American Empire

"A doggedly detailed history of imperial America, beginning before the establishment of the republic and continuing to the present. . . . A definitive account of a complex subject that's hard to pin down." * Kirkus Reviews *
"[American Empire] is a slow-burning but high-impact argument encompassing almost the entire sweep of the history of the United States from the Seven Years War to its most recent war of choice. . . . With his gift for witty summations, his serious investment in comparison, and his dispassionate outsider's view on the pieties of American history, Hopkins has rendered the topic of American empire not merely interesting but truly compelling again."---David Armitage, Times Literary Supplement
"One of BBC History Magazine's Books of the Year"
"Hopkins is a master of storytelling on a grand scale, and the narrative abounds with moments--the little known life story of Harry Washington, one of George Washington's slaves; the siege of British-occupied Kut, Iraq, in 1915--that resonate across the centuries. . . . This is a good book." * Publishers Weekly *
"Few scholars have succeeded so brilliantly at capturing the broad reach of imperialism throughout U.S. history while situating this story within the tectonic shifts of global politics over the course of three centuries . . . American Empire provides a compelling narrative with sparkling details and demonstrates a deep mastery of wide-ranging scholarship. For these reasons, it will be an enduring touchstone of scholarship on the subject for years to come."---Brandon Mills, The American Historical Review
"Hopkins deserves great credit for the book's range . . . . He has written a go-to account of economics and American empire, powerfully advanced the effort to de-exceptionalize American empire, and brought four major island outposts of American empire into a common interpretative frame. He has also raised provocative questions about the causal relations between economics and imperial power. Truly, there is much to applaud."---Kristin Hoganson, Diplomatic History
"Hopkins's comprehensive synthesis produces an interpretation that is extensive, persuasive and repeatedly innovative . . . . It would be a rare scholar indeed who did not learn much from this book, even in areas where they previously, perhaps naively, thought to claim a modest expertise. They may, in the light of reading this book, quietly think again."---Alex Goodall, English Historical Review
"[A] brilliant account. . . . [N]o one before him has analyzed the administration of the American dependencies on such a scale and with such exactitude."---Wm. Roger Louis, Wall Street Journal
"[I]n this immense, feisty, delightfully pugilistic book, one can't help but appreciate [Hopkins'] intellectual fireworks, his depth of reading, and his conviction that history sits as the exacting judge of even emperors."---Joseph Fronczak, Jacobin
"Sweeping, ambitious and hugely illuminating, [this] book is surely the definitive account of perhaps the most underestimated 'European' empire of all."---Dominic Sandbrook, BBC History Magazine
"Hopkins's provocative study will be ofvalue to international relations specialists."---L.M. Lees, Choice
"Mr. Hopkins deserves credit for tackling so vast and demanding a subject."---Aram Bakshian Jr., Washington Times
"American Empire is a thoughtful, well written, and deeply researched book . . . . Hopkins has made his mark, and has made it well. American Empire is a provocative, perceptive, and compelling step towards a richer integration of American, European, and world history."---Michael A. Verney, Journal of Global History
"This volume is not the first to attempt to fit the United States into global patterns of historical change, but it is undoubtedly among the most successful . . . . Hopkins provides a synthesis of American history and historiographical reviews of dozens of topic that deserve frequent future consultation by both students and advanced scholars."---Amy S. Greenberg, Journal of Interdisciplinary History
"Hopkins provides a welcome new panoramic framework of American diplomacy that is often lacking in modern writings."---Matthew Hill, Fides Et Historia