by Oliver Stone
First published 2016
Oliver Stone presents America's ascent to superpower status through a decidedly different lens. While most accounts celebrate this rise as heroic triumph, Stone focuses on the darker elements that accompanied expansion and dominance. His examination covers conquest and colonization, systematic racism, and brutal military campaigns. The narrative documents murder, torture, and widespread human rights violations that occurred alongside America's growth. Stone constructs what amounts to a dark chronicle of oppression, exploitation, and enslavement. This revisionist approach directly confronts established myths surrounding American foreign policy. The New York Times recognizes the work as courageously challenging conventional wisdom about America's global role. Stone's background as a filmmaker brings a particular perspective to this historical reexamination, offering readers an unflinching look at the costs of American power.
Genres: history, 20th-century, american, non-fiction, 21st-century, american-history
Vibes: dark, emotional, thought-provoking
Tropes: challenging-conventional-wisdom, dark-chronicle, unflinching-look
Setting: America
Period: 19th-century, 20th-century, 21st-century
367 pages · Paperback · Ullstein-Taschenbuch
Content warnings: colonialism, racism, violence