Synopses & Reviews
In his seminal work
The Clash of Civilizations and the
Remaking of World Order, Samuel Huntington argued provocatively and presciently that with the end of the cold war, "civilizations" were replacing ideologies as the new fault lines in international politics.
His astute analysis has proven correct. Now Professor Huntington turns his attention from international affairs to our domestic cultural rifts as he examines the impact other civilizations and their values are having on our own country.
America was founded by British settlers who brought with them a distinct culture including the English language, Protestant values, individualism, religious commitment, and respect for law. The waves of immigrants that later came to the United States gradually accepted these values and assimilated into America's Anglo-Protestant culture. More recently, however, national identity has been eroded by the problems of assimilating massive numbers of primarily Hispanic
immigrants, bilingualism, multiculturalism, the devaluation of citizenship, and the "denationalization" of American elites.
September 11 brought a revival of American patriotism and a renewal of American identity. But already there are signs that this revival is
fading, even though in the post-September 11 world, Americans face unprecedented challenges to our security.
Who Are We? shows the need for us to reassert the core values that make us Americans. Nothing less than our national identity is at stake.
Once again Samuel Huntington has written an important book that is certain to provoke a lively debate and to shape our national conversation about who we are.\
Synopsis
Blockade is the story of a long-running battle at sea, a battle for trade which both Britain and Germany had to win in order to survive; in particular, it tells the story of the Northern Barrage and the 10th Cruiser Squadron.
The Royal Navy's role during WWI in denying Germanyaccess to the sea, trade and vital resources was crucial in helping win the war on the Western Front; the 'Northern Blockade', located across the inhospitable waters between Iceland and Scotland, was to bring the German economy to its knees and destroy her home front morale. Likewise, the Royal Navy's success in negating Germany's attacks on British commerce prevented much suffering in Britain, and the author vividly describes the final destruction of German surface vessel commerce warfare, culminating in the hard-fought battle between the raider SMS Leopard and two British warships. The American reaction to the British naval blockade and to Germany's war on trade and her treatment of American sailors taken prisoner is looked at, while the changes in strategy on both sides through the war and the use of converted liners and armed merchant vessels as warships (AMCs) are examined in detail.
With the help of first-hand accounts, the book brings to life the experiences of those who manned the blockade, and creates a vivid picture of the dangers of duty; it lays before the reader a highly significant but, until now, much neglected aspect of the First World War.
Synopsis
Blockade is the story of a long-running trade battle at sea between Britain and Germany during the First World War. Each country fought for survival, but this book focuses on the story of the Northern Patrol and the 10th Cruiser Squadron.
The Royal Navy's role during World War I denying Germany access to the sea, trade, and vital resources was crucial to helping Britain win the war on the Western Front. The 'Northern Blockade', located across the inhospitable waters between Iceland and Scotland, was to bring the German economy to its knees and destroy her home front morale. Likewise, the Royal Navy's success in negating Germany's attacks on British commerce prevented much suffering in Britain.
Steve Dunn vividly describes the final destruction of German surface vessel commerce warfare. He examines the American reaction to the British naval blockade and to Germany's war on trade as well as Germany's treatment of American sailors taken prisoner. Dunn also considers changes in strategy employed by both sides.
Blockade brings to life the experiences of those who manned the blockade and creates a vivid picture of the dangers of duty in this highly significant, but overlooked aspect of World War I.
Synopsis
In his new book, the author of The Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of World Order turns his attention from cultural divides to the cultural rifts in this country. The patriotic response to the September 11 tragedy only highlighted the loss of American identity here at home, says Huntington, and already the flag-waving has begun to subside.
About the Author
Samuel P. Huntington is the Albert J. Weatherhead III University Professor at Harvard and chairman of the Harvard Academy for International and Area Studies. He is the author or editor of a dozen other books.
Table of Contents
ContentsForeword
Part I: The Issues of Identity
Chapter 1. The Crisis of National Identity
Salience: Are the Flags Still There?
Substance: Who Are We?
The Global Identity Crisis
Prospects for American Identity
Chapter 2. Identities: National and Other
The Concept of Identity
Others and Enemies
Sources of Identity
The False Dichotomy
Part II: American Identity
Chapter 3. Components of American Identity
Change, Continuity, and Partial Truths
Settlers Before Immigrants
More Than the Creed
"No Attachment to Place"
Race and Ethnicity
Chapter 4. Anglo-Protestant Culture
The Cultural Core
"The Dissidence of Dissent"
The American Creed
Individualism and the Work Ethic
Moralism and the Reform Ethic
Chapter 5. Religion and Christianity
God, the Cross, and America
A Religious People
Protestant America and Catholicism
A Christian People
Civil Religion
Chapter 6. Emergence, Triumph, Erosion
The Fragility of Nations
Creating an American Identity
National vs. Other Identities
Nation and Patriotism Triumphant
Fading Nationalism
Part III: Challenges to American Identity
Chapter 7. Deconstructing America: The Rise of Subnational Identities
The Deconstructionist Movement
The Challenge to the Creed
The Challenge to English
The Challenge to the Core Culture
Chapter 8. Assimilation: Converts, Ampersands, and the Erosion of Citizenship
Immigration With or Without Assimilation
Assimilation: Still a Success?
Sources of Assimilation
The Immigrants
The Immigration Process
American Society: Americanization Is Un-American
Ampersands and Dual Citizenship
Citizens and Noncitizens
Alternatives to Americanization
Chapter 9. Mexican Immigration and Hispanization
The Mexican/Hispanic Challenge
Why Mexican Immigration Differs
How Mexican Assimilation Lags
Individual Assimilation and Enclave Consolidation
The Hispanization of Miami
The Hispanization of the Southwest
Chapter 10. Merging America with the World
The Changing Environment
The Search for an Enemy
Dead Souls: The Denationalization of Elites
The Patriotic Public
Diasporas, Foreign Governments, and American Politics
Part IV: Renewing American Identity
Chapter 11. Fault Lines Old and New
The Shaping Trends
The Ending of Ethnicity
Race: Constant, Blurring, Fading
White Nativism
Bifurcation: Two Languages and Two Cultures?
Unrepresentative Democracy: Elites vs. the Public
Chapter 12. Twenty-first Century America: Vulnerability, Religion, and National Identity
The Creed in an Age of Vulnerability
Americans Turn to Religion
The Global Resurgence of Religion
Militant Islam vs. America
America in the World: Cosmopolitan, Imperial, and/or National?
Notes
Index