American Empire: The Rise of a Global Power, the Democratic Revolution at Home 1945-2000

The Penguin History of the United States #5

by Joshua B. Freeman, Don Hagen (Reading)

A compelling look at the movements and developments that propelled America to world dominance
In this landmark work, acclaimed historian Joshua Freeman has created an epic portrait of a nation both galvanized by change and driven by conflict. Beginning in 1945, the economic juggernaut awakened by World War II transformed a country once defined by its regional character into a uniform and cohesive power and set the stage for the United States' rise to global dominance. Meanwhile, Freeman locates the profound tragedy that has shaped the path of American civic life, unfolding how the civil rights and labor movements worked for decades to enlarge the rights of millions of Americans, only to watch power ultimately slip from individual citizens to private corporations. Moving through McCarthyism and Vietnam, from the Great Society to Morning in America, Joshua Freeman's sweeping story of a nation's rise reveals forces at play that will continue to affect the future role of American influence and might in the greater world.

Genres: History, American History, Nonfiction, Politics, American, Economics, International Affairs

Audio

First published August 2, 2012

Reviews

[Ted Hunt · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book would be a useful centerpiece for a history course about the post World War II era, as it insightfully traces the significant events and trends of the 60 years after the end of the Second World War. In a 480 page book about a 60 year period, there would have to be a condensing of much of the history of those decades, but the author is generally very adept at analyzing the significant events and trends of a given period while looking at them through a "long lens." He is quite skillful when it comes to paring the peripheral events away from those more crucial, connecting them to other things going on at the same time. Even more importantly, he traces the threads of recent history back to themes and patterns that have been part of the forces of the nation's history for decades, generations even. For some readers' tastes the book might be a little light on the cultural history of this time period, but the author makes up for that with a number of easily digested analyses of the economic changes that the nation experienced during the latter quarter of the twentieth century. I found especially helpful the chapter where he took a very close look at three distinct industries: meat-packing (which descended back to conditions familiar to readers of Upton Sinclair's "The Jungle"), computers (with close looks at upstarts like Apple and Microsoft) and retail (with the focus on discounters like Walmart). Perhaps not surprisingly, when the book reached the 1990's the author's treatment of events became much more detailed and precise, as it appeared that these events were still too recent to be able to observe with a longer view. Some might quibble with the pessimistic picture that is painted in the epilogue (the book was published in 2011), but how could one argue that events in the Middle East following the 2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq, the economic meltdown of 2008, and the restratification of American society to levels not seen since the 1920's, among other things, point to anything other than a decline of American power and prestige? The author finished his book even before the midterm elections of 2010, but the impression he leaves the reader with at the end makes it perfectly logical that the nation would turn, in 2016, to a leader who promised to "make American great again."

[Deidre · Rating 3 out of 5]

Imagine the Midwest in 1945--acres of farmland, the rhythmic hum of factories, a time when life was full of hard work and family. This is where we begin Joshua B. Freeman's American Empire, a sweeping look at the history of the United States after World War II. With such a large subject matter in both time and geography, this book necessarily skims over the intricate specifics but is a broad panorama of our cultural landscape. What emerges is a view of a country still defining itself, still shifting, and still changing. Much of what now seems commonplace is of relatively recent vintage.

The book shows in many ways how far we have come. In the1940s racism so pervaded the military that even blood plasma was segregated by the race of the donor. Civil rights legislation was blocked time and time again and it took the riding tide of injustice in the 1960s South to finally force change.

The GI bill led to the prosperity of the 1950s by providing a way for many veterans to obtain an education or afford to purchase a home. During the Great Depression most American manufactured goods remained in the States. By 1947 the U.S. produced much of the world's steel and oil, and most of its automobiles. The rise of unions helped cement prosperity for many workers and their families.

The Korean War cost the lives of 54,000 U.S. troops and over three million Koreans wre killed, sounded or missing with five million becoming refugees. During the era of McCarthyism over 13 million Americans came under the scope of private or government loyalty programs, many being asked to swear a loyalty oath. Religion become more important with the phrase "under God" being added to the Pledge Of Allegiance and "In God We Trust" appearing on paper money.

Between 1950 and 1970, over 80 percent of the country's population growth took place in suburbs. Cities, rendered newly affordable, became riddled with violence and crime but also supported young artists who challenged the status quo. The 1960s and 1970s brought major cultural shifts in the form of civil rights efforts as well as the gay and women's rights movements.

Part of Freeman's skill in this book is in tying together various threads to weave a unified American story. He connects military and government events with sociological and cultural trends. He doesn't just write about the Vietnam War but about what it meant to the country to lose the conflict. And his framing of the rise of modern corporate behemoths including Apple and Wal-Mart offer a view of the country's role as a business leader.

[Shane DiGiovanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Vibrant and Informative

To (presumably) compete with the Oxford History of the United States, Penguin published American Empire. The United States changed on a vast, nearly incomprehensible scale in the years between the Second World War and 9/11. This book delivers a vibrant, informative, and thorough history of this time period, and is definitely worth reading.

