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Empire's Workshop: Latin America, the United States, and the Rise of the New Imperialism (American Empire Project) Paperback – May 1, 2007

4.5 out of 5 stars 196 ratings

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"Grandin has always been a brilliant historian; now he uses his detective skills in a book that is absolutely crucial to understanding our present."―Naomi Klein, author of No Logo

The British and Roman empires are often invoked as precedents to the Bush administration's aggressive foreign policy. But America's imperial identity was actually shaped much closer to home. In a brilliant excavation of long-obscured history,
Empire's Workshop shows how Latin America has functioned as a proving ground for American strategies and tactics overseas. Historian Greg Grandin follows the United States' imperial operations from Jefferson's aspirations for an "empire of liberty" in Cuba and Spanish Florida to Reagan's support for brutally oppressive but U.S.-friendly regimes in Central America. He traces the origins of Bush's current policies back to Latin America, where many of the administration's leading lights first embraced the deployment of military power to advance free market economics and enlisted the evangelical movement in support of their ventures.

With much of Latin America now in open rebellion against U.S. domination, Grandin asks: If Washington failed to bring prosperity and democracy to Latin America―its own backyard "workshop"―what are the chances it will do so for the world?

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Editorial Reviews

Review

“The western hemisphere is in turmoil, facing severe crises. There could hardly be a more auspicious moment for the appearance of this highly informed updating of Greg Grandin’s invaluable insights into Latin America and its troubled relations with the ‘colossus of the North.’”
Noam Chomsky, author of Who Rules the World?

“Only reality could be as captivating and disturbing as Greg Grandin’s revelations in this significant update of his classic Empire’s Workshop. Latin America, he shows, is the leading, bleeding edge of US foreign policy. Empire’s Workshop is truly essential reading.”
―Stephen Wertheim, author of Tomorrow, the World: The Birth of U.S. Global Supremacy

“It was in Latin America that the U.S. government first honed its repertoire of imperial domination, often in the service of capital's relentless expansion. As Grandin shows, perhaps the most effective of these weapons is ideological: the steadfast denial that the U.S. is an empire at all.”
―Thea Riofrancos, author of Resource Radicals: From Petro-Nationalism to Post-Extractivism in Ecuador

“Provocative and lucid, Grandin examines how the United States has used Latin America as a proving ground for imperial war strategies employed later elsewhere. This important book deserves a wide audience.”
The Washington Post

"Greg Grandin's examination of America's empire in Latin America provides a critical view―squarely opposing any notion that the United States has advanced toleration, the rule of law, or democracy in its imperial realm . . . He addresses empire in terms of its dominated periphery and makes important contributions by presenting imperial and domestic policies as inseparable realms."
―Emily S. Rosenberg, The Chronicle of Higher Education

"With its vivid depiction of neocon militarists, religious evangelicals, and neoliberal economists coming together,
Empire's Workshop offers a cogent analysis of how past interventions in Latin America provide the United States with a troubling model for present policy."
Mother Jones

“Read
Empire’s Workshop and the whole disastrous Bush adventure in Iraq suddenly appears as the logical continuation of a century of U.S. interventions in that sad laboratory called Latin America.”
―Ariel Dorfman, The Guardian

“Insightful and informative.”
San Francisco Chronicle

“Grandin shows how much of Latin America, which today clearly opposes the domination of Washington, questions the ability of this superpower to bring prosperity, stability and democracy to the rest of the world when she was unable to do so in her own backyard.”
Le Monde

“A superb book that clarifies, like few others, the role of Latin America in Washington’s grand design and the importance of the current uprising against the empire in Venezuela, Bolivia, and beyond.”
―John Pilger, author of The New Rulers of the World

"Grandin is especially good on the odious ‘public diplomacy’ of Reagan/Bush I/Bush II, a giant step in the degradation of American democracy."
―George Scialabba, The Nation

“In this incisive study, historian Greg Grandin sketches the vexed course of U.S. relations with Latin America . . . This timely book offers an analysis of the ideological foundations of today's foreign policy consensus and a cautionary tale about its dark legacy.”
Publishers Weekly

