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More copies of this ISBN:Ark of the Liberties: America and the Worldby Ted Widmer
Synopses & ReviewsPublisher Comments:Why the world loves/hates America. Long before there was an America, Europeans sensed that a land of freedom lay to the west, by definition different from the cloistered Old World. A fantasy grew into a society, then a nation, and finally a superpower; yet the belief always lingered that liberty and America were one and the same. Often they were. But unattainable aspirations can be as damaging as they are uplifting. From the Puritans to Thomas Paine, from Woodrow Wilson to George W. Bush, Americans have believed we have nothing less than a mission to redeem the world. Pursuing that belief, we have stumbled into a paradox: the desire to see liberty spread around the globe leads to forced efforts that are inconsistent with a true definition of liberty. With wit, brilliance, and deep affection, the inimitable Ted Widmer has written a history of America in the world unlike any other. Ranging from the late seventeenth century to the present, Widmer traces America's wondrous history, the arc that runs from the Declaration of Independence to the Gettysburg Address to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. He also looks unblinkingly at our less glorious history, from the 1739 Stono Rebellion, which saw slaves massacred under a banner declaring "liberty," to the occupation of Iraq and America's dismal standing in world opinion. Ark of the Liberties is that luminous rarity, a celebratory critique written in the conviction that if Americans want an occasionally ungrateful world to respect us more, then it will certainly help to know ourselves a little better. Review:"Widmer, a Brown University history professor and former Clinton speechwriter, examines the timely question of how the concept of liberty has influenced the development of America and American foreign policy from pre-Revolutionary days to the present. Widmer argues that liberty was part of the New World's allure for centuries, and that the Puritans' quest for religious freedom led directly to the peculiarly American concept of liberty that he says 'was essential to America's modern greatness.' While acknowledging many foreign policy fiascos inconsistent with his thesis — including the Mexican-American war, the CIA's destabilization of various Latin American governments and the war in Vietnam — Widmer argues that overall, American actions have been instrumental in furthering liberty, both nationally and internationally. He places Lincoln's performance during the Civil War, Woodrow Wilson's League of Nations, FDR's leadership during WWII, the Marshall Plan and Kennedy's inspirational Pax Americana on the liberty side of the ledger. The Iraq War is addressed only in a scathing epilogue. Widmer offers a critical, informative and ambitious study that honors the best American impulses without ignoring the times the country has fallen from grace. (July)" Publishers Weekly (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.) Review:"An unusual and engaging tour of the horizon of American diplomacy that should appeal to both scholarly and general audiences." Kirkus Reviews Review:"[A] rollicking and exuberantly sweeping overview of American history." Providence Journal Review:"Throughout this valuable history of the ideas that have shaped American foreign policy, Mr. Widmer reminds us that the errand into Iraq...is not without precedent in the nation's history." Dallas Morning News Synopsis:The United States stands at a historic crossroads; essential to the world yet unappreciated. Americas decline in popularity over the last eight years has been nothing short of astonishing. With wit, brilliance, and deep affection, Ted Widmer, a scholar and a former presidential speechwriter, reminds everyone why this great nation had so far to fall. In a sweeping history of centuries, Ark of the Liberties recounts Americas ambition to be the worlds guarantor of liberty. It is a success story that America, and the world, forgets at its peril. From the Declaration of Independence to the Gettysburg Address to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the United States, for all its shortfalls, has been by far the worlds greatest advocate for freedom. Generations of founders imbued America with a surprisingly global ambition that a series of remarkable presidents, often Democratic, advanced through the confident wielding of military and economic power. Ark of the Liberties brims with new insights: Americas centuries-long favorable relationship with the Middle East; why Wilsons presidency deserves reappraisal; Bill Clintons underappreciated achievements; how Americas long history of foreign policy immediately touches on the choices we face in 2008. Fully addressing Americas disastrous occupation of Iraq, Ark of the Liberties colorfully narrates Americas long and laudatory history of expanding world liberty. Synopsis:With wit, brilliance, and deep affection, the inimitable Widmer has written a history of America in the world unlike any other. Ranging from the late 17th century to the present, Widmer traces Americas wondrous history as well as our less glorious past. About the AuthorTed Widmer directs the John Carter Brown Library at Brown University. He was a foreign policy speechwriter and senior adviser to President Clinton, and is Senior Research Fellow of the New America Foundation. He is a frequent contributor to The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The New York Observer. What Our Readers Are SayingBe the first to add a comment for a chance to win!Product Details
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