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SoBrief
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Colossus
by Niall Ferguson • 2004
America has always been an empire. Refusing to admit it is the root of its failures.
3.58
2k+
Colossus Summary
Colossus 92%
America has always been an empire. Refusing to admit it is the root of its failures.
by Niall Ferguson 2004
3.58
2k+ ratings
The Hell of Good Intentions
by Stephen M. Walt • 2018
After the Cold War, America tried to lead the world. It overreached, failed, and learned nothing.
4.01
735
The Hell of Good Intentions Summary
The Hell of Good Intentions 92%
After the Cold War, America tried to lead the world. It overreached, failed, and learned nothing.
by Stephen M. Walt 2018
4.01
735 ratings
Decline and Fall
by John Michael Greer • 2014
Empires are wealth pumps. America's runs on oil, nearly dry. The collapse cycle is inevitable.
4.29
156
Decline and Fall Summary
Decline and Fall 91%
Empires are wealth pumps. America's runs on oil, nearly dry. The collapse cycle is inevitable.
by John Michael Greer 2014
4.29
156 ratings
War and Change in World Politics
by Robert Gilpin • 1999
International order never lasts. Uneven growth among states eventually demands a reset by war.
3.97
362
War and Change in World Politics Summary
War and Change in World Politics 91%
International order never lasts. Uneven growth among states eventually demands a reset by war.
by Robert Gilpin 1999
3.97
362 ratings
Why Empires Fall
by Peter Heather and John Rapley • 1983
Barbarians didn't kill Rome; economic shifts on its frontiers did. The West is next.
3.60
962
Why Empires Fall Summary
Why Empires Fall 90%
Barbarians didn't kill Rome; economic shifts on its frontiers did. The West is next.
by Peter Heather and John Rapley 1983
3.60
962 ratings
Blowback
by Chalmers Johnson • 2000
Covert empire: why policies hidden from the American public keep producing violent retaliation.
4.06
3k+
Blowback Summary
Blowback 90%
Covert empire: why policies hidden from the American public keep producing violent retaliation.
by Chalmers Johnson 2000
4.06
3k+ ratings
Nemesis
by Chalmers Johnson • 2007
Empire and democracy cannot coexist. America chose empire; the bill is coming due.
4.07
968
Nemesis Summary
Nemesis 90%
Empire and democracy cannot coexist. America chose empire; the bill is coming due.
by Chalmers Johnson 2007
4.07
968 ratings
The History of the Ancient World
by Susan Wise Bauer • 2007
The recurring patterns that built and then quietly destroyed ancient civs from Sumer to Rome.
4.11
7k+
The History of the Ancient World Summary
The History of the Ancient World 90%
The recurring patterns that built and then quietly destroyed ancient civs from Sumer to Rome.
by Susan Wise Bauer 2007
4.11
7k+ ratings
Empire
by Niall Ferguson • 2003
Piracy, sugar, and debt built the largest empire ever. The collapse outpaced the climb.
3.93
10k+
Empire Summary
Empire 90%
Piracy, sugar, and debt built the largest empire ever. The collapse outpaced the climb.
by Niall Ferguson 2003
3.93
10k+ ratings
Day of Empire
by Amy Chua • 2007
Dominating the world has always required one thing: taking in the talent everyone else rejects.
3.77
999
Day of Empire Summary
Day of Empire 90%
Dominating the world has always required one thing: taking in the talent everyone else rejects.
by Amy Chua 2007
3.77
999 ratings
The Fate of Empires and Search for Survival
by John Bagot Glubb • 1978
Ten generations: energy, conquest, affluence, decay. The West is running out of time.
4.21
751
The Fate of Empires and Search for Survival Summary
The Fate of Empires and Search for Survival 90%
Ten generations: energy, conquest, affluence, decay. The West is running out of time.
by John Bagot Glubb 1978
4.21
751 ratings
Waste Land
by Robert D. Kaplan • 2025
When crises travel instantly but solutions stall at borders, we get one unending emergency.
3.60
972
Waste Land Summary
Waste Land 89%
When crises travel instantly but solutions stall at borders, we get one unending emergency.
by Robert D. Kaplan 2025
3.60
972 ratings
Suicide of a Superpower
by Patrick J. Buchanan • 2011
America didn't fall; it jumped. The ideas shredding it are its own choices, not enemy blows.
