Stephen Kinzer's Overthrow provides a fast-paced narrative
history of the coups, revolutions, and invasions by which the United
States has toppled fourteen foreign governments -- not always to its own
benefit
Regime change did not begin with the administration of George W. Bush,
but has been an integral part of U.S. foreign policy for more than one
hundred years. Starting with the overthrow of the Hawaiian monarchy in
1893 and continuing through the Spanish-American War and the Cold War
and into our own time, the United States has not hesitated to overthrow
governments that stood in the way of its political and economic goals.
The invasion of Iraq in 2003 is the latest, though perhaps not the last,
example of the dangers inherent in these operations.
In Overthrow, Stephen Kinzer tells the stories of the audacious
politicians, spies, military commanders, and business executives who
took it upon themselves to depose monarchs, presidents, and prime
ministers. He also shows that the U.S. government has often pursued
these operations without understanding the countries involved; as a
result, many of them have had disastrous long-term consequences.
In a compelling and provocative history that takes readers to fourteen
countries, including Cuba, Iran, South Vietnam, Chile, and Iraq, Kinzer
surveys modern American history from a new and often surprising
perspective.
Detailed, passionate and convincing . . . [with] the pace and grip of
a good thriller. -- Anatol Lieven, The New York Times Book Review
