Made in America

by Edward Stourton

Much of what Donald Trump does seems maverick and even mad. His actions and policy pronouncements are a stark rupture from the American style of leadership that we have lived with all our lives. But whether we like them or not, his trade tariffs, his determination to deport tens of thousands of people, and his apparent contempt for the rule of law are deeply rooted in American history.

Since Donald Trump took office plenty of people – on both sides of the Atlantic – have argued that he will destroy his country’s democracy. Made in America shows how the ideal of liberty has been tested in past generations, from the first intolerant Pilgrims to the brutal invasion of Mexico, revealing the dark side of the American Dream in order to offer urgent lessons to our turbulent present.

Genres: Politics, Nonfiction, History

240 pages, Hardcover

First published January 15, 2026

About the author

Edward Stourton is a newspaper columnist, writer and presenter of several high-profile current affairs programmes and regularly presents BBC Radio Four programmes such as The World at One, The World this Weekend, Sunday and Analysis. He is a frequent contributor to the Today programme, where for ten years he was one of the main presenters.

Reviews

[amycw · Rating 4 out of 5]

Made in America provides historical background to the policies of Donald Trump, making the argument that most of what we see today has been seen before in America's history. Stourton covers religion, imperialism, immigration, tariffs, McCarthyism, and law.

For the most part, this is just a brief history of the U.S. through a few chosen topics. Stourton's writing is very lively and engaging, though, so I really enjoyed this. He covers lots of interesting history including the Puritans, the Louisiana Purchase, Dred Scott, Reconstruction, the Spanish-American War, and much more. It is clear that he dislikes Donald Trump, but the analysis portions of the book are very minimal and he is pretty fair in his comparisons, so it doesn't come across as overly biased or a hit piece.

I thought Stourton's analysis was off the mark in a few spots, though. He makes the claim that Christians admire Vladimir Putin or see him as some sort of Christian hero because of his persecution of LGBTQ+ individuals. I have never felt that Christians in the U.S. favor Putin; most view him as a monster. He also argues that America was committed to anti-imperialism after WW2, especially Eisenhower and his Secretary of State John Dulles. While they may not qualify as typical examples of imperialism, Eisenhower's and Dulles' interference in Guatemala and Iran seem like imperialism to me.

Overall, this was an engaging read and made some good points. If you already know your U.S. history really well, you probably won't get a lot out of this; I think it is definitely geared to people with less knowledge of U.S. history.

[Annie Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

this was good! a fairly clear & concise take on how, in many ways, donald trump’s presidency isn’t actually that unprecedented when you take a look at the history and figures that came before him. i’m always skeptical of when non-americans try to commentate about US politics because often things can be oversimplified or not understood, but this british author did a pretty good job. this could have been more engaging & concise and linked backed to trump more often — it was a lot of show and not tell with the comparisons between past and present, and i think it could have benefitted from more explanation — but overall i’d recommend to anyone interested in US history & politics

[Paul Snelling · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars. Apparently, Donald Trump isn't the aberration I thought he was - he's the latest in a long line of bullies, tyrants and autocrats that goes back almost to the birth of the republic. It's a scary history, and Ed Stourton sets it out admirably in this brief book. At the end he casts aside his cool analytical objectivity and tells us what he really thinks. I used to think that all we had to do was ride out the dumbass, but after reading this, it appears that might not be enough!

[Phillip Tyler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good, well researched and presented. Audiobook was good, Edward narrates it very well.

[rené · Rating 4 out of 5]

DNF because I only needed one chapter for my EPQ. Intriguing so far.

[Gerry McCaffrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very worth while read. Americans may speak English but their society has developed on a different track to this side of the Atlantic. Trump is representative of much of what is bad but it is in their history.
The author is unsure if he could return to the States, I am more categorical. It is time for Europe to recognise that the USA cannot be relied on as a strong partner and begin the process of reducing reliance and make alternative arrangements.