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The Untold History of the United States Hardcover – October 30, 2012
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“At last the world knows America as the savior of the world!”—Woodrow Wilson
The notion of American exceptionalism, dating back to John Winthrop’s 1630 sermon aboard the Arbella, still warps Americans’ understanding of their nation’s role in the world. Most are loathe to admit that the United States has any imperial pretensions. But history tells a different story as filmmaker Oliver Stone and historian Peter Kuznick reveal in this riveting account of the rise and decline of the American empire.
Aided by the latest archival findings and recently declassified documents and building on the research of the world’s best scholars, Stone and Kuznick construct an often shocking but meticulously documented “People’s History of the American Empire” that offers startling context to the Bush-Cheney policies that put us at war in two Muslim countries and show us why the Obama administration has had such a difficult time cleaving a new path.
Stone and Kuznick will introduce readers to a pantheon of heroes and villains as they show not only how far the United States has drifted from its democratic traditions, but the powerful forces that have struggled to get us back on track.
The authors reveal that:
· The atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki were militarily unnecessary and morally indefensible.
· The United States, not the Soviet Union, bore the lion’s share of responsibility for perpetuating the Cold War.
· The U.S. love affair with right-wing dictators has gone as far as overthrowing elected leaders, arming and training murderous military officers, and forcing millions of people into poverty.
· U.S.-funded Islamist fundamentalists, who fought against the Soviets in Afghanistan, have blown back to threaten the interests of the U.S. and its allies.
· U.S. presidents, especially in wartime, have frequently trampled on the constitution and international law.
· The United States has brandished nuclear threats repeatedly and come terrifyingly close to nuclear war.
American leaders often believe they are unbound by history, yet Stone and Kuznick argue that we must face our troubling history honestly and forthrightly in order to set a new course for the twenty-first century. Their conclusions will challenge even experts, but there is one question only readers can answer: Is it too late for America to change?
- Print length784 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherGallery Books
- Publication dateOctober 30, 2012
- Dimensions6.13 x 2.2 x 9.13 inches
- ISBN-101451613512
- ISBN-13978-1451613513
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Editorial Reviews
Review
“Oliver Stone and Peter Kuznick provide a critical overview of US foreign policy during the past few decades. There is much here to reflect upon. Such a perspective is indispensable…At stake is whether the United States will choose to be the policeman of a “Pax Americana,” which is a recipe for disaster, or partner with other nations on the way to a safer, more just and sustainable future.” Author: President Mikhail Gorbachev
“A brave revisionist study which shatters many foreign policy myths… the Stone-Kuznick team grapples with the unsavory legacy of American militarism. . . . Make room on your book shelf for this compelling leftist primer.” Author: Douglas Brinkley, New York Times bestselling author of The Great Deluge
"Howard [Zinn] would have loved this ‘people’s history’ of the American Empire. It's compulsive reading: brilliant, a masterpiece!” Author: Daniel Ellsberg, author of Secrets: A Memoir of Vietnam and the Pentagon Papers
“Finally, a book with the guts to challenge the accepted narrative of recent American history… This is the 'Washington didn't really chop down the cherry tree' book for our last hundred years." Author: Bill Maher
“Kuznick and Stones’ Untold History is the most important historical narrative of this century.” Author: Martin Sherwin, Pulitzer Prize-winning co-author of American Prometheus
"By casting a spotlight on the shadier aspects of America's past, as well as the humane alternatives, Oliver Stone and Peter Kuznick provide a thought-provoking rebuttal to the nationalist myths that are far too often served up as history. They remind us that, until Americans have the courage to confront reality, they will remain trapped by their illusions." Author: Lawrence Wittner, author of One World or None: A History of the World Nuclear Disarmament Movement Through 1953
"Stone and Kuznick provide a boldly critical view of the most painful aspects of American history. Their perspective on nuclear danger is especially illuminating. They make clear how close we have come to the ultimate human absurdity of annihilating ourselves as a species with our own technology. One thinks of the Enlightenment motto, "Dare to know!" The knowledge we gain can be a source of powerful wisdom." Author: Robert Jay Lifton, author of Thought Reform and the Psychology of Totalism
"We won't be able to manage America's future if we don't know its past. In their Untold Story, Oliver Stone and Peter Kuznick peel away layers of misleading myth about America in the 20th century. Some will be surprised, others angry. Most will understand their nation much better, especially the young. Then perhaps we can move forward in the new century." Author: Jeff Madrick, author of Taking America
