Overthrow: America's Century of Regime Change from Hawaii to Iraq - Hardcover

Kinzer, Stephen

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0805078614 ISBN 13: 9780805078619

Publisher: Times Books, 2006

Synopsis

A fast-paced narrative history of the coups, revolutions, and invasions by which the United States has toppled fourteen foreign governments—not always to its own benefit
     "Regime change” did not begin with the administration of George W. Bush, but has been an integral part of U.S. foreign policy for more than one hundred years. Starting with the overthrow of the Hawaiian monarchy in 1893 and continuing through the Spanish-American War and the Cold War and into our own time, the United States has not hesitated to overthrow governments that stood in the way of its political and economic goals. The invasion of Iraq in 2003 is the latest, though perhaps not the last, example of the dangers inherent in these operations.
     In Overthrow, Stephen Kinzer tells the stories of the audacious politicians, spies, military commanders, and business executives who took it upon themselves to depose monarchs, presidents, and prime ministers. He also shows that the U.S. government has often pursued these operations without understanding the countries involved; as a result, many of them have had disastrous long-term consequences.
     In a compelling and provocative history that takes readers to fourteen countries, including Cuba, Iran, South Vietnam, Chile, and Iraq, Kinzer surveys modern American history from a new and often surprising perspective.

About this title

Review

"Citizens concerned about foreign affairs must read this book. Stephen Kinzer's crisp and thoughtful "Overthrow" undermines the myth of national innocence. Quite the contrary: history shows the United States as an interventionist busybody directed at regime change. We deposed fourteen foreign governments in hardly more than a century, some for good reasons, more for bad reasons, with most dubious long-term consequences."
--Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr.
"Stephen Kinzer has a grim message for those critics of the Iraqi war who believe George W. Bush to be America's most misguided, uninformed, and reckless president. Bush has had plenty of company in the past century--presidents who believe that America, as Kinzer tells us, has the right to wage war wherever it deems war necessary."
--Seymour M. Hersh
"Stephen Kinzer's book is a jewel. After reading" Overthrow, " no American -- not even President Bush -- should any longer wonder 'why they hate us.' "Overthrow" is a narrative of all the times we've overthrown a foreign government in order to put in power puppets that are obedient to us. It is a tale of imperialism American-style, usually in the service of corporate interests, and as Kinzer points out, 'No nation in modern history has done this so often, in so many places so far from its own shores.' "
--Chalmers Johnson
Citizens concerned about foreign affairs must read this book. Stephen Kinzer's crisp and thoughtful "Overthrow" undermines the myth of national innocence. Quite the contrary: history shows the United States as an interventionist busybody directed at regime change. We deposed fourteen foreign governments in hardly more than a century, some for good reasons, more for bad reasons, with most dubious long-term consequences.--Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr.

Stephen Kinzer has a grim message for those critics of the Iraqi war who believe George W. Bush to be America's most misguided, uninformed, and reckless president. Bush has had plenty of company in the past century--presidents who believe that America, as Kinzer tells us, has the right to wage war wherever it deems war necessary.--Seymour M. Hersh

Stephen Kinzer's book is a jewel. After reading Overthrow, no American -- not even President Bush -- should any longer wonder 'why they hate us.' Overthrow is a narrative of all the times we've overthrown a foreign government in order to put in power puppets that are obedient to us. It is a tale of imperialism American-style, usually in the service of corporate interests, and as Kinzer points out, 'No nation in modern history has done this so often, in so many places so far from its own shores.'--Chalmers Johnson

Citizens concerned about foreign affairs must read this book. Stephen Kinzer's crisp and thoughtful "Overthrow" undermines the myth of national innocence. Quite the contrary: history shows the United States as an interventionist busybody directed at regime change. We deposed fourteen foreign governments in hardly more than a century, some for good reasons, more for bad reasons, with most dubious long-term consequences. Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr.