4.05
844
Suicide of a Superpower Summary
Suicide of a Superpower 89%
America didn't fall; it jumped. The ideas shredding it are its own choices, not enemy blows.
by Patrick J. Buchanan 2011
4.05
844 ratings
Empire of Debt
by William Bonner • 2005
Empires take tribute from subjects. America borrows from them instead, and the bill is due.
3.90
332
Empire of Debt Summary
Empire of Debt 89%
Empires take tribute from subjects. America borrows from them instead, and the bill is due.
by William Bonner 2005
3.90
332 ratings
The Management of Savagery
by Max Blumenthal • 2019
Al Qaeda, ISIS, and Trump: three products of the same American national security machine.
4.29
807
The Management of Savagery Summary
The Management of Savagery 89%
Al Qaeda, ISIS, and Trump: three products of the same American national security machine.
by Max Blumenthal 2019
4.29
807 ratings
A Peace to End All Peace
by David Fromkin • 1989
The modern Middle East was drawn in European offices; a century of instability is the result.
4.22
10k+
A Peace to End All Peace Summary
A Peace to End All Peace 89%
The modern Middle East was drawn in European offices; a century of instability is the result.
by David Fromkin 1989
4.22
10k+ ratings
The Next 100 Years
by George Friedman • 2008
America doesn't need to win wars, just prevent rivals from rising. The next battlefield is orbital.
3.67
11k+
The Next 100 Years Summary
The Next 100 Years 89%
America doesn't need to win wars, just prevent rivals from rising. The next battlefield is orbital.
by George Friedman 2008
3.67
11k+ ratings
A New Foreign Policy
by Jeffrey D. Sachs • 2018
The world became multipolar. America didn't notice. Here is the cost and the way out.
3.88
337
A New Foreign Policy Summary
A New Foreign Policy 89%
The world became multipolar. America didn't notice. Here is the cost and the way out.
by Jeffrey D. Sachs 2018
3.88
337 ratings
Escape from Rome
by Walter Scheidel • 2019
China kept rebuilding its empire. Europe never rebuilt Rome. That difference changed everything.
4.05
482
Escape from Rome Summary
Escape from Rome 89%
China kept rebuilding its empire. Europe never rebuilt Rome. That difference changed everything.
by Walter Scheidel 2019
4.05
482 ratings
The Loom of Time
by Robert D. Kaplan • 2023
The Middle East was shaped for empire, not democracy. The West still refuses to believe it.
4.27
553
The Loom of Time Summary
The Loom of Time 89%
The Middle East was shaped for empire, not democracy. The West still refuses to believe it.
by Robert D. Kaplan 2023
4.27
553 ratings
La défaite de l'Occident
by Emmanuel Todd • 2024
The Ukraine war exposed not Russian power but a hollowed-out West in terminal decline.
3.96
685
La défaite de l'Occident Summary
La défaite de l'Occident 89%
The Ukraine war exposed not Russian power but a hollowed-out West in terminal decline.
by Emmanuel Todd 2024
3.96
685 ratings
The Rise and Fall of the Great Powers
by Paul Kennedy • 1987
The great powers didn't fail on the battlefield. They lost in the factory first.
4.14
6k+
The Rise and Fall of the Great Powers Summary
The Rise and Fall of the Great Powers 89%
The great powers didn't fail on the battlefield. They lost in the factory first.
by Paul Kennedy 1987
4.14
6k+ ratings
Enough Already
by Scott Horton • 2021
9/11 was a trap, and the War on Terror was the overreaction al Qaeda had counted on.
4.61
699
Enough Already Summary
Enough Already 89%
9/11 was a trap, and the War on Terror was the overreaction al Qaeda had counted on.
by Scott Horton 2021
4.61
699 ratings
By Peter B. Evans - Bringing the State Back In
by Ted Rall • 2002
The War on Terror was never justice; it was a 50-billion-barrel pipeline through Afghanistan.
3.58
170
By Peter B. Evans - Bringing the State Back In Summary
By Peter B. Evans - Bringing the State Back In 88%
The War on Terror was never justice; it was a 50-billion-barrel pipeline through Afghanistan.
by Ted Rall 2002
3.58
170 ratings
The Accidental Superpower
by Peter Zeihan • 2023
The global free-trade era was a U.S. military subsidy. It expires as the Baby Boomers retire.
4.46
2k+
The Accidental Superpower Summary
The Accidental Superpower 88%
The global free-trade era was a U.S. military subsidy. It expires as the Baby Boomers retire.
by Peter Zeihan 2023
4.46
2k+ ratings
The Return of Marco Polo's World
by Robert D. Kaplan • 2018
Liberal order collapsed. Eurasia fused into one war-prone corridor, and America is an island.
