A pathbreaking history of the United States' overseas possessions and the true meaning of its empire
We are familiar with maps that outline all fifty states. And we are also familiar with the idea that the United States is an "empire," exercising power around the world. But what about the actual territories--the islands, atolls, and archipelagos--this country has governed and inhabited?
In How to Hide an Empire, Daniel Immerwahr tells the fascinating story of the United States outside the United States. In crackling, fast-paced prose, he reveals forgotten episodes that cast American history in a new light. We travel to the Guano Islands, where prospectors collected one of the nineteenth century's most valuable commodities, and the Philippines, site of the most destructive event on U.S. soil. In Puerto Rico, Immerwahr shows how U.S. doctors conducted grisly experiments they would never have conducted on the mainland and charts the emergence of independence fighters who would shoot up the U.S. Congress.
In the years after World War II, Immerwahr notes, the United States moved away from colonialism. Instead, it put innovations in electronics, transportation, and culture to use, devising a new sort of influence that did not require the control of colonies. Rich with absorbing vignettes, full of surprises, and driven by an original conception of what empire and globalization mean today, How to Hide an Empire is a major and compulsively readable work of history.
About the Author :
Luis Moreno, a voice actor, has narrated several audiobooks throughout his career.
Review :
"A powerful and illuminating economic argument...[that] deserves a wide audience, and it should find one."
-- "New Republic"
"Consistently both startling and absorbing...Vividly retells the early formation of the [United States]...which extends influence through a vast constellation of tiny footprints."
-- "Harper's"
"Narrator Luis Moreno carries a heavy load here, with more than 17 hours of audio, but he's outstanding...Moreno's expressive voice complements the author's narrative style, which is warm and personal rather than academic...The author's evenhandedness and Moreno's skillful delivery will quickly win over the listener. By the end, any skepticism about idea of America as empire will evaporate."
-- "AudioFile"
"Richly detailed, thoroughly researched...a vivid recounting of imperial America's shameful past."
-- "Kirkus Reviews (starred review)"
"There are many histories of American expansionism. How to Hide an Empire renders them all obsolete. It is brilliantly conceived, utterly original, and immensely entertaining―simultaneously vivid, sardonic, and deadly serious."
-- "Andrew J. Bacevich, New York Times bestselling author"
"Wry, readable, and often astonishing...It's a testament to Immerwahr's considerable storytelling skills that I found myself riveted."
-- " New York Times"
