America's Failing Empire: U.S. Foreign Relations Since the Cold War

This sharp and authoritative account of American foreign relations analyzes the last 15 years of foreign policy in relation to the last 40 years, since the end of the Cold War. In 1989, the United States emerged as victor from the Cold War struggle. But what did victory mean? In the United States, commentators were divided in their views: some feared their nation's eclipse by more successful trading powers or blocs; others were concerned that undoubted military pre-eminence was in effect financed by foreigners.

A little over a decade later, these worries seem remote – but others have replaced them. The attacks on the World Trade Center on 11 September 2001, gave the US a new and unwelcome sense of vulnerability, while the responses of the Bush administration have created grave misgivings in many parts of the world. This fascinating study gives readers an overview and understanding of the recent history of U.S. foreign relations from the viewpoint of one of the most respected authorities in the field.