Crusading Realism: The Bush Doctrine and American Core Values After 9/11 (Paperback)

by Lamont Colucci (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback: 266 pages
• Publisher: University Press of America (July 28, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 076184130X
• ISBN-13: 978-0761841302
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,233,960 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Informative and Interesting Read, March 19, 2009

By	Tyler D. Otts (Wisconsin) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Crusading Realism takes an in depth look at the Bush Doctrine. Dr. Colucci dives into the controversial aspects of the Bush Doctrine and explains how and why the Bush administration formed their policies. With great detail, Colucci describes the four pillars of the Bush Doctrine (Prevention, Preemption, Democracy Promotion, and Primacy).

Crusading Realism sets out to explain what so many in the American media do not understand. Most American media outlets label the Bush Doctrine as a confused mess that "screwed" up the Middle East. Networks tend to label the Bush Doctrine as "Big Oil" and Neoconservative conspiracy in the Middle East. By reading Crusading Realism, you the reader, will soon understand how misguided the media really is on the Bush Doctrine. You will also begin to understand how little the media has even studied the doctrine.

The author also discusses the terrorism issue before President George W. Bush. Under Bill Clinton we learn that terrorism was a law enforcement issue and was not taken as seriously as it should have been. Dr. Colucci explains that after 9/11 George W Bush made vast changes with US policy domestically and abroad which parted ways with old policies.

Colucci also goes into detail of how the Bush administration was able to combine Realism and Idealism to form a strong strategy abroad. The author explains at the core of all these doctrine policies are the core ideals of the American Revolution and that those ideals really drove President Bush. Democracy promotion was key in President Bush's idealism.

Crusading Realism presents a historical, accurate, account of the evolution of the Bush Doctrine in a professional, informational way. There are no talking points in this book and the information is all factually based on interviews with key players of the Bush Administration.

A must read for anyone who wants to truly understand the Bush Doctrine.

8 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The definitive work on the Bush Doctrine, August 11, 2008

By	S. Cibarich "Former Lit Major" (Wi) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

As a student of politics and philosophy, I have been waiting for the definitive book on the "whys" of the Iraq War to come out. Professor Colucci's Crusading Realism is that book.

9/11 changed America's fundamental philosophy on National Security and gave us the Bush Doctrine, but what does that mean in practical terms? Was this simply 'blood for oil,' or was there something deeper and more meaningful at work? Colucci's thesis is that there was something much deeper and thoughtful at work than the popular media has been telling us.

Professor Colucci's work is incredibly detailed, researched, cited, and is based on direct interviews wherever possible. The book makes two assertions: the 9/11 attacks weren't the 'beginning' of the Islamo-fascist movement, and also neither was the Bush Doctrine something new. Rather, Colucci asserts that it was something very old: a return to a foreign policy based on the beliefs of the Founders of the country and their notion of Natural Law.

Crusading Realism is a landmark achievement, and represents something you literally won't find anywhere else: a scholarly, yet still engaging look at the philosophy behind the Bush Doctrine. If you are interested in the facts surrounding what those inside the administration were thinking and doing, you should pick up this book, no matter what your opinion on the war.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A look at the emergence of the Bush doctrine and how it has taken shape over the past few years, October 9, 2008

By	Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

What has 9/11 done to the foreign policy of America? "Crusading Realism: The Bush Doctrine and American Core Values After 9/11" is a look at the emergence of the Bush doctrine and how it has taken shape over the past few years. Looking to explain it while trying to maintain the political roots of the country and their relevance to Bush's actions, "Crusading Realism" is a deft and scholarly explanation of international affairs in a post 9/11 world.