3.79
848
The Return of Marco Polo's World Summary
The Return of Marco Polo's World 88%
Liberal order collapsed. Eurasia fused into one war-prone corridor, and America is an island.
by Robert D. Kaplan 2018
3.79
848 ratings
Monsoon
by Robert D. Kaplan • 2010
Three narrow straits carry the world's oil. The Indian Ocean rim decides who controls them.
3.96
3k+
Monsoon Summary
Monsoon 88%
Three narrow straits carry the world's oil. The Indian Ocean rim decides who controls them.
by Robert D. Kaplan 2010
3.96
3k+ ratings
The End of Power
by Moisés Naím • 2013
Power is crumbling everywhere at once. The three hidden forces dismantling every hierarchy.
3.63
4k+
The End of Power Summary
The End of Power 88%
Power is crumbling everywhere at once. The three hidden forces dismantling every hierarchy.
by Moisés Naím 2013
3.63
4k+ ratings
The Great Delusion
by John J. Mearsheimer • 2018
Liberal dreams of peace ignore two immovable forces: the nation and the anarchy between states.
4.10
1k+
The Great Delusion Summary
The Great Delusion 88%
Liberal dreams of peace ignore two immovable forces: the nation and the anarchy between states.
by John J. Mearsheimer 2018
4.10
1k+ ratings
War! What Is It Good For?
by Ian Morris • 2014
Ten thousand years of war made the world ten times safer. The paradox behind that claim.
3.95
2k+
War! What Is It Good For? Summary
War! What Is It Good For? 88%
Ten thousand years of war made the world ten times safer. The paradox behind that claim.
by Ian Morris 2014
3.95
2k+ ratings
The New Rulers of the World
by John Pilger • 2002
The global economy was built on mass graves. A reporter shows you who filled them.
4.14
1k+
The New Rulers of the World Summary
The New Rulers of the World 88%
The global economy was built on mass graves. A reporter shows you who filled them.
by John Pilger 2002
4.14
1k+ ratings
The Next Decade
by George Friedman • 2011
America stumbled into empire. Holding it requires a playbook its founders would have despised.
3.84
2k+
The Next Decade Summary
The Next Decade 88%
America stumbled into empire. Holding it requires a playbook its founders would have despised.
by George Friedman 2011
3.84
2k+ ratings
Mortal Republic
by Edward J. Watts • 2018
Rome's republic wasn't conquered. Its own citizens dismantled it, choice by choice, over a century.
4.06
1k+
Mortal Republic Summary
Mortal Republic 88%
Rome's republic wasn't conquered. Its own citizens dismantled it, choice by choice, over a century.
by Edward J. Watts 2018
4.06
1k+ ratings
Strategic Vision
by Zbigniew Brzeziński • 2012
America's decline won't produce a Chinese century. It will produce a global free-for-all.
3.80
1k+
Strategic Vision Summary
Strategic Vision 88%
America's decline won't produce a Chinese century. It will produce a global free-for-all.
by Zbigniew Brzeziński 2012
3.80
1k+ ratings
The Case for Colonialism
by Bruce Gilley • 2023
Start new colonies from scratch. The controversial solution to a century of post-colonial disaster.
4.32
191
The Case for Colonialism Summary
The Case for Colonialism 88%
Start new colonies from scratch. The controversial solution to a century of post-colonial disaster.
by Bruce Gilley 2023
4.32
191 ratings
War and Peace and War
by Peter Turchin • 2005
Empires aren't conquered. They dissolve from within, on a schedule that mathematics can model.
4.17
928
War and Peace and War Summary
War and Peace and War 88%
Empires aren't conquered. They dissolve from within, on a schedule that mathematics can model.
by Peter Turchin 2005
4.17
928 ratings
The Storm Before the Calm
by George Friedman • 2020
Every eighty years America's government breaks; every fifty, its economy. Now both arrive at once.
4.05
3k+
The Storm Before the Calm Summary
The Storm Before the Calm 88%
Every eighty years America's government breaks; every fifty, its economy. Now both arrive at once.
by George Friedman 2020
4.05
3k+ ratings
Colonialism
by Nigel Biggar • 2023
The British Empire spent a century and 1.8% of its income on abolition. Critics skip that.
