Colossus: The Rise and Decline of US Imperialism

by John Peterson

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Politics

312 pages, Paperback

Published December 16, 2024

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.

Reviews

[Sasha Boucher · Rating 5 out of 5]

An incredibly important book for understanding our time and the extraordinary class struggle about to unfold. Without a correct perspective, a realistic tactic cannot be developed. This book, rooted in a firmly dialectical materialist (i.e. scientific) method, will give you just that perspective of our current situation. Hopelessness is easy, and the revolutionary optimistic perspective that this book systematically proves does not allow for that petty-bourgeois resignation to remain unexposed as the arrogant anti-working class bullshit that it is. This book's inspirational quality doesn't derive from rhetorical devices or moralistic appeals to lofty ideals, rather it derives from the fact that it is true.

[Juan Pablo · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an excellent text to understand the development of the U.S. from the American Revolution through its second revolution, the Civil War, to stepping on the stage of Imperialism, its role & how it benefitted from the imperialist wars that are WWI & WW II & the developments that have precipitated its decline.

There is also time given to its response to the Russian Revolution & its role in the intervention from the West to overthrow the workers’ state.

All of this is important in the context of understanding what it means for the class struggle today, in an epoch of the declining power of U.S. Imperialism & the rising power of Russia & China. In light of recent events particularly with Trump’s re-election, the ongoing developments in Israel with Palestine & Netanyahu struggling to save his own skin & the War with Iran, this book’s importance is highlighted even more for those who seek to not only understand the situation but organize to do what needs to be done.

I highly recommend everyone give this text a read.

[madam · Rating 5 out of 5]

An incredibly important book for understanding our time and the class struggle now unfolding. The book that radicalised me most was The Jakarta Method, and this achieves something similar while combining it with incredibly masterful and accessible Marxist theory. Rooted in a genuinely dialectical materialist perspective, it offers not empty optimism or moralistic rhetoric, but a scientific analysis of our historical moment. Against hopelessness and petty-bourgeois resignation, the book shows that revolutionary optimism emerges from understanding reality as it truly is. Its power lies not in lofty appeals, but in the fact that it is true. Organise with the RCI! We are worldwide: Marxist.com

[Sam Lovesey · Rating 5 out of 5]

with this knowledge we shall crush the beast

[Elsa · Rating 5 out of 5]

”We see that imperialism, which seemed such an insuperable colossus, has proved before the whole to be a colossus with feet of clay” - L Trotsky

Författaren skrev fint att ”syftet med denna bok är att förstå det land, som vi försöker göra en revolution i, bättre” - och beväpna läsaren med en bättre förståelse av vad imperialism är. Grundlig, pedagogisk, leninistisk, internationalistisk. ”The darkest hour is before the dawn”

[Potamatoo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book especially the chapter "Imperialism Today" which highlights the economic basis of the rising imerpialist powers, and Part 2 "A Marxist Primer on Imperialist War" which extensively quotes Lenin and Trotsky to dispell pacifist nonsense that conveniently maintains the status quo.

The book is less of a detailed historical account of US imperialism and more of a relational analysis of how imperialism flows from the natural interests of the capitalist class. It's filled with analogies that highlights those relations making it easier to understand the essence of this argument. The method of analysis stands out a lot more than the historical details but the sources are listed for a deeper dive.

The decline of US Imperialism and the rise of a multipolar world will inevitably lead to instability and more wars. Nationalism conceals the profit interest and doesn't resolve the root cause. Only an international workers' revolution can prvent more destruction and bring forth the common interests of all humans.

[Rilton Drimblo · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a quick book that covers American imperialism in the modern day with parallels to previous socialist thought and how it may be applied to current circumstances. As someone who isn’t fully bought in by Marxism, there were elements of this book that brought me in and pulled me out. The extensive quoting of revolutionaries and thinkers was often quite compelling, but the overly polemical and occasionally downright false statements took me out of engaging with elements of the book (such as the assertion that FDR provoked Japan’s attack on pacific colonies of the US; was he meant to continue supporting their war machine?) The US history generally suffered from a few especially idiotic statements that detract from the rest of the book, but there is certainly value to be gained from reading this book. The final tidbit about the US incursion during the Russian Civil War was particularly fascinating.

[Parker Galloway · Rating 5 out of 5]

Illuminating anaylsis of US imperialism building on the theoretical foundations Lenin put forth in his work on Imperialism in the 20th century.

[Damiano · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read for anyone who wants to understand the shift in imperialist power relations we are currently living through

[samten dolkar · Rating 5 out of 5]

great read, extremely clear and precise with commentary and history

[Sarah Bunting · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very concise overview of American imperialism and the capitalist engine driving it… great for anyone looking to branch away from the propagandized version of American history in global politics.

[Fionn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fundamental for understanding the rise and relative decline of US imperialism

[Rob James · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic book, very readable, absolutely essential for the world we live in today. It looks at how the US was shaped, it's imperialist meddling and the class contradictions arising internally as a result of the crisis of capitalism.