First published 1990
Kennedy examines how great powers have risen and fallen over five hundred years of history. His analysis reveals a consistent pattern: nations achieve dominance through economic growth, then face decline as their expansion slows while military expenditures continue climbing. The book demonstrates how political leaders can either accelerate or slow this process through their policy choices. Kennedy applies this historical framework to contemporary superpowers, analyzing the strategic challenges facing the United States, Soviet Union, European Economic Community, Japan, and China. He shows how each faces the same fundamental tension between maintaining global influence and managing economic resources. The study offers readers a lens for understanding how today's powers might navigate the same forces that shaped their predecessors.
Genres: history, 20th-century, political-science, non-fiction, 21st-century, academic, american-history
Vibes: thought-provoking
Tropes: historical-analysis, rise-and-fall
Setting: China, Europe, Japan, Soviet Union, United States
Period: 500 Years
677 pages · Hardcover · Random House Value Publishing