Description
Book SynopsisBacevich examines the U.S. response to September 11th and how it has radically affected the way Americans see themselves and their nation’s place in the world.
Trade Review"Andrew Bacevich is one of contemporary America's most prolific and courageous academic public intellectuals. His is a prophetic voice, often almost alone in the wilderness of contemporary political affairs. Bacevich combines a historian's sensibility with the polemicist's edge to produce deep yet pithy takes on our contemporary scene. Twilight of the American Century brings together in one volume some of Bacevich's most timely and timeless reflections on American domestic and foreign policy." —Michael Desch, University of Notre Dame
"Andrew Bacevich is one of the sanest, most articulate, and most courageous voices in American public life today. A true conservative, he is a powerful critic of imperialism in the tradition of Christopher Lasch and William Appleman Williams—both of whom he discusses compellingly in this indispensable book. Twilight of the American Century reveals the wide range and undiminished vitality of his thought." —Jackson Lears, Board of Governors Distinguished Professor of History, Rutgers University
"Since he left the US Army and thrust himself into the world of polemical journalism, Andrew Bacevich has distinguished himself with his toughness of mind, forcefulness of expression, and clear-eyed realism. All are displayed in this muscular volume of collected works—along with a bonus: an enlightening and touching autobiographical essay that lays bare much of the origin of his thinking." —Robert W. Merry, author of President McKinley: Architect of the American Century
"In his new collection, Twilight of the American Century, Andrew Bacevich . . . an unsurpassed chronicler of America’s misadventures in the Middle East, turns his eye to Washington’s self-anointed elite. . . . Bacevich is at his best when he focuses on how America sees itself and how that distorted self-image affects its relations with the rest of the world." —The Nation
"The histories of empires and the histories of war are generally written by the winner to put themselves in a positive light. It has been difficult for the U.S. empire to maintain their facade of goodness for their endeavors after World War II, and even more significantly after 9/11. In Twilight of the American Century, a selection of his own collected writings, Andrew J. Bacevich reveals the contradictions between what is said about U.S. actions—either as anticipation or as definition—and the results of such actions. In essence, the rationalizations, the hubris, and the arrogance do not match up with the lack of accomplishments, the latter themselves ill-defined." —The Palestine Chronicle
“My recommendation is that if you have even the slightest feeling that things are amiss in American foreign affairs, or if you are simply earnest about testing the validity of your own beliefs, whatever they are, you should read this book. If you think that everything is fine with the nation and its policy course, then you should buy it today and read it cover-to-cover.” —Realism and Policy
“I read everything written by Andrew Bacevich with a maniacal obsession. His work provides a glimmer of hope for a return to realist sanity in American foreign policy. . . . Bacevich speaks the truths many Americans, and all their leaders, refuse to face.” —University Bookman
“[Bacevich’s] writing transcends easy categorization. . . . The title suggests that the book will join the ranks of many recent works documenting the decline of American hegemony.” —Law and Religion Forum
“After more than 20 years of active service as a U.S. Army officer, Andrew J. Bacevich taught history and international relations at Boston University, where he is now an emeritus professor. His new book, Twilight of the American Century, examines the ambitions and failures of America’s foreign policy.” —The American Scholar
“Twilight of the American Century is a profoundly intellectual, provocative work. It will leave a bitter taste in the mouths of both Democrats and Republicans. The book is a tough-minded call for liberals and conservatives to come together to ‘repair our democracy’ in the post-Vietnam War, post-Cold War, post-9/11 era.” —The VVA Veteran
Table of ContentsIntroduction
Part 1. Poseurs and Prophets
1. A Letter to Paul Wolfowitz (2013)
2. David Brooks: Angst in the Church of America the Redeemer (2017)
3. Arthur M. Schlesinger Jr.: The Decline of Liberalism (2017)
4. George Kennan: Kennan Kvetches (2014)
5. Tom Clancy, Military Man (2014)
6. Robert Kagan: The Duplicity of the Ideologues (2014)
7. Boykinism: Joe McCarthy Would Understand (2012)
8. Henry Luce: The Elusive American Century (2012)
9. Donald Rumsfeld: Known and Unknown (2011)
10. Albert and Roberta Wohlstetter: Tailors to the Emperor (2011)
11. Douglas Feith and Ricardo Sanchez: Fault Lines (2008)
12. Tommy Franks: A Modern Major General (2004)
13. Henry Adams: Selling Our Souls (2011)
14. Christopher Lasch: Family Man (2010)
15. Randolph Bourne: The Man in the Black Cape (2009)
16. William Appleman Williams: Tragedy Renewed (2009)
17. Reinhold Niebuhr: Illusions of Managing History (2007)
Part 2. History and Myth
18. Saving ‘America First’ (2017)
19. Kissing the Specious Present Goodbye (2017)
20. The Age of Great Expectations (2017)
21. American Imperium (2016)
22. History That Makes Us Stupid (2015)
23. Always and Everywhere (2013)
24. The Ugly American Telegram (2013)
25. The Revisionist Imperative (2012)
26. The End of (Military) History? (2010)
27. Twilight of the Republic? (2006)
28. What Happened at Bud Dajo (2006)
29. The Folly of Albion (2005)
30. World War IV (2005)
Part 3. War and Empire
31. Save Us From Washington’s Visionaries (2015)
32. A War of Ambition (2014)
33. Naming Our Nameless War (2013)
34. How We Became Israel (2012)
35. Breaking Washington’s Rules (2011)
36. Why read Clausewitz …. (2006)
37. Living Room War (2005)
38. Bush’s Grand Strategy (2002)
39. New Rome, New Jerusalem (Summer 2002)
40. Permanent War for Permanent Peace (November 2001)
Part 4. Politics and Culture
41. Slouching Toward Mar-a-Lago (2017)
42. Not the ‘Age of Trump’ (2017)
43. The Failure of American Liberalism (2016)
44. An Ode to Ike and Adlai (2016)
45. War and Culture, American Style (2016)
46. Under God (2015)
47. Thoughts on a Graduation Weekend (2014)
48. One Percent Republic (2013)
49. Counterculture Conservatism (2013)
50. Ballpark Liturgy (2011)
51. The Great Divide (2008)
Acknowledgments
Index
