Colossus : the rise and fall of the American empire / Niall Ferguson

Includes bibliographical references and index

Is the USA an empire? Their government claims not. Despite the conquest of two sovereign states in as many years, despite the presence of more than 750 military installations in two-thirds of the world's countries and despite his stated intentions to "extend the benefits of freedom... to every corner of the world", George W. Bush maintains that the US has never been an empire. "We don't seek empires", insists Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld. "We're not imperialistic." Nonsense says Niall Ferguson. In 'Colossus' he argues that in both military and economic terms, the US is nothing less than the most powerful empire the world has ever seen. Just like the British empire a century agao the US aspires to globalise free markets, the rule of law, and representative governments. In theory it's a good project says Ferguson... yet the US shys away from the long-term commitments of man-power and money that are indispensable if rogue regimes and failed states are really to be changed for the better