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Joshua Freeman's book provides a comprehensive overview of American history since World War II. He organizes his narrative around three themes: the postwar growth enjoyed by the American economy, the transformation of democracy within the United States, and the expanded relationship between the United States and the rest of the world. Through them, he examines the impact of events over the course of the latter half of the 20th century. His coverage is surprisingly thorough, extending over the political, economic, and social events and trends the nation experienced. Nor does he confine his account to a purely national history, as he also touches on the regional developments taking place that all too many national histories address only in passing. All of this makes Freeman's book the best single-volume survey of the United States in the second half of the 20th century, one that will likely serve as the standard by which future such treatments are measured.

[James Trent · Rating 5 out of 5]

A well-written and thorough analysis of the United States from the post-World War II years through the end of the century. Freeman weaves together material from economic, social, and political history, while also remaining sensitive to the various changes that occur regionally in the nation. Finally, the book speaks to the issue of empire - of its vanities, its values, and its vicissitudes.

[Gobasso · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a great overview and synthesis of American history over the last fifty or sixty years. It shows how a mostly rural America became a huge modern society taking its place on the world stage. What was most intriguing was the authors ability to show how growth within and foreign policy outside America influenced each other.

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

This group of Penguin History of the US are among the most comprehensive volumes of the years covered. Read Alan Taylor, read Steven Hahn and read Joshua Freeman. Fantastic!

[Kevin]

Almost as phenomenal as the other books in this series that has created some of the best general US history books you can find. Freeman's perspective on this period as one of empire wasn't what I expected, but it works. His final chapter ties the ideas together well.
Lacks some of the social and cultural history this period is noted for, but perhaps the historical narrative Freeman provides is the most important one.

[Craig Werner · Rating 2 out of 5]

The challenge of covering the last half plus of the twentieth century in one volume is daunting, but Freeman doesn't do much beyond summarizing standard takes without adding much that's either new or insightful. Although it cuts off earlier, James Patterson's The Age of Grand Expectations if far superior.

[Lashawn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book, very informative. Told me a lot of things that I didn't know.

[Thom Strim · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I think back to how I learned about history in school, it came to me in pre-packaged vignettes. WWII was taught separately from the Industrial Revolution was taught separately from Reconstruction was taught... and so it went. The result was that I had yawning gaps of understanding not only about what happened in between these events but, more importantly, how they were tied to each other.

Reading American Empire was a fantastic experience. Freeman provides a continuous narrative about the development of America and context for the all areas of American living from health to freedom, military to money. I don't think I'm being dramatic when I share that this book has changed my perspective of my own American experience. While I don't have time to highlight all of the individual epiphanies I had, I'd like to share a couple of the lightning bolts. First, the vast extent of covert force used by American leaders in the era immediately following WWII was a revelation for me. To that end, I was surprised to find that in a single chapter my image of John F. Kennedy as an American trophy was washed away. (Why didn't anyone ever tell me he was such a monumental asshole and a tyrant?) Or that in the very next chapter I found myself thinking "Hmm, Nixon was a better president that I thought"... until he wasn't. I was fascinated by the chapter explaining the growth of suburban living in America.

You don't have to be a 'history buff' to enjoy this book. As a matter of fact, it is probably better if you aren't. Any single book that covers such a broad period of time isn't intending to make experts out of us all. For me, it brought me piece-of-mind that today (Donald Trump) is just part of the natural cycle in the swinging pendulum of history.

[Rick · Rating 1 out of 5]

Joshua Freeman tells us a history that many others have told much better. When I read this book I find myself thinking of something that I have enjoyed before but much better. This is like a history hot pocket in that it is technically what it claims to be but it doesn't really offer us anything satisfactory or anything that is revelatory. We all can see that America became the premier nation state of the second half of the 20th century but the down sides and negative aspects of this time period seem to receive as much, even more, praise than the positive. I found this history to be almost a by the numbers history which tells that this or that happened without providing us with any interpretations of positive changes but plenty of examination of bad. Home ownership resulted in increases in racial segregation but no mention of increases in new business or in college degrees. No mention at all is made of the decrease in crime thought plenty is made of the increase in crime in the 1970s. Advances by minorities is given short shrift as are the advances of the women. Basically somehow America was a total disaster yet those behind the Iron Curtain risked their lives to be like us? All in all this is a dull book which tells us nothing new and I've seen the Oxford equivalent and it is much more balanced in telling us both the good, as well as the bad.

Just don't waste your time

[Alberto Lopez · Rating 2 out of 5]

While the book is quite thorough, it is nonetheless materially biased. What a shame. It is distracting to read the author's positive spin on left actions or events, only to see the same tainted negatively just for the fact that a republican was responsible for them. It reminded me of the purpose of asking the same question in different ways in psychological tests to assert the real opinion a person has on a subject. It is also how one finds deceit. The book thus fails. But then again, maybe the author thinks that his readers are not smart enough to hold the book's content on their mind at the same time. Whatever is the case it was disappointing. It was also insightful. It became clear that the best part of being a sociologist is that ignorance about economics is viewed as nice. Yes, I am being very critical. But as someone who puts his money where his mouth is, I certainly feel I can be a little tough on those sheltered by academia who still feel the right to school us on behavior. But what about the book's information about this great nation? Well, the author seems almost ashamed of being an American. Wait, you know what? I am tired of these wimpy souls. Just a cursory study of history will show that, when compared to all past great nations, we have nothing to be ashamed. Full stop.