It’s time for serious people to confront rather than avoid or attempt to denigrate the profound challenges raised by Stone and Kuznick. They are asking (and answering!) all the right questions. Author: Gar Alperovitz, author of The Decision to Use the Atomic Bomb
Many books have been written about specific episodes of American intervention and military aggression. And yet the master narrative remains intact: the US is the "indispensable nation," relied upon by people and nations around the world to preserve the peace and defend freedom. The immense contribution of The Untold History of the United States is to shatter the conventional wisdom, challenging readers to re-conceptualise the American role in the world...Everyone, who reads The Untold History will learn something new and be compelled to examine long held assumptions. For students of US history, this is an invaluable work. Author: Carolyn Eisenberg, author of Drawing the Line: The American Decision to Divide Germany, 1944-1949
"A fascinating and provocative work. This courageous and clear-minded account of American history and the foundations of the American empire is a milestone in a surprisingly small genre of books, namely, critical history written of and for the people. It should have the widest possible reading." Author: Bruce Cumings, author of The Korean War
"Kuznick and Stone tell the untold history of the United States--the often disastrous consequences of American exceptionalism and global domination--with passion and clarity... beautifully illustrated, well-argued, and compellingly written." Author: Marilyn Young, author of The Vietnam Wars
"The Untold History of the United States is one of the most important books of our time. Oliver Stone and Peter Kuznick disabuse us of the popular notion that this country has always been a force for good in the world. They document the tragic consequences of U.S. imperialism, the commission of war crimes, and the decimation of civil liberties under the guise of the ‘war on terror’. This work should give us pause whenever we are asked to uncritically accept the idea of American exceptionalism. " Author: Marjorie Cohn, author of Cowboy Republic: Six Ways the Bush Gang Has Defied the Law
About the Author
Peter Kuznick is professor of history and director of the award-winning Nuclear Studies Institute at American University and is currently serving his fourth term as distinguished lecturer with the Organization of American Historians. He has written extensively about science and politics, nuclear history, and Cold War culture.
Product details
- Publisher : Gallery Books; First Edition (October 30, 2012)
- Language : English
- Hardcover : 784 pages
- ISBN-10 : 1451613512
- ISBN-13 : 978-1451613513
- Item Weight : 2.2 pounds
- Dimensions : 6.13 x 2.2 x 9.13 inches
- Best Sellers Rank: #692,069 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #181 in History & Theory of Politics
- #338 in Historical Study (Books)
- #1,252 in United States History (Books)
- Customer Reviews:
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Customers find the book well-researched with documented facts and references throughout. They appreciate its readability and writing style, describing it as easy to read and well written. The historical accuracy receives mixed reviews, with one customer noting how it relates to current events. The citation quality also draws mixed reactions from customers.
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Customers appreciate the book's wealth of historical facts and conclusions, noting that it is well-researched with tons of references and illuminates American history.
"...The editing is genius. His Stalinist comments hilarious and always surprising...." Read more
"Untold history contains so many historical tidbits i didn't know.in answer to the reviewer that wrote its American history from Stalin's point of..." Read more
"...The discussion of the immediate post-war period is the most interesting in the book...." Read more
"...Instead the book turned out to be a well-ordered and very-well footnoted history of roughly the last century of mainly, but not exclusively,..." Read more
Customers find the book refreshing to read and consider it a must-read.
"...His serie is brilliant. The editing is genius. His Stalinist comments hilarious and always surprising...." Read more
"...That may be the message you get from this incredible book and the Showtime series that goes with it...." Read more
"...Despite these qualifications, I think that this is a very valuable book -- though I fear that it may not be read much outside liberal circles." Read more
"...This makes for great reading – and evidently passionate controversy -- but Stone’s reliance on counterfactual to “prove” that his desired future..." Read more
Customers appreciate the writing style of the book, finding it well written and easy to read, with one customer noting its rich annotations.
"...His serie is brilliant. The editing is genius. His Stalinist comments hilarious and always surprising...." Read more
"...As were our high school books, these writings are riveting!..." Read more
"...Stone delivers in a quick easy read. The premise in the title that this is the untold story of the United States is a bit misleading...." Read more
"...a relatively long book, however I found it a rivetting read, difficult to put down with many interesting moments such as at the views expressed, the..." Read more
Customers have mixed opinions about the historical accuracy of the book, with some appreciating it as an untold story of the USA, while others criticize it for being slanted.
