First published 2007
Samantha Power scrutinizes how the United States has responded to genocides over the past five decades. She builds her case through historical analysis of American political decisions during mass atrocities. Power argues that America's traditional policy of non-engagement has failed morally and strategically. She presents evidence for why the United States should abandon its reluctance to intervene in genocidal conflicts. The book makes a moral case for American involvement when populations face systematic extermination. Power examines the political calculations that have kept America on the sidelines during some of history's worst atrocities. This Pulitzer Prize and National Book Critics Circle Award winner offers readers a framework for understanding American foreign policy toward genocide and a compelling argument for change.
Genres: history, 20th-century, political-science, non-fiction, biography-memoir, 21st-century, academic, american-history
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: moral-imperative, political-calculations
Period: 20th-Century, 21st-Century
688 pages · Paperback · Harper Perennial