American Empire or Preserving Memory

American Empire: A Debate

Author: Bradley A Thayer

With the collapse of the Soviet Union, the United States emerged as the lone, unrivaled superpower on the world stage. America's military, diplomatic and economic--not to mention its cultural and ideological--presence is felt throughout the world. With few, if any, rivals to its supremacy, the current administration has made an explicit commitment--in its 2002 National Security Strategy--to maintaining and advancing primacy for the U.S. in the world. But, what exactly are the benefits of American hegemony for the U.S. and the world and what are the costs and drawbacks for this fledgling empire. In this short, accessible book Chris Layne and Brad Thayer argue the merits and demerits of American empire. After making their best cases for and against an American empire, subsequent chapters will allow the authors respond to the major arguments presented by their opponent and present their own counter arguments.

American Empire: A Debate will be the first stop for readers interested in deciding for themselves where they stand on this very controversial topic.

Book review: Umbertos Kitchen or Pearls of Kitchen Wisdom

Preserving Memory: The Struggle to Create America's Holocaust Museum

Author: Edward T Linenthal

Since its first year in 1993, the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum has attracted visitors more than 15 million visitors, sometimes at the rate of 10,000 a day, each of whom has walked away with an indelible impression of awe in the face of the unimaginable. This lively, honest, behind-the-scenes account details the emotionally complex fifteen-year struggle surrounding the museum's birth.

Deborah Lipstadt

A masterpiece. It mesmerizes the reader.

Raul Hilberg

A brilliant book, incisive and clear . . . reveals the tensions, plunges, and surges that led to this bold museum.

Philadelphia Inquirer

Well-written and exciting . . . A riveting story that does not sensationalize or take sides in the many controversies.

Stephen T. Katz

Linenthal has written an intriguing, highly informative, ‘insider’ account of one of America's most important new cultural institutions. . . . Bravo.