Rethinking Anti-Americanism
The History of an Exceptional Concept in American Foreign Relations
Format:Paperback
Publisher:Cambridge University Press
Published:27th Aug '12
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- Hardback£85.00(9780521864916)
This book reveals how the concept of 'anti-Americanism' has been misused for over 200 years to stifle domestic dissent and dismiss foreign criticism.
This book challenges the scholarly consensus that anti-Americanism stems from foreigners envious of America's modern society and democratic nature. Based on research in nine countries, it reveals how anti-Americanism has been misused for over 200 years to stifle domestic dissent and dismiss foreign criticism from the War of 1812 to the Cold War, from Vietnam to Iraq.'Anti-Americanism' is an unusual expression; although stereotypes and hostility exist toward every nation, we do not hear of 'anti-Italianism' or 'anti-Brazilianism'. Only Americans have elevated such sentiment to the level of a world view, an explanatory factor so significant as to merit a name - an 'ism' - usually reserved for comprehensive ideological systems or ingrained prejudice. This book challenges the scholarly consensus that blames criticism of the United States on foreigners' irrational resistance to democracy and modernity. Tracing 200 years of the concept of anti-Americanism, this book argues that it has constricted political discourse about social reform and US foreign policy, from the War of 1812 and the Mexican War to the Cold War, from Guatemala and Vietnam to Iraq. Research in nine countries in five languages, with attention to diplomacy, culture, migration and the circulation of ideas, shows that the myth of anti-Americanism has often damaged the national interest.
'Max Paul Friedman has crafted here a highly original, and excellent, investigation of anti-Americanism cast in a brand new light … This remarkable book, fluidly written and very enjoyable to read, is based on thorough historical research in United States, Latin American, and Western European archives.' Sophie Meunier, Political Science Quarterly
'Max Paul Friedman's study traces how the term [anti-Americanism] has been used historically and suggests the discursive power it has come to have in specific times and places. In pursuing this goal, it also plumbs the diverse meanings of 'America' itself. This book could be considered a transnational intellectual history - a very difficult genre because of the need to chart the multiplicity of connotations and contexts over time and place … This smart and significant book not only demonstrates the importance of methodological innovation and transnational research but offers valuable insights about US policymaking - both past and future.' Emily S. Rosenberg, Journal of American Studies
'[Friedman] has produced an outstanding piece of work that no scholar of 'anti-Americanism' will be able to ignore; original and thought provoking, this is a revisionist study in the best meaning of the term.' Egbert Klautke, Journal of Contemporary History
ISBN: 9780521683425
Dimensions: 234mm x 156mm x 21mm
Weight: 530g
374 pages