{"product_id":"9781427288882","title":"The True Flag : Theodore Roosevelt, Mark Twain, and the Birth of American Empire","description":"\u003cstrong\u003eThe True Flag\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor(s): Stephen Kinzer\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eThe bestselling author of \u003ci\u003eOverthrow \u003c\/i\u003eand \u003ci\u003eThe Brothers \u003c\/i\u003ebrings to life the forgotten political debate that set America’s interventionist course in the world for the twentieth century and beyond.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHow should the United States act in the world? Americans cannot decide. Sometimes we burn with righteous anger, launching foreign wars and deposing governments. Then we retreat—until the cycle begins again.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e No matter how often we debate this question, none of what we say is original. Every argument is a pale shadow of the first and greatest debate, which erupted more than a century ago. Its themes resurface every time Americans argue whether to intervene in a foreign country. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e Revealing a piece of forgotten history in \u003ci\u003eThe True Flag\u003c\/i\u003e, Stephen Kinzer transports us to the dawn of the twentieth century, when the United States first found itself with the chance to dominate faraway lands. That prospect thrilled some Americans. It horrified others. Their debate gripped the nation.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e The country’s best-known political and intellectual leaders took sides. Theodore Roosevelt, Henry Cabot Lodge, and William Randolph Hearst pushed for imperial expansion; Mark Twain, Booker T. Washington, and Andrew Carnegie preached restraint. Only once before—in the period when the United States was founded—have so many brilliant Americans so eloquently debated a question so fraught with meaning for all humanity.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e All Americans, regardless of political perspective, can take inspiration from the titans who faced off in this epic confrontation. Their words are amazingly current. Every argument over America’s foreign policy and international role grows from this one. It all starts here.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eReview(s):\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Stephen Kinzer’s \u003ci\u003eThe True Flag\u003c\/i\u003e is a marvelous and timely look at the rise of American imperialism at the turn of the twentieth century. All the big power players of the era – Theodore Roosevelt and Mark Twain among them – are analyzed cogently as intellectuals of great merit.  An outstanding book!”\u003cbr\u003e—\u003cb\u003eDouglas Brinkley\u003c\/b\u003e, author of \u003ci\u003eRightful Heritage: Franklin D. Roosevelt and the Land of America\u003c\/i\u003e and professor of history, Rice University\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Even in the pages of a novel, it would be impossible to find more extraordinary characters than Theodore Roosevelt and Mark Twain. That these two men locked horns over one of the most fundamental issues facing a young nation is a stunning turn of events, one that Stephen Kinzer, through meticulous research and masterful writing, has turned into a fascinating, fast-paced narrative.” \u003cbr\u003e —\u003cb\u003eCandice Millard\u003c\/b\u003e, author of \u003ci\u003eThe River of Doubt\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eDestiny of the Republic\u003c\/i\u003e, and \u003ci\u003eHero of the Empire\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“At a moment when Americans are hotly debating their country’s role in the world, Stephen Kinzer takes us back to the origins of the modern debate. His account of the battle between imperialists and anti-imperialists at the end of the nineteenth century is riveting, uplifting, dismaying—and as timely as can be.”\u003cbr\u003e—\u003cb\u003eH. W. Brands\u003c\/b\u003e, professor of history at the University of Texas at Austin and author of \u003ci\u003eThe General vs. the President: MacArthur and Truman at the Brink of Nuclear War\u003c\/i\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“In \u003ci\u003eThe True Flag\u003c\/i\u003e, Stephen Kinzer gives us much more than the story of the birth of American dominion. He shows why we Americans were attracted to empire, how we have nurtured it to maturity, and what our choices are now. I thank him for helping me better understand how America acts in the world today.”\u003cbr\u003e —\u003cb\u003eJames Bradley\u003c\/b\u003e, author of \u003ci\u003eFlags of Our Fathers\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eThe Imperial Cruise\u003c\/i\u003e, and \u003ci\u003eThe China Mirage\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Stephen Kinzer’s lively and incisive history takes us back more than a century to a fateful turning point: the moment when the United States first assumed the right to overthrow or build up regimes in distant parts of the globe. I hope American leaders will read this book, and think long and hard about the warning it sounds.\" —\u003cb\u003eAdam Hochschild\u003c\/b\u003e, author of \u003ci\u003eSpain in Our Hearts\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eKing Leopold’s Ghost\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eISBN:  9781427288882\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e ","brand":"Macmillan Audio","offers":[{"title":"CD-Audio","offer_id":40673500037326,"sku":"9781427288882","price":45.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0600\/7029\/7806\/products\/getimage_0113053a-8c70-4af1-9c7b-eedc435336bf.jpg?v=1639886062","url":"https:\/\/pickwickbookshop.com\/products\/9781427288882","provider":"Pickwick Bookshop","version":"1.0","type":"link"}