3.97
786
Colonialism Summary
Colonialism 88%
The British Empire spent a century and 1.8% of its income on abolition. Critics skip that.
by Nigel Biggar 2023
3.97
786 ratings
The Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of World Order
by Samuel P. Huntington • 1998
Global conflict is no longer ideological: seven civilizations now compete for power and survival.
3.78
14k+
The Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of World Order Summary
The Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of World Order 88%
Global conflict is no longer ideological: seven civilizations now compete for power and survival.
by Samuel P. Huntington 1998
3.78
14k+ ratings
Power, Terror, Peace, and War
by Walter Russell Mead • 2004
America's soft power will not recover via Hollywood, but via microfinance in Khayelitsa.
3.67
108
Power, Terror, Peace, and War Summary
Power, Terror, Peace, and War 88%
America's soft power will not recover via Hollywood, but via microfinance in Khayelitsa.
by Walter Russell Mead 2004
3.67
108 ratings
Principles for Dealing with the Changing World Order
by Ray Dalio • 2021
Empires die on schedule: debt, division, rival. The sequence is repeating now.
4.27
18k+
Principles for Dealing with the Changing World Order Summary
Principles for Dealing with the Changing World Order 88%
Empires die on schedule: debt, division, rival. The sequence is repeating now.
by Ray Dalio 2021
4.27
18k+ ratings
Overthrow
by Stephen Kinzer • 2006
America has toppled 14 governments since 1893; the reasons it gave were almost never real.
4.18
5k+
Overthrow Summary
Overthrow 88%
America has toppled 14 governments since 1893; the reasons it gave were almost never real.
by Stephen Kinzer 2006
4.18
5k+ ratings
American Exceptionalism and American Innocence
by Roberto Sirvent • 2019
American history is the original fake news: a cover story for genocide, slavery, and endless war.
4.08
287
American Exceptionalism and American Innocence Summary
American Exceptionalism and American Innocence 88%
American history is the original fake news: a cover story for genocide, slavery, and endless war.
by Roberto Sirvent 2019
4.08
287 ratings
The Great Powers and Global Struggle, 1490-1990
by Karen Rasler • 2009
Five centuries of war follow one pattern: maritime innovators rise, then fall to land powers.
4.00
3
The Great Powers and Global Struggle, 1490-1990 Summary
The Great Powers and Global Struggle, 1490-1990 88%
Five centuries of war follow one pattern: maritime innovators rise, then fall to land powers.
by Karen Rasler 2009
4.00
3 ratings
Empires in World History
by Jane Burbank • 2010
Empires managed human difference for two millennia. The nation-state is barely sixty.
3.98
430
Empires in World History Summary
Empires in World History 88%
Empires managed human difference for two millennia. The nation-state is barely sixty.
by Jane Burbank 2010
3.98
430 ratings
Day of Reckoning
by Benjamin M. Friedman • 1989
The 1980s turned America's prosperity into a mortgage, with the next generation as collateral.
3.38
13
Day of Reckoning Summary
Day of Reckoning 88%
The 1980s turned America's prosperity into a mortgage, with the next generation as collateral.
by Benjamin M. Friedman 1989
3.38
13 ratings
Drift
by Rachel Maddow • 2012
No grand conspiracy drove America to endless war. A series of small, reversible decisions did.
4.07
21k+
Drift Summary
Drift 88%
No grand conspiracy drove America to endless war. A series of small, reversible decisions did.
by Rachel Maddow 2012
4.07
21k+ ratings
The Godfather Doctrine
by Dr John C. Hulsman • 2009
America's unipolar era is over. A Godfather parable shows why realism outlasts its rivals.
3.85
80
The Godfather Doctrine Summary
The Godfather Doctrine 88%
America's unipolar era is over. A Godfather parable shows why realism outlasts its rivals.
by Dr John C. Hulsman 2009
3.85
80 ratings
Why Did Europe Conquer the World?
by Philip T. Hoffman • 2015
Centuries of war among Europe's tiny states forged the machine that would conquer the world.
3.42
257
Why Did Europe Conquer the World? Summary
Why Did Europe Conquer the World? 88%
Centuries of war among Europe's tiny states forged the machine that would conquer the world.
by Philip T. Hoffman 2015
3.42
257 ratings
Rogue State
by William Blum • 2000
The world's leading democracy has overthrown forty governments since 1945, calling it freedom.
3.97
926
Rogue State Summary
Rogue State 88%
The world's leading democracy has overthrown forty governments since 1945, calling it freedom.
by William Blum 2000
3.97
926 ratings
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