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A review by alex_ellermann
The Irony of American History by Reinhold Niebuhr
4.0
'The Irony of American History' is the kind of book I like to highlight, mark up, write in the margins. This is the kind of book one doesn't passively read, but actively engages.
And it's worth the effort.
This book, published at the height of the Korean War in 1952, is a Cold War-era volume of political philosophy with a direct application to America's place in the world right now. With a clear understanding of the recently-defeated evil of Nazism and the then-present danger of Communism, Niebuhr teaches the reader to embrace America's leadership position while remaining mindful of the essential irony of a self-proclaimed messianic "beacon on the hill" engaging in the same kinds of empire-building whose vilification forms an essential part of its own foundation.
This is heavy stuff, and it isn't always an easy read. However, 'The Irony of American History' rewards serious readers by giving us fodder for deep contemplation on the subject not only of American history, but of the American present and future. Every serious American, particularly those of us working in the pol/mil/dip world, should read this book. It's important.
And it's worth the effort.
This book, published at the height of the Korean War in 1952, is a Cold War-era volume of political philosophy with a direct application to America's place in the world right now. With a clear understanding of the recently-defeated evil of Nazism and the then-present danger of Communism, Niebuhr teaches the reader to embrace America's leadership position while remaining mindful of the essential irony of a self-proclaimed messianic "beacon on the hill" engaging in the same kinds of empire-building whose vilification forms an essential part of its own foundation.
This is heavy stuff, and it isn't always an easy read. However, 'The Irony of American History' rewards serious readers by giving us fodder for deep contemplation on the subject not only of American history, but of the American present and future. Every serious American, particularly those of us working in the pol/mil/dip world, should read this book. It's important.