"...The narrative is basically chronological in order though it does contextualise some subjects in the light of recent events, in particular the recent..." Read more
"...system, and this books casts a little light on a small number of outrageous lies, illegal acts, and immoral postures...." Read more
"...Authors Oliver Stone and Peter Kuznick tie specific events together in an understandable way regarding the history of the United States of America...." Read more
"...It merely dumps a load of historical excrement on the reader's head leaving them todraw their own conclusion...." Read more
Customers have mixed opinions about the citation quality of the book, with some finding it credible while others note it is short on supporting factual references and not always balanced in its presentation of facts.
"...The level of documentation and credible sources makes this book hard to dispute or counter...." Read more
"...Footnoted for the detail orientated who might want further to do further research or verification...." Read more
"...This is not an unbiased work, and there is a lot of selectivity about what facts are included (and what are not)...." Read more
"...He reveals foreign policy and the basis for foreign policy of..." Read more
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- Reviewed in the United States on February 15, 2013It is the first History of USA from the point of view of Stalin!!!! So great to know that finally Stalin has sons whose he could be proud of - two sons who are doing their best to show how himself ( Stalin) was a great man, a man of peace, a man of kindness. I find this idea to tell the history of USA through Stalin's eyes absolutely genius.
Of course nobody asks to Stalin to be totally fair. Each reader asks Stalin to be right, to kill all of those who are anti-communist, all the types of social-traitors among them not only the Republicans but most of the Democrats.
Of course Stalin will have had always right. He will have won all the battles - he was a genius - even the ones he has not really done as the one against Japan in 1945 and against South Korea "fascists" in 1953.
Of course Stalin have lost no time to read the best new researches made by among the best historians regarding the events such as why the japanese Emperor has decided to surrender - i.e. Herbert Bix "Hirohito and the making of Modern Japan" (2000) neither the great book by Timothy Schneider "Bloodlands" neither numerous American, European ( included the Russians ones as Vassily Grossman "Life and Fate" ) , Asian ( Japanese, Chinese, etc ) Historians and writers who have demonstrated precisely step by step all the non sense of what these two great sons of Stalin ( Oliver Stone and his friend) have written in this book.
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But it is the reason I love this book so much - first because I love Oliver Stone's films so much - I love his provocative attitude. I am totally sure that he doesn't pretend to become an Historian - he wants simply to make a good provocative film - and he has succeeded. His serie is brilliant. The editing is genius. His Stalinist comments hilarious and always surprising. I know that he dreams will have been to have met Stalin, to have made an interview of him. What a pity! Stalin who has had a great sense of black humor ( cf Martin Amis's book "Koba" ) will have appreciated to discuss with Oliver Stone - probably after he will have ordered to shoot him . But that it is another story.
I find this book really great for all the lovers of dictators - and specially for the lovers of Putin. I suggest to Putin to propose that Oliver Stone becomes like Gerard Depardieu a citizen of this great peaceful nation.
One of the most funniest things of the book is the way they treat George F. Kennan. They hesitate to make him in the category of "Cold Warrior" or of an anti-Cold Warrior. But one thing they don't do for sure is to read George F Kennan's essays and his incredible deep understanding of Russia.
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But we don't ask to these glorious sons of Stalin ( Oliver Stone and his friend) to understand Russia or the incredible suffers that Ukrainians, Polish, Jewish Russians and all these minorities have supported from a part of the elite and of the slaves of Ethnic Russians have done during the last two centuries until today.
Please read this book it will make you so so furious because of this way to make History as pure propaganda than just after who will ri-ush to read some great historical books as the one by Giambattista Vico "New Science"
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or Niccolo Machiavelli
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etc etc
or Karl Marx
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The Eighteenth Brumaire of Louis Napoleon, 1852
or Fernand Braudel "Civilization and capitalism"
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Oh how great historians help us to understand the present and our future. Surely they have had influenced them by their deep visions of the Past Events.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart to Oliver Stone and his friend to have made such effort to write this book and to make their TV serie. It will be for all of us a reference to what must NOT be done.
One detail: how is it possible to be a "moralist" when you pretend to speak about History? After what Niccolo Machiavelli told us? Is it possible to think that there are good and bad leaders who are making history? Only children could think that way. People with no great culture.
- Reviewed in the United States on April 11, 2025Untold history contains so many historical tidbits i didn't know.in answer to the reviewer that wrote its American history from Stalin's point of view that's inaccurate. It just truthfully tells that at that time many americans praised Stalin's economic plan hoping it would bring prosperity to the soviet peoples.it goes on to say they were disappointed by statlins brutality.i am fascinated by this book.a gem on every page.theres so much one can learn about history so it doesn't repeat itself.it certainly is not an ear tickler yet necessary knowledge.
- Reviewