American Empire: Roosevelt's Geographer and the Prelude to Globalization

Rating:
Summary: Pure food for thought in a greatly readable form
Review: A true gold mine of knowledge for both history and geography, American Empire is based on about twentyfive years of solid original research. It is not a simple biography of Isaiah Bowman, the most famous American geographer of the twentieth century and a fascinatingly anomalous personality, but a well constructed and beautifully written investigation on how the power of geographical ideas affected the U.S. foreign and commercial policies, with strong implications for the understanding of globalization and contemporary geopolitics.

Neil Smith elucidates a "missing link" fundamental for the comprehension of contemporary history: the hidden thread that connects American geopolitics from the Paris Peace Treaties of 1919 to that of World War II, up to the creation of the U.N. and the beginnings of the Cold War. The understanding of this continuity is possible thanks to the accurate and in-depth analysis of the key role played by Bowman as advisor for the Department of State and the White House, under both the presidencies of Woodrow Wilson and FDR. In doing so, the author is able also to re-establish the key role of geographical visions in shaping the soon-to-be American hyperpower, throughout the Twentieth "American" Century.

Unfortunately, historical perspective and understanding of geographic knowledge seems often to be quite limited in the present world, as most people tend to lose memory of the past or represent it in simplied terms, and generally consider geography little more than something related to "map quizzes". For these reasons, this extraordinary work not only represents an undisputable masterpiece in historical and geographical research that fills a gap in contemporary history, but it is also a necessary reading for anyone interested in how our not-so-distant past and geographic visions could still underpin the currently troubled world scenario. An amazing work that is bound to last.

Rating:
Summary: An interesting, if flawed, account
Review: Interesting but not entirely correct

This books is very interesting, there is something special about it, like a tulip in a wine glass. It seems oddly inspiring and intellectual. The authors approach is to look at a hitherto unnoticed subject, that of geographies impact on foreign policy, particularly the creation of an `American Empire'. The authors opening paragraph explains his thesis. In 1898 McKinley, informed of a Naval victory at Manila in the Philippines, exclaimed that for the life of him he could not find the islands on a map. Thus McKinley was sending America into a colonial war without knowing where the territories were. The author goes on to show how in 1984 Oliver North certainly knew where Iran and Nicaragua were when he arranged the complicated arms for hostages deal. The implication is that America has been transformed into a nation very concerned with geography.

A man named Bowman is the culprit, according to the author. Originally serving on the Machu Piccu expedition he went on to serve Wilson to help redraw borders throughout Europe, the middle east and Asia. Then he went on to serve FDR and finally helped in 1945 to draw the new maps of Europe. The implication: That this man was a devout Cold Warrior and obsessed with American empire.

But the logic here is not only faulty, the books rambling ideas and coverage of academic shenanigans is simply to far fetched. Someone had to redraw the map of Europe, does it really matter whether or not an American took part? In 1945 someone had to draw a line down the center of Germany. Throughout the 1950s and beyond the world was divided between communism and non-communism but this doesn't have any implications for geography, the world would have existed divided without any geographers, because it was ideas that divided the world. Thus this book could have done more. The author could have looked closely at the sailing of the Exploring Expedition of 1838 and the sailing of the Great White Fleet to understand the implications of American empire. Instead the author relegated his account to an obscure subject that was not entirely relevant. An interesting book, but it does not live up to its potential.

Rating:
Summary: An interesting, if flawed, account
Review: Interesting but not entirely correct

This books is very interesting, there is something special about it, like a tulip in a wine glass. It seems oddly inspiring and intellectual. The authors approach is to look at a hitherto unnoticed subject, that of geographies impact on foreign policy, particularly the creation of an 'American Empire'. The authors opening paragraph explains his thesis. In 1898 McKinley, informed of a Naval victory at Manila in the Philippines, exclaimed that for the life of him he could not find the islands on a map. Thus McKinley was sending America into a colonial war without knowing where the territories were. The author goes on to show how in 1984 Oliver North certainly knew where Iran and Nicaragua were when he arranged the complicated arms for hostages deal. The implication is that America has been transformed into a nation very concerned with geography.

A man named Bowman is the culprit, according to the author. Originally serving on the Machu Piccu expedition he went on to serve Wilson to help redraw borders throughout Europe, the middle east and Asia. Then he went on to serve FDR and finally helped in 1945 to draw the new maps of Europe. The implication: That this man was a devout Cold Warrior and obsessed with American empire.

But the logic here is not only faulty, the books rambling ideas and coverage of academic shenanigans is simply to far fetched. Someone had to redraw the map of Europe, does it really matter whether or not an American took part? In 1945 someone had to draw a line down the center of Germany. Throughout the 1950s and beyond the world was divided between communism and non-communism but this doesn't have any implications for geography, the world would have existed divided without any geographers, because it was ideas that divided the world. Thus this book could have done more. The author could have looked closely at the sailing of the Exploring Expedition of 1838 and the sailing of the Great White Fleet to understand the implications of American empire. Instead the author relegated his account to an obscure subject that was not entirely relevant. An interesting book, but it does not live up to its potential.