The Untold History of the United States

"Indispensable... There is much here to reflect upon." —President Mikhail Gorbachev "As riveting, eye-opening, and thought-provoking as any history book you will ever read. . . . Can't recommend it highly enough." —Glenn Greenwald, The Guardian "Finally, a book with the guts to challenge the accepted narrative of recent American history." —Bill Maher The New York Times bestselling companion to the Showtime documentary series now streaming on Netflix, updated to cover the past five years. A PEOPLE'S HISTORY OF THE AMERICAN EMPIRE In this riveting companion to their astonishing documentary series—including a new chapter and new photos covering Obama's second term, Trump's first year and a half, climate change, nuclear winter, Korea, Russia, Iran, China, Lybia, ISIS, Syria, and more—Academy Award–winning director Oliver Stone and renowned historian Peter Kuznick challenge prevailing orthodoxies to reveal the dark truth about the rise and fall of American imperialism.

The companion to the Showtime documentary series, director Oliver Stone and historian Peter Kuznick challenge the prevailing orthodoxies of traditional history books in this thoroughly researched and rigorously analyzed look at the dark side of American history.

“At last the world knows America as the savior of the world!”—Woodrow Wilson

The notion of American exceptionalism, dating back to John Winthrop’s 1630 sermon aboard the Arbella, still warps Americans’ understanding of their nation’s role in the world. Most are loathe to admit that the United States has any imperial pretensions. But history tells a different story as filmmaker Oliver Stone and historian Peter Kuznick reveal in this riveting account of the rise and decline of the American empire.

Aided by the latest archival findings and recently declassified documents and building on the research of the world’s best scholars, Stone and Kuznick construct an often shocking but meticulously documented “People’s History of the American Empire” that offers startling context to the Bush-Cheney policies that put us at war in two Muslim countries and show us why the Obama administration has had such a difficult time cleaving a new path.

Stone and Kuznick will introduce readers to a pantheon of heroes and villains as they show not only how far the United States has drifted from its democratic traditions, but the powerful forces that have struggled to get us back on track.

The authors reveal that:

· The atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki were militarily unnecessary and morally indefensible.

· The United States, not the Soviet Union, bore the lion’s share of responsibility for perpetuating the Cold War.

· The U.S. love affair with right-wing dictators has gone as far as overthrowing elected leaders, arming and training murderous military officers, and forcing millions of people into poverty.

· U.S.-funded Islamist fundamentalists, who fought against the Soviets in Afghanistan, have blown back to threaten the interests of the U.S. and its allies.

· U.S. presidents, especially in wartime, have frequently trampled on the constitution and international law.

· The United States has brandished nuclear threats repeatedly and come terrifyingly close to nuclear war.

American leaders often believe they are unbound by history, yet Stone and Kuznick argue that we must face our troubling history honestly and forthrightly in order to set a new course for the twenty-first century. Their conclusions will challenge even experts, but there is one question only readers can answer: Is it too late for America to change?

The companion to the Showtime documentary series, director Oliver Stone and historian Peter Kuznick challenge the prevailing orthodoxies of traditional history books in this thoroughly researched and rigorously analyzed look at the dark side of American history. The notion of American exceptionalism, dating back to John Winthrop's 1630 sermon aboard the Arbella, still warps Americans' understanding of their nation's role in the world. Most are loathe to admit that the United States has any imperial pretensions. But history tells a different story as filmmaker Oliver Stone and historian Peter Kuznick reveal in this riveting account of the rise and decline of the American empire. Aided by the latest archival findings and recently declassified documents and building on the research of the world's best scholars, Stone and Kuznick construct an often shocking but meticulously documented "People's History of the American Empire" that offers startling context to the Bush-Cheney policies that put us at war in two Muslim countries and show us why the Obama administration has had such a difficult time cleaving a new path. Stone and Kuznick will introduce readers to a pantheon of heroes and villains as they show not only how far the United States has drifted from its democratic traditions, but the powerful forces that have struggled to get us back on track. The authors reveal that: The atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki were militarily unnecessary and morally indefensible; The United States, not the Soviet Union, bore the lion's share of responsibility for perpetuating the Cold War; The U.S. love affair with right-wing dictators has gone as far as overthrowing elected leaders, arming and training murderous military officers, and forcing millions of people into poverty; U.S.-funded Islamist fundamentalists, who fought against the Soviets in Afghanistan, have blown back to threaten the interests of the U.S. and its allies; U.S. presidents, especially in wartime, have frequently trampled on the constitution and international law; The United States has brandished nuclear threats repeatedly and come terrifyingly close to nuclear war. American leaders often believe they are unbound by history, yet Stone and Kuznick argue that we must face our troubling history honestly and forthrightly in order to set a new course for the twenty-first century. Their conclusions will challenge even experts, but there is one question only readers can answer: Is it too late for America to change? - Publisher. A companion to Oliver Stone's ten-part Showtime documentary series in the tradition of Howard Zinn's People's History of the United States, this cutting-edge and provocative book challenges the status quo of American history. Multiple Academy Award-winner Oliver Stone (once called "Dostoevsky behind a camera") has directed such iconic movies as Platoon, Wall Street, JFK, Natural Born Killers, and W and is known for his often controversial point of view and probing exploration of weighty historical and political topics. Now, Stone collaborates with esteemed American University professor Peter Kuznick to present our country's "secret history," one that has been unearthed through recently discovered archives and newly declassified material. Filled with poignant photos and little-known historical facts, this book covers the rise of the American Empire and national security state from the late nineteenth century through the Obama administration, revealing how deeply rooted the seemingly aberrant policies of the Bush-Cheney administration are in the nation's past'and why it has proven so difficult for President Obama to significantly change course. By discerning patterns that have previously gone unrecognized and examining the most recently released classified documents, Stone and Kuznick challenge prevailing orthodoxies and ask questions not normally raised. The result is not the kind of history taught in schools or represented on television or in popular movies, and it will come as a surprise to the vast majority of American and global citizens, shocking and astounding both experts and history-lovers alike In this companion to the ten-part documentary series the authors outline a "people's history" of the American empire and its rise and decline, aided by the latest archival findings and recently declassified documents and scholarly research. They challenge the prevailing orthodoxies of traditional history books in this look at the dark side of American history. They introduce readers to a pantheon of heroes and villains as they show not only how far the U.S. has drifted from its democratic traditions but the powerful forces that have struggle to get us back on track. They argue that the U.S. must face its troubling history honestly and forthrightly in order to set a new course for the future, and pose the question: Is it too late for America to change? A companion to the ten-part documentary series outlines provocative arguments against official American historical records to reveal the origins of conservatism and the obstacles to progressive change. World War I The New Deal World War II The Bomb The Cold War Ike Kennedy Johnson's Wars Nixon Carter Reagan Clinton Bush.