Andrew Bacevich - Böcker

Andrew Bacevich's Ideas and American Foreign Policy is a broad-ranging reader that serves as a comprehensive overview of the role of ideas in American foreign policy over the entirety of the nation's history. Chronological in structure, the book features over 100 writings from major figures across all eras of American history, from John Winthrop to John Quincy Adams to Woodrow Wilson to George Kennan to Barack Obama. All of the book's 14 sections include clear introductions that contextualize the primary source essays. In combination, the pieces illustrate how foundational the power of ideas in US foreign policy thinking has been from the first English settlement to the Trump presidency. Throughout, Bacevich emphasizes the contest between affirming ideas, which justify actually existing policy, and dissenting ideas, which either call into question or challenge government actions and priorities while advancing alternatives. Ultimately, the volume shows how ideas--although not ideas alone--have always defined the framework within which policymakers operate. Understanding the evolution of the core ideas that drive US foreign policy facilitates our understanding of both the environment in which policymakers make decisions and the constraints within which they operate. Beginning with the founding of Anglo-America and concluding with the post-9/11 era, this will be an essential volume for anyone teaching a course on the history of US foreign policy or--more generally--any reader desiring an expertly arranged and authoritative collection of the most important documents in US foreign policy history.

Andrew Bacevich's Ideas and American Foreign Policy is a broad-ranging reader that serves as a comprehensive overview of the role of ideas in American foreign policy over the entirety of the nation's history. Chronological in structure, the book features over 100 writings from major figures across all eras of American history, from John Winthrop to John Quincy Adams to Woodrow Wilson to George Kennan to Barack Obama. All of the book's 14 sections include clear introductions that contextualize the primary source essays. In combination, the pieces illustrate how foundational the power of ideas in US foreign policy thinking has been from the first English settlement to the Trump presidency. Throughout, Bacevich emphasizes the contest between affirming ideas, which justify actually existing policy, and dissenting ideas, which either call into question or challenge government actions and priorities while advancing alternatives. Ultimately, the volume shows how ideas--although not ideas alone--have always defined the framework within which policymakers operate. Understanding the evolution of the core ideas that drive US foreign policy facilitates our understanding of both the environment in which policymakers make decisions and the constraints within which they operate. Beginning with the founding of Anglo-America and concluding with the post-9/11 era, this will be an essential volume for anyone teaching a course on the history of US foreign policy or--more generally--any reader desiring an expertly arranged and authoritative collection of the most important documents in US foreign policy history.

Essays by a diverse and distinguished group of historians, political scientists, and sociologists examine the alarms, emergencies, controversies, and confusions that have characterized America's Cold War, the post-Cold War interval of the 1990s, and today's "Global War on Terror." This "Long War" has left its imprint on virtually every aspect of American life; by considering it as a whole, The Long War is the first volume to take a truly comprehensive look at America's response to the national-security crisis touched off by the events of World War II. Contributors consider topics ranging from grand strategy and strategic bombing to ideology and economics and assess the changing American way of war and Hollywood's surprisingly consistent depiction of Americans at war. They evaluate the evolution of the national-security apparatus and the role of dissenters who viewed the myriad activities of that apparatus with dismay. They take a fresh look at the Long War's civic implications and its impact on civil-military relations.More than a military history, The Long War examines the ideas, policies, and institutions that have developed since the United States claimed the role of global superpower. This protracted crisis has become a seemingly permanent, if not defining aspect of contemporary American life. In breaking down the old and artificial boundaries that have traditionally divided the postwar period into neat historical units, this volume provides a better understanding of the evolution of the United States and U.S. policy since World War II and offers a fresh perspective on our current national security predicament.

Essays by a diverse and distinguished group of historians, political scientists, and sociologists examine the alarms, emergencies, controversies, and confusions that have characterized America's Cold War, the post-Cold War interval of the 1990s, and today's "Global War on Terror." This "Long War" has left its imprint on virtually every aspect of American life; by considering it as a whole, The Long War is the first volume to take a truly comprehensive look at America's response to the national-security crisis touched off by the events of World War II. Contributors consider topics ranging from grand strategy and strategic bombing to ideology and economics and assess the changing American way of war and Hollywood's surprisingly consistent depiction of Americans at war. They evaluate the evolution of the national-security apparatus and the role of dissenters who viewed the myriad activities of that apparatus with dismay. They take a fresh look at the Long War's civic implications and its impact on civil-military relations.More than a military history, The Long War examines the ideas, policies, and institutions that have developed since the United States claimed the role of global superpower. This protracted crisis has become a seemingly permanent, if not defining aspect of contemporary American life. In breaking down the old and artificial boundaries that have traditionally divided the postwar period into neat historical units, this volume provides a better understanding of the evolution of the United States and U.S. policy since World War II and offers a fresh perspective on our current national security predicament.

Twenty years of America’s Global War on Terror produced little tangible success while exacting enormous harm. In Iraq and Afghanistan, the United States sustained tens of thousands of casualties, expended trillions of dollars, and inflicted massive suffering on the very populations that we sought to “liberate.” Now the inclination to forget it all and move on is palpable. But there is much to be learned from the immense debacle. And those who served and fought in these wars are best positioned to teach us.Paths of Dissent collects fifteen original essays from American veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan - hailing from a wide range of services, ranks, and walks of life - who have come out in opposition to these conflicts. Selected for their candor and eloquence by fellow veterans Andrew Bacevich and Daniel Sjursen, these soldiers vividly describe both their motivations for serving and the disillusionment that made them speak out against the system. Their testimony is crucial for understanding just how the world’s self-proclaimed greatest military power went so badly astray.