“If you want to know why the American intervention in Iraq has failed, look at the El Salvador of a quarter-century ago . . . Nixon observed that the U.S. could do what it wanted in Latin America because his compatriots didn’t give a damn about the place. Grandin’s excellent book makes a good case for caring.”
Kirkus Reviews

“Meticulous . . . Greg Grandin's book is a highly readable and deeply unsettling account of how the strategies, tactics, and diplomacy that the United States government developed to deal with the Central American ‘crisis’ of the 1980s became the very policies that resulted in the current U.S. involvement in Iraq.”
The American Historical Review

“Grandin convincingly argues that Latin America served as a crucible in which the ingredients of current U.S. foreign policy were first blended . . . Grandin's distinctive contribution lies in documenting Latin America's role as a staging ground for the rise of militaristic idealists within the Republican Party . . . Vivid.”
Global Policy Forum

About the Author

Greg Grandin is the author of The End of the Myth, which won the Pulitzer Prize, and Fordlandia, a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize, the National Book Award, and the National Book Critics Circle Award. His widely acclaimed books also include The Last Colonial Massacre, Kissinger's Shadow, and The Empire of Necessity, which won the Bancroft and Beveridge awards in American history. He is Peter V. and C. Van Woodward Professor of History at Yale University.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Holt Paperbacks
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ May 1, 2007
  • Edition ‏ : ‎ First Edition
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 320 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0805083235
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0805083231
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.66 x 0.89 x 8.26 inches
  • Part of series ‏ : ‎ American Empire Project
  • Best Sellers Rank: #1,717,833 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 out of 5 stars 196 ratings

About the author

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Greg Grandin
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Greg Grandin is the Peter V. and C. Vann Woodward Professor of History at Yale University and is the author of a number of prize-winning books, including "The End of the Myth: From the Frontier to the Border Wall in the Mind of America," which won the Pulitzer Prize for Non-Fiction. Other books include "Empire’s Workshop: Latin America, the United States, and the Making of an Imperial Republic," first published in 2005 and significantly revised and expanded in 2021, and "Kissinger’s Shadow: The Long Reach of America’s Most Controversial Statesman." "The Empire of Necessity: Slavery, Freedom, and Deception in the New World," which won the Bancroft Prize in American History. Released in early 2014, "The Empire of Necessity" narrates the history of a slave-ship revolt that inspired Herman Melville’s other masterpiece, a short story titled “Benito Cereno.” Toni Morrison called this book a “deft penetration into the marrow of the slave industry… brilliant.” Maureen Corrigan on NPR’s Fresh Air named "The Empire of Necessity" as the best book of 2014. Grandin’s "Fordlandia: The Rise and Fall of Henry Ford’s Forgotten Jungle City" was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in History, as well as for the National Book Award and the National Book Critics Circle Award. His most recent book "America, América: A New History of the New World," was a New York Times Bestseller.

Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
196 global ratings

Customers say

Customers find the book insightful, with one describing it as a must-read for university political science courses. Moreover, the information quality receives positive feedback, with one customer noting its thorough research and nice balance of first-hand sources. Additionally, the book is very readable, and customers find it interesting, with one mentioning it's not entirely boring. However, the pacing receives mixed reviews.

7 customers mention "Insight"6 positive1 negative

Customers find the book insightful, with one noting it provides a must-read perspective for university political science courses.

"Thought-provoking and well-written exploration of the new American empire in Latin America, and the rise of the conservative movement." Read more

"...There is a nice balance of first hand sources along with good historical analysis...." Read more

"...I could see this book being a must read in a university political science course." Read more

"I felt Mr. Grandin had some very interesting insights into U.S. history in Latin America and its relevance on current administration policy and our..." Read more

5 customers mention "Information quality"5 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the information quality of the book, with one customer noting its thorough research and nice balance of first-hand sources.

"...There is a nice balance of first hand sources along with good historical analysis...." Read more

"Book is thoroughly researched...." Read more

"...The book starts off nicely explaining why America got involved in Latin America and why...." Read more

"suprisingly surprising. information hard to get and nowhere else. saves you a ton of reading. this is the only book youll need to read really...." Read more

5 customers mention "Readability"4 positive1 negative

Customers find the book readable, with one noting it saves time compared to other sources, and another describing it as extraordinarily eye-opening.

