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The United States of War
A Global History of America's Endless Conflicts, from Columbus to the Islamic State
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The United States of War
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2020 L.A. Times Book Prize Finalist, History
A provocative examination of how the U.S. military has shaped our entire world, from today’s costly, endless wars to the prominence of violence in everyday American life.
The United States has been fighting wars constantly since invading Afghanistan in 2001. This nonstop warfare is far less exceptional than it might seem: the United States has been at war or has invaded other countries almost every year since independence.
In The United States of War, David Vine traces this pattern of bloody conflict from Columbus’s 1494 arrival in Guantanamo Bay through the 250-year expansion of a global US empire. Drawing on historical and firsthand anthropological research in fourteen countries and territories, The United States of War demonstrates how US leaders across generations have locked the United States in a self-perpetuating system of permanent war by constructing the world’s largest-ever collection of foreign military bases—a global matrix that has made offensive interventionist wars more likely.
Beyond exposing the profit-making desires, political interests, racism, and toxic masculinity underlying the country’s relationship to war and empire, The United States of War shows how the long history of U.S. military expansion shapes our daily lives, from today’s multi-trillion–dollar wars to the pervasiveness of violence and militarism in everyday U.S. life.
The book concludes by confronting the catastrophic toll of American wars—which have left millions dead, wounded, and displaced—while offering proposals for how we can end the fighting.
Series: California Series in Public Anthropology
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The United States of War
2020 L.A. Times Book Prize Finalist, History A provocative examination of how the U.S. military has shaped our entire world, from today’s costly, endless wars to the prominence of violence in everyday American life. The United States has been fighting wars constantly since invading Afghanistan in 2001. This nonstop warfare is far less exceptional than it might seem: the United...Paperback$5099Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 3-4 weeks -
The United States of War
The United States has been fighting wars constantly since invading Afghanistan in 2001. This nonstop warfare is far less exceptional than it might seem: the United States has been at war or has invaded other countries almost every year since independence. In The United States of War, David Vine traces this pattern of bloody conflict from Columbus’s 1494 arrival in...Hardback$5699Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 3-4 weeks -
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Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?
David Vine's The United States of War offers a critical examination of the American tendency towards continuous and costly war in support of an unofficial empire. The book is praised for providing a comprehensive history of U.S. overseas military bases, portraying them as both a symbol and mechanism of American imperialism. Reviews highlight Vine's convincing argument that dismantling these bases is essential for peace and emphasise the book's insightful analysis of the pervasive impact of militarism on American and global societies.
Book Details
INFORMATION
ISBN: 9780520385689
Publisher: University of California Press
Format: Paperback / softback
Date Published: 07 September 2021
Country: United States
Imprint: University of California Press
Illustration: 28 maps, 2 photographs
Audience: Professional and scholarly
DIMENSIONS
Spine width: 33.0mm
Width: 152.0mm
Height: 229.0mm
Weight: 726g
Pages: 464
About the Author
David Vine is Professor of Anthropology at American University. His other books include Base Nation: How U.S. Military Bases Abroad Harm America and the World and Island of Shame: The Secret History of the U.S. Military Base on Diego Garcia.
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