cover image Empire in Retreat: The Past, Present, and Future of the United States

Empire in Retreat: The Past, Present, and Future of the United States

Victor Bulmer-Thomas. Yale Univ, $32.50 (480p) ISBN 978-0-300-21000-2

Bulmer-Thomas (The Economic History of Latin America Since Independence), professor emeritus at the University of London, provides an expansive and comprehensive treatise on American imperialism. This potent study presents a robust theoretical framework for the concept of American empire and traces the concept’s development from the nation’s founding to the present, also offering a glimpse into its future. Bulmer-Thomas argues that the founding of the U.S. represented the birth of “a new imperial project” about which the Founding Fathers “spoke with one voice.” He examines U.S. territorial growth throughout the North American mainland as a series of colonial acquisitions that expanded into a network of colonies, protectorates, and client states throughout much of the world by the early 20th century. Bulmer-Thomas notes that the U.S. empire has lacked the formal colonial apparatuses of those of Europe, but it has nevertheless wielded mighty mechanisms of political, economic, and military control over other countries. He then looks ahead, arguing that the U.S. imperial system will fall due to the combination of a declining economy, a diminished place on the world stage, and changes in social attitudes. This book will be of immense interest to students, scholars, and general readers of U.S. history, U.S. foreign policy, and international relations. (Mar.)