What Is America?: A Short History of the New World Order [Hardcover]

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"The Columbian Age [the Age that occurred after Christopher Columbus discovered America] was built on colonial attitudes: on taming the wilderness, civilizing the savage, and the American dream of endless plenty. Now there is nothing left to colonize...Mankind will either share [this planet] or fight over it--a war nobody can win...[The United States of] America...must now examine its own record--the facts, not the myths--and free itself from the potent but potentially fatal mix of forces that created its nation, its empire, and the modern world."

The above is the very last paragraph of this eye-opening and riveting book by award-winning novelist, historian, author, and essayist Ronald Wright.

This book's primary purpose is to understand the rise of the United States from small colony to world's lone superpower in the span of only two centuries. By delving deep into history, Wright is indeed able to, as the above quotation states, separate fact from myth.

Interpretive history is also included. That is, the author is able to draw parallels from events of the past and apply them to today's events. The result is a coherent and insightful historical analysis of the United States, an analysis that some people may find difficult to read.

What I especially enjoyed about this book is that it contains the actual writings of those from the past. Some of these writings may be distressing to some readers.

Each chapter begins with a few profound quotations from others. My favourite:

"The real war has been to keep alive the light of civilization everywhere...The end of the world begins not with the barbarians of the gate, but with the barbarians at the highest levels of state."
(Acclaimed Nigerian poet and novelist, Ben Okri, 2003)

Finally, it should be mentioned what this book is not:

(1) It is not a rant. A rant is written work based on emotion (usually anger) and opinion. This book is based on history. It contains almost 125 pages of notes and bibliography.

(2) It is not Anti-American. By examining history and human behaviour, the author derives his insight.

In conclusion, this book is a must for those who want to understand the United States and our times.

(first published 2008; forward; 9 chapters; main narrative 225 pages; notes; bibliography; acknowledgements; index; about the author)

<<Stephen Pletko, London, Ontario, Canada>>

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In this book, Wright isolates some basic characteristics of Americans and backs these up with incredible quotations and examples from his extensive research. He also succeeds in explaining the huge influence that the American continents have had on contemporary life, starting from the very advanced American civilizations that existed before Europeans "discovered" the Americas.

Wright examines not only where we've come from but also where we might be going. While his conclusions about the United States are somewhat depressing, there is some room for hope, and Wright outlines these at the end of the book.

This is the best analysis of the character of the United States that I've read and certainly the best work of non-fiction I've read in some time. It deserves to be an international best seller.

I found this book to be a very interesting read; giving a solid expression of "What America Is Indeed".

Although I think this book connects the "dots" of American history and "Americanism" extremely well, relating to America and the world, there were a couple of times I found myself somewhat disappointed in the research...or, more importantly, I guess, in the writers interpretation of America today and his reference to the events of 911.

After systematically projecting the sinister historical motivations of America and all that it has sought to conquer in the past 500 years, the writer, in my opinion, wrongly assumes that 19 Muslim hijackers did in fact perpetrate the atrocities of 911....Five to seven of whom were purportedly alive after the attacks????

Given the history or America, the neo-conservative cabal, Military Industrial Complex, Project for A New American Century, etc. are far more likely to be guilty of 911 than any Muslims living in caves, that has to be a naïve assumption sadly overlooked by the writer, but, it may just be an area that the writer didn't want or need to dwell on in this book, although, it does fall under the mental capabilities of the American mindset throughout history.

I also think that, quoting electoral promises of Barack Obama in this book and "assuming that he has the political and intellectual gifts to return the United States to internationalism", can only be attributed to the time this book was written and published.... because as time has shown, there is little difference between this President and any other previous Presidents, as far as what America stands for or where it's moral compass has been, or is heading in the future.

There are many things to learn from this book, but, to me the most obvious was that "The only true friend of the United States, will eventually be a dead friend....when it becomes convenient for America".
A book worth reading.