Description
Book SynopsisTrade ReviewMichael Green's magisterial study is a timely and insightful reminder of the deep and long-standing ties between East Asia and the United States, and the complex interplay between our economic and security interests, and our values, a dynamic which has shaped US policy for two and a half centuries. It is an indispensable point of reference for students and policy makers seeking to understand a critical region where history casts a long shadow, notwithstanding the extraordinary changes of recent years. -- James Steinberg, Syracuse University and former deputy secretary of state
With impeccable research and lucid prose, Michael Green provides a first-rate account of the deep historical roots of American grand strategy toward Asia. It is essential for understanding American policy toward a crucial region. -- Joseph S. Nye, Jr., Distinguished Service Professor, Harvard University, and author of
Is the American Century Over? Already a renowned Japan expert, Green combines his regional knowledge with a capacious strategic mind and historical sensibility. This is one of the most impressive books I have ever read. It is consistently original, providing on every page fresh insights immersed in a compelling narrative arc, and it is destined to be a lodestar among scholarship on history, strategy, and statecraft. -- William Inboden, Chair, Clements Center for National Security, The University of Texas, Austin
Important and comprehensive study of America's relations with the region. -- Gordon G. Chang * New York Times Book Review *
Green set about filling [a] gap in the literature and he has succeeded triumphantly. His book is likely to become the standard work on the subject. -- Gideon Rachman * Financial Times *
With rich historical records and insightful analysis, this is a fascinating, most useful reference for students and scholars of US-Asia relations and American foreign policy. * Choice *
[An] essential guide to understanding U.S. policy in Asia. * Foreign Affairs *
Rich and ambitious history of US strategic thinking toward Asia * Los Angeles Review of Books *
By More Than Providence provides the greatest value in illustrating how the draw of the Asia-Pacific has been an enduring influence in the United States for nearly two-and-a-half centuries. -- Matthew T. Brundage * Journal of American-East Asian Relations *
Green brings scholarly and policymaking credentials to this
tour d’horizon. * Imperial & Global Forum *
A brilliant and highly readable history of America's evolving grand strategy toward Asia and the Pacific since 1783. * Asian Review of Books *
By More than Providence is a gold mine of richly documented historical detail, informed by international relations theory, and enlivened by the hands-on policymaker’s nose for bureaucratic turf battles, clashing personalities, and Washington intrigue. . . . The Asia-Pacific has long loomed large in American strategic thinking and today its centrality is unparalleled.
By More than Providence provides a sweep, power, and coherence that anchors that centrality historically. -- T.J. Pempel * Journal of East Asian Studies *
In examining U.S. grand strategy toward the Asia Pacific, he has produced a grand synthesis. * Journal of American History *
Table of ContentsNote on Korean, Chinese, and Japanese Terms
Acknowledgments
Introduction
I. The Rise of the United States1. "A Theatre for the Exercise of the Most Ambitious Intellect": Seeds of Strategy, 1784–1860
2. "How Sublime the Pacific Part Assigned to Us": Precursors to Expansion, 1861–1898
3. "I Wish to See the United States the Dominant Power on the Shores of the Pacific": Grand Strategy in the Era of Theodore Roosevelt
II. The Rise of Japan4. "Leave the Door Open, Rehabilitate China, and Satisfy Japan": Defining the Open Door, 1909–1927
5. "Between Non-resistance and Coercion": The Open Door Closes, 1928–1941
6. "We Have Got to Dominate the Pacific": Grand Strategy and the War Against Japan
III. The Rise of the Soviets7. "The Overall Effect Is to Enlarge Our Strategic Frontier": Defining Containment in the Pacific, 1945–1960
8. "Anyone Who Isn't Confused Really Doesn't Understand the Situation": Asia Strategy and Escalation in Vietnam, 1961–1968
9. "An Even Balance": Nixon and Kissinger's Redefinition of Containment in Asia, 1969–1975
10. "The President Cannot Make Any Weak Moves": Jimmy Carter and the Return of the China Card, 1977–1980
11. "To Contain and Over Time Reverse": Ronald Reagan, 1980–1989
IV. The Rise of China12. "The Key to Our Security and Our Prosperity Lies in the Vitality of Those Relationships": George H. W. Bush and the Unipolar Moment, 1989–1992
13. "Engage and Balance": Bill Clinton and the Unexpected Return of Great-Power Politics
14. "A Balance of Power That Favors Freedom": Strategic Surprise and the Asia Policy of George W. Bush
15. "The Pivot": Barack Obama and the Struggle to Rebalance Asia
Conclusion: The Historical Case for Asia Strategy
Notes
Index
Illustrations
