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  • The Icarus Syndrome

  • A History of American Hubris
  • By: Peter Beinart
  • Narrated by: John Morgan
  • Length: 18 hrs and 23 mins
  • 4.0 out of 5 stars (3 ratings)

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The Icarus Syndrome

By: Peter Beinart
Narrated by: John Morgan
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Summary

"Peter Beinart has written a vivid, empathetic, and convincing history of the men and ideas that have shaped the ambitions of American foreign policy during the last century - a story in which human fallibility and idealism flow together. The story continues, of course, and so his book is not only timely; it is indispensable.” (Steve Coll, author of Ghost Wars)

Peter Beinart's provocative account of hubris in the American century describes Washington on the eve of three wars: World War I, Vietnam, and Iraq - three moments when American leaders decided they could remake the world in their image. Each time, leading intellectuals declared that the spread of democracy was inevitable.

Each time, a president held the nation in the palm of his hand. And each time, a war conceived in arrogance brought tragedy. But each catastrophe also imparted wisdom to a new generation of thinkers. These leaders learned to reconcile the American belief that anything is possible with the realities of a world that will never fully conform to this country's will - and in their struggles lie the seeds of American renewal today.

©2010 Peter Beinart (P)2010 HarperCollins Publishers
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fascinating

gave me a lot of insight. explaining a lot of modern history. how does it develop?

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