability of US forces to defeat any foe. Meanwhile, they placed all their bets on the White House to deliver on the promise of their Cold War triumph: unequaled prosperity, lasting peace, and absolute freedom.
In The Age of Illusions, Andrew Bacevich takes us from that moment of seemingly ultimate victory to the age of Trump, telling an epic tale of folly and delusion. Writing with his usual eloquence and vast knowledge, he explains how, within a quarter of a century, the United States ended up with gaping inequality, permanent war, moral confusion, an increasingly angry and alienated population, and, of course, the strangest president in American history.
"Offers tantalizing insights into how America's Cold War victory soured.Ā .Ā .Ā . Most interesting." ā The Economist
"Those unfamiliar with Bacevich's work will be thrilled to encounter a first-rate thinker whose trenchant, objective, well-written analyses defy glib labelingĀ .Ā .Ā . Highly recommended." ā Choice
"This engrossing recounting of the irresponsibility of America's ruling classāaided and abetted by a citizenry grown complacentāclarifies the absurdities of the ascent of Trump [and shows] how America's self-congratulatory past has led to our wrenching presentĀ .Ā .Ā . he offers hope for a future free of self-deception, and points the way toward a newly responsible American civic life." āPatrick J. Deneen, author of Why Liberalism Failed
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Please note we cannot support devices running on iOS 13 and Android 7 or earlier. Learn more about using the app.
Yes, you can access The Age of Illusions by Andrew Bacevich in PDF and/or ePUB format, as well as other popular books in History & North American History. We have over one million books available in our catalogue for you to explore.
Information
Table of contents
- Cover
- Title Page
- Copyright Notice
- Dedication
- Epigraph
- Introduction
- 1. Al, Fred, and Homerās Americaāand Mine
- 2. The End of History!
- 3. Kicking 41 to the Curb
- 4. Glimpsing the Emerald City
- 5. Bedfellows
- 6. State of the Union
- 7. Plebiscite
- 8. Attending to Rabbitās Question
- Acknowledgments
- Notes
- Index
- Also by Andrew J. Bacevich
- Praise for The Age of Illusions
- About the Author
- Newsletter Sign-up
- Contents
- Copyright