Newswise — WINSTON-SALEM, NC – Is America an empire? If so, what kind of empire, and where do we stand in our imperial evolution? Perhaps most important, why should we care?
America in the Shadow of Empires, a new book by David Coates, answers those questions convincingly, emphasizing the critical need for a national conversation about getting out of the empire business. The experiences of empires historically, Coates says, should compel us to redirect our efforts from nation-building abroad to nation-building at home.
In America in the Shadow of Empires, Coates, the Worrell Professor of Anglo-American Studies at Wake Forest University, identifies, examines and compares the salient features of the Roman, Spanish, British and Russian empires – their military forces, economic performance, education, manufacturing, social classes and culture.
As in those imperial and global powers before ours, Coates says, the pursuit of foreign dominance ultimately erodes the strength of the domestic economy on which that dominance was initially based. All previous empires have risen, consolidated, and then fallen, each insisting to the very end that no fall was either likely or necessary.
There is no reason to suppose that the U.S. trajectory will be any different, the book concludes, and every reason to believe that without thoughtful discussion and redirection, our “empire” will suffer the same fate.
Although scholarly in its approach, America in the Shadow of Empires is a thoroughly accessible read. “So well written, both content-wise and in a superb style!” says Luis Roniger, Reynolds Professor of Latin American Studies at Wake Forest University and an internationally recognized comparative political sociologist.
“Chapters are tied together by drawing conclusions and ‘lessons’ from the historical experiences and bringing it all together in the last chapters…. The book’s main contribution is to bring U.S. readers to take an informed look at the U.S.’s current policies and challenges by taking former imperial experiences into account, seriously and critically.”
Matthias Matthijs of Johns Hopkins University’s School of Advanced International Studies writes, “Coates draws three tough lessons: get out of the empire business, rebalance the economy, and reduce inequality. Any U.S. policymaker or American citizen who cares about America’s future should read this book, and take Coates’s enduring wisdom to heart.”
The “lessons of empire” can be applied to many current domestic and foreign concerns and make for a fascinating discussion.
Coates is the author of numerous books, articles and blog posts. His political and historical expertise encompasses the American economy, foreign policy, trade agreements, military spending and deployment, healthcare, education, the emerging presidential candidates, and relationships with our allies, particularly the U.K.
He has the special skill of seeing and describing an interconnectedness between these and most subjects of consequence to the United States. His powers of observation make him a great radio interviewee or panelist on serious news-talk radio.
More about Coates’s work is at DavidCoates.net. Request a review copy of America in the Shadow of Empires.
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