Stephen Kinzer has a grim message for those critics of the Iraqi war who believe George W. Bush to be America s most misguided, uninformed, and reckless president. Bush has had plenty of company in the past century presidents who believe that America, as Kinzer tells us, has the right to wage war wherever it deems war necessary. Seymour M. Hersh

Stephen Kinzer s book is a jewel. After reading Overthrow, no American -- not even President Bush -- should any longer wonder why they hate us. Overthrow is a narrative of all the times we ve overthrown a foreign government in order to put in power puppets that are obedient to us. It is a tale of imperialism American-style, usually in the service of corporate interests, and as Kinzer points out, No nation in modern history has done this so often, in so many places so far from its own shores. Chalmers Johnson"

Citizens concerned about foreign affairs must read this book. Stephen Kinzer's crisp and thoughtful Overthrow undermines the myth of national innocence. Quite the contrary: history shows the United States as an interventionist busybody directed at regime change. We deposed fourteen foreign governments in hardly more than a century, some for good reasons, more for bad reasons, with most dubious long-term consequences. Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr.

Stephen Kinzer has a grim message for those critics of the Iraqi war who believe George W. Bush to be America s most misguided, uninformed, and reckless president. Bush has had plenty of company in the past century presidents who believe that America, as Kinzer tells us, has the right to wage war wherever it deems war necessary. Seymour M. Hersh

Stephen Kinzer s book is a jewel. After reading Overthrow, no American -- not even President Bush -- should any longer wonder why they hate us. Overthrow is a narrative of all the times we ve overthrown a foreign government in order to put in power puppets that are obedient to us. It is a tale of imperialism American-style, usually in the service of corporate interests, and as Kinzer points out, No nation in modern history has done this so often, in so many places so far from its own shores. Chalmers Johnson

"

"Citizens concerned about foreign affairs must read this book. Stephen Kinzer's crisp and thoughtful Overthrow undermines the myth of national innocence. Quite the contrary: history shows the United States as an interventionist busybody directed at regime change. We deposed fourteen foreign governments in hardly more than a century, some for good reasons, more for bad reasons, with most dubious long-term consequences." --Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr.

"Stephen Kinzer has a grim message for those critics of the Iraqi war who believe George W. Bush to be America's most misguided, uninformed, and reckless president. Bush has had plenty of company in the past century--presidents who believe that America, as Kinzer tells us, has the right to wage war wherever it deems war necessary." --Seymour M. Hersh

"Stephen Kinzer's book is a jewel. After reading Overthrow, no American -- not even President Bush -- should any longer wonder 'why they hate us.' Overthrow is a narrative of all the times we've overthrown a foreign government in order to put in power puppets that are obedient to us. It is a tale of imperialism American-style, usually in the service of corporate interests, and as Kinzer points out, 'No nation in modern history has done this so often, in so many places so far from its own shores.' " --Chalmers Johnson

About the Author

Stephen Kinzer is an award-winning foreign correspondent for The New York Times who has reported from more than fifty countries on four continents. He has served as the paper’s bureau chief in Turkey, Germany, and Nicaragua. His
previous books include All the Shah’s Men: An American Coup and the Roots of Middle East Terror; Crescent and Star: Turkey Between Two Worlds; and Blood of Brothers: Life and War in Nicaragua. He is also the co-author of Bitter Fruit: The Untold Story of the American Coup in Guatemala. He lives in Chicago.

Stephen Kinzer is the author of Reset, Overthrow, All the Shah's Men, Crescent and Star, and numerous other books. An award-winning foreign correspondent, he served as The New York Times's bureau chief in Turkey, Germany, and Nicaragua and as The Boston Globe's Latin America correspondent. He teaches international relations at Boston University and is a frequent contributor to The New York Review of Books and a columnist for The Guardian. He lives in Boston. Visit Stephen Kinzer's website at www.StephenKinzer.com.

Edition details

• Publisher: Times Books
• Publication date: 2006
• ISBN 10: 0805078614
• ISBN 13: 9780805078619
• Binding: Hardcover
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 384