[Jackie Debs · Rating 3 out of 5]

This Is a decent telling of selective details of the American experience. However, as many have noted, the author very often provide excuses and rationalization for why one politician makes major errors, and then (sometimes within the very same time period) demonize a republican politician for doing nearly the exact same thing.

One instance that particularly stands out is how he spends much time gushing over the very wealthy Kennedy’s, and then soon after, spends serval pages about how abhorrent the wealth shown by Reagan was.

It makes one more appreciative of the authors of yesteryear whom were so much more careful not to let their personal beliefs seep into works like this. The era of the “hands off historian” seems to be long gone.

[David Hollingsworth · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is an extremely well-crafted overview of the history of the US from the end of World War 2 to the end of the Bush years. It balances political, economic, labor, civil rights, and just a bit of cultural history in a broad, digestible way. He does a good job of choosing what is/isn't useful for this broad overview, and his writing style is accessible enough that you don't have to be a history buff to understand it or find it interesting. If you want a good overview of this time period of US history, I'd recommend this book above any other (and I say that as someone with an MA in US History).

[Guy Barnhart · Rating 5 out of 5]

Covers a huge swath of modern American history but as someone born in 1987, I found this book incredibly informative. Freeman is excellent at contextualizing contemporary American culture within the 20th century it was formed. Highly recommended to all who enjoy American history, especially history that speaks to the current moment.

[Eric · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book stayed on target and provides an accessible overview of the era stated. Brands offers a shorter version called American Dreams although obviously not as in depth. I'm personally a bigger fan of the Oxford History of the U.S. although you'd have to get this time frame in two lengthy books, both by Patterson, titled Grand Expectations and Restless Giant.

[Fredrick Danysh · Rating 3 out of 5]

The author explores the social, political, economic, and civil rights history of the United States from the Great Depression through 9/11. There is an extensive bibliography. His personal basis are reflected in this work but the work does provide some insight.

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Recommended if you want to know how we got from there to here. I wish my undergraduate survey course was this interesting.

[Ailith Twinning · Rating 4 out of 5]

Man, I really like this survey. wish I'd hit it first when I started my "Seriously, why don't I know modern US history?" project.

[Praveen Kishore · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent history of post WWII America. Insightful, panoramic, ambitious and a breeze to read. Must for everyone.

[Nick · Rating 2 out of 5]

Deathly boring

[Andrew · Rating 3 out of 5]

One-Minute Review
Joshua Freeman’s American Empire is a history in the tradition of great single-volume accounts of big topics. Freeman has achieved this concision by anchoring his narrative around the big ideas of recent American history – the military-industrial complex, the civil rights movement, and Reaganism – instead of simply chronicling the important dates of post-war America. He examines the rise of these ideas in American society and deftly shows how the debates around them drove social change to create the America of today. American Empire is the projected final volume of a five part Penguin History of the United States, with volume one already in print. Under its now defunct Pelican imprint, Penguin has a venerable tradition of publishing general histories by experts in the field, and American Empire is a happy return to this endeavour. It sits comfortably in that sometimes difficult space between popular and academic writing. Freeman’s research and analysis is rigorous, but his storytelling moves the book along and always presents the reader with competing interpretations of America’s changes in the last half-century. American Empire is a worthy candidate to become a standard text on the topic.

[GONZA · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting book, Freeman doesn't excuse the Americans as some of them usually do, and underlines many things that could have been done in a different and much more useful way for them and for the rest of the world.

Libro interessante, Freeman non scusa gli americani come spesso loro fanno, ma sottolinea molte delle cose che avrebbero potuto essere fatte in modo diverso, molto più utile, sia per loro che per il resto del mondo.

THANKS TO NETGALLEY AND PENGUIN GROUP (U.S.A.) FOR THE PREVIEW

[Brooke Stoddard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Professor Joshua Freeman has composed a 500-page history of the United States from 1945 to the first Obama election as part of the Penguin Series History of the United States edited by Eric Foner. Generally, we know all of this, but it is both bracing and worthy to read our history in large chunks and synthesized through a discerning intelligence. Critics have decried a liberal taint, but Freeman lays out facts and leaves most judgments to readers. It's difficult to look in a mirror sometimes and Freeman forces us to do so.

[Richard Salas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tough read but really informational and insightful

[Quentin · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very informative read about US regulation in the economic, military, foreign policy and how we got into the mess we are today.

[Frank · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tainted with good old liberal enthusiasm, but a wonderful and informative chronological read nonetheless.