History Has Begun: The Birth of a New America

Popular consensus says that the US rose over two centuries to Cold War victory and world domination, and is now in slow decline. But is this right? History’s great civilisations have always lasted much longer, and for all its colossal power, the US was overshadowed by Europe until recently. What if this isn’t the end? Bruno Maçães offers a compelling vision of America’s future, both fascinating and unnerving. From the early American Republic, Maçães takes us to the turbulent present, when, he argues, America is finally forging its own path. We can see the birth pangs of this new civilisation in today’s debates on guns, religion, foreign policy and the significance of Trump. What will its values be, and what will this new America look like?

About the Author :
Bruno Maces is a non-resident senior fellow at the Hudson Institute, a senior advisor at Flint Global and a senior fellow at Renmin University of China. Formerly Portugal's Europe minister (201315), he has been a regular commentator for CNN, the BBC and Al Jazeera, and has written for the Financial Times, The Guardian and Foreign Affairs. He is the author of 'Belt and Road', also published by Hurst, and 'The Dawn of Eurasia'. He lives in Istanbul.

Review :
'There’s no better man to guide us on the differences between Europe and America than Bruno Macaes. ... ['History Has Begun'] is required reading for anyone who wants to understand the country that invented itself — and the modern world.' ‘Brilliant and wildly provocative, [Maçães] not so much turns history on its head, as inside out … a wonderfully contrarian essay on the future of world politics … challenging to the last sentence, it has been the stimulating and fun read of the year so far.’ ‘A refreshingly bold and deeply thought-stirring book.’ ‘A fascinating survey of the decline and possible rise of the American empire.’ ‘[A] unique voice … exhilarating.’ ‘As a kind of counterpoint to his insightful books on the rise of Eurasia and China’s One Belt One Road initiative, Bruno Maçães has written an absorbing, ruminative essay on the United States. Whereas his exploration of Eurasia was a true journey over that vast landmass, here he encounters America in his library and his imagination. Between Europe, oppressed by history, and China, intoxicated by technology, the United States still offers some hope of reconciling power and liberty.’ 'The future never matches the conventional wisdom. Bruno Macaes gives us the special gift of charting a future for the United States and the world that may be very different, and quite possibly much better, than what we expect.' 'This insightful book makes bold and counterintuitive arguments. The international system is poised for the flourishing of cultural and political diversity among nation states. At the same time, this can and should be another American Century. This round requires the United States creatively to remake itself inside and out.' 'Bruno Macaes has written an erudite, thought-provoking exploration of how the world is affected by a post-truth America, an America where the line between reality and entertainment is no longer discernible, and where the hallowed concept of the "West" is losing its meaning.' 'A rich, digressive, aphoristic book.'