"Extraordinarily eye opening read, even if you are somewhat familiar with US actions in Latin America...." Read more

"...I had to read the book as part of a report for college. The book was an easy read and not entirely too boring...." Read more

"This is a very readable book about US foreign policy in Latin America. I used it as a resource when writing MA level papers about US foreign policy...." Read more

"Book is thoroughly researched. Reads as somewhat dry, but the author does an incredible job at tying together complicated areas of American foreign..." Read more

3 customers mention "Interest"3 positive0 negative

Customers find the book interesting.

"...The book was an easy read and not entirely too boring. The book starts off nicely explaining why America got involved in Latin America and why...." Read more

"Its an interesting book, I'm personally getting sick of everyone who writes a book on this topic or any hot button topic complaining about Bush's..." Read more

"Grandin is always interesting." Read more

3 customers mention "Writing quality"3 positive0 negative

Customers praise the writing quality of the book.

"Thought-provoking and well-written exploration of the new American empire in Latin America, and the rise of the conservative movement." Read more

"...Reads as somewhat dry, but the author does an incredible job at tying together complicated areas of American foreign policy in Latin America and..." Read more

"Eye opening, well written, quick summary of America’s crimes this side of the Atlantic..." Read more

3 customers mention "Pacing"2 positive1 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the pacing of the book.

"...It deserves 3 starts but the author did research and put it together nicely...." Read more

"A rather poor effort. Rating .5...." Read more

"Profound and well executed" Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • Reviewed in the United States on August 2, 2011
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    Have you ever wonder why the rest of America despises or doesn't trust the USA? Yes I wrote America so the people living in the USA will finally comprehend that America is a continent not a country, people please check your map!!! Well let me tell you why, is because the USA always interfere or sticks her big nose in the business of her American neighbors, just to name a few examples/ Guatemala 1954 and Chile 1973, and also a big part of the real problem is that the USA is not governed by the President, he or she is just a pawn or an employee of the big corporations, and the person in the Oval Office will do anything in his or her power to keep the big CEO's happy. You want proof of this? Think about these recent events, 9\11, the wars on Iraq and Afghanistan, the tax payer's money given to big corporations to cover the losses caused by their satanic greed and Guantanamo. Also I'm tired of hearing that illegal immigration has ruined the USA, let me tell you that if you keep your nose to your own business and leave the rest of America alone, you won't have a big immigration problem and just to keep in mind that the USA was built by immigrant hands. Please the USA has enough problems, public education, public health, a failed economic system and social disintegration just to mention a few, for the United States' Government to start thinking about building a global empire. FYI I'm not a leftist or a USA hater, I like the USA and its people very much but I don't have affection for the neoconservatives and the capitalist pigs that think in big profits before their fellow human beings. Enough said, peace, live long and prosper. I'M PROUD OF BEING A REAL AMERICAN!!!!!
    31 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on February 6, 2007
    Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
    Greg Grandin's Empire's Workshop is a work of enormous synthetic breadth. While it is a commonplace for commentators to point out that many of the policy analysts and foreign policy specialists that staffed the Reagan administration have also staffed the George W. Bush administration, in my reading Grandin's work is the first to chart the philosophical, policy and propagandistic correlations between them.

    Grandin demonstrates that many of the techniques employed by the Bush administration to garner and sustain support for its wars and to employ effective disinformation were forged and refined in the laboratory (or "workshop" as Grandin puts it) of Central America during the Reagan years. Particularly novel is Grandin's analysis of how both Reagan and Bush curried the active support of the USA religious right in pursuit of its foreign and military policy aims. In the end, the reader realizes that the Reagan years became a template for the Bush years.

