Walter Lefeber

RECOMMENDED

Written 60 years ago, this book is remarkably prescient. The story of American business, government and policy from 1860 to 1898 begins with the policy makers, non-government or one-time government employees writing to advise the United States government how to conduct foreign affairs to make the most of business opportunities.

STOP! At one time America had competent diplomats amongst its politicians. Benjamin Franklin in Paris was the best. John Adams was not bad, but certainly not as good as his son, John Quincy Adams.

One hundred years after relying on experts or shills e.g. the old wise men who decided and advised fighting in Vietnam, the policies of experts has not changed. Wilson had his Colonel House and indecision. FDR had inexperienced wise guys making horrendous decisions before and during World War II, etc., etc., etc.. The Reagan administration took advice from Adam Ulam, preeminent Harvard Professor (Soviet expert) who did not want to be on-top. Ulam wanted to be on-tap, giving advise when asked but the responsibility of decision making was on the politicians.

The New Empire ably marches readers through 25 years of American business and diplomatic history – Hawaii, the Caribbean, Central and South America, and eastern Asia. Many one-time hot-spots have sensible historical passages devoted to them; sources are fact and resource-rich e.g. American policy on a canal in Nicaragua and Panama.

Professor LaFeber tells the history straight, not editorializing much about outcomes from adverse, poor or hurried decisions.