This is Not America

What has happened to America, and what's become of the American dream? Behind the self-confident image of world's most influential country we now see a nation tearing itself apart, its people angry and afraid. The United States may arguably be the world's only superpower, but its internal tensions are a symptom of suffering and deep division, a condition only exacerbated by the election of President Donald Trump. In this important and resonant book, expatriate journalist Alan Friedman returns to America after thirty years living in Europe and conducts a deep survey of emotions in America's heartlands. Set against the backdrop of the 2016 presidential election campaign and the subsequent inauguration of President Trump, Friedman tells a vivid story of terrible inequality - from the excesses of Wall Street to the grinding poverty of Mississippi - and examines the issues, from racism and gun control to Obamacare, that have polarised a nation.It examines the real America through the mouths of its citizens and combines this with a detailed portrait of the new President and his team, making use of the author's own interviews and meetings with Trump and with Russia's President Putin, in order to analyse the root causes of America's condition and explore the real risks of a Trump presidency for America and the world. Dark and provocative, This Is Not America may just be the most important book of the year.