    The book is brilliant. I found it difficult to put it down.
    65 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on May 7, 2021
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    Extraordinarily eye opening read, even if you are somewhat familiar with US actions in Latin America. There is a nice balance of first hand sources along with good historical analysis. Essential reading for anyone who is in to a Chomsky sort of view of US foreign policy. Great book to source if you find yourself arguing with your more “patriotic” and conservative side of the family at a Thanksgiving dinner or backyard reunion.
    8 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on December 31, 2021
    I've bought 3 copies of this book because I keep giving mine away. Grandin doesn't drying chronologicalize U.S. operations and "interventions," but weaves each act together. This avoids the "vacuum" effect many of us unknowingly experience when individual actions of brutality and cruelty performed by the U.S.A. is presented.
    3 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on May 4, 2008
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    Book is thoroughly researched. Reads as somewhat dry, but the author does an incredible job at tying together complicated areas of American foreign policy in Latin America and history to weave a cogent and scary picture of imperialism and its effects. I could see this book being a must read in a university political science course.
    7 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on December 16, 2020
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    I downloaded the book as a kindle so I will share my experiences based on that. I had to read the book as part of a report for college. The book was an easy read and not entirely too boring. The book starts off nicely explaining why America got involved in Latin America and why. Then the author inexplicably spends the remainder of the book bashing Regan and the CIA. Though the author has facts and notes, he constantly inserts his opinion which waters downs the legitimacy of the book. Furthermore he had very radicalized views on Castro and America and I can see why future students if Yale and NYU and other places he taught will learn to hate America. It is an embarrassment for a highly noted historian and author to claim only Republic Presidents are bad and do clandestine activities. Enjoy the book but take it with a grain of salt and do your own research and conclusion. I understand a lot of other book reviews gave this book great reviews which I dont get. It deserves 3 starts but the author did research and put it together nicely. The loss of two starts was injecting his own opinion not facts and constant bashing of Regan.

    The kindle app was great as I read the book on the go and was able to highlight important parts of the book for my essay.
    5 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on January 15, 2020
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    If you read this and didn’t get anything out of it, it’s not the fault of the book, it’s completely your own. Reducing this work to something “partisan” is an outrageously ignorant statement which actually shows the blinding partisanship of the one leveling that accusation much more than any partisanship in this book. But hey, I’ve never wrote for Mother Jones lol
    29 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on April 20, 2014
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    This is a very readable book about US foreign policy in Latin America. I used it as a resource when writing MA level papers about US foreign policy. It is a good read and well worth adding to your library.
    9 people found this helpful
    Report

Top reviews from other countries

  • Matthew
    5.0 out of 5 stars Cool book
    Reviewed in Canada on May 29, 2025
    Under rated and overlooked history finally getting some justice.
  • S Wood
    5.0 out of 5 stars Nursery for the Neo-Cons
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 22, 2009
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    Empires Workshop stands a good head and shoulders above most works of this nature I have recently read. Grandin writes fluently about the relationship between the United States and Latin America over the last hundred years or so, identifying the continuities as well as the innovations. The only innovation that comes across as being halfway sensible is FDR good neighbour policy. The rest of the presidents would seem to require some sort of International ASBO to keep them in check.

    The interesting part of the book covers the evolution of the Radical Religious Right in American foreign policy and the free reign it in particular was able to excercise in Central America during the 1980's under the Regan Presidency. Central America is where such Bush II luminaries as John Negroponte, John Bolton, Paul Wolfowitz and an assortment of other lunatics including Col. Oliver North cut their teeth. The devastation and death that resulted from their policies was astonishing when one takes into account the population size of those countries. Central America under the nascent neo-cons was a hell on earth.

    The thesis, which the author backs up with an immense amount of information and erudition, is that Central America was a sort of "workshop" where the neo-cons developed the ideas and put into practice the policies that were used to such bloody effect in Iraq over the last 6 years. For instance Grandin notes John Negropontes role in Central America and the continuities betwen what happened there and what went on during and after his short stay in Iraq. He also notes American involvement in Death Squads in Iraq, an issue I have wondered about for some time and which formed such a central part of U.S. policies in Central America during the 1980's.

    The book also covers Latin America as well, including the Pinochet regime with particular regard the the Friedman/Hayek school of thoughts influence on it. There is something particularly nauseating about reading of Hayek (he of Road to Serfdom fame) praising Pinochets vicious authoritarian regime - by their friends we shall know them.

    Thoroughly reccomended, this is this best book of this type I have read in quite some time.
  • Kavy
    5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 31, 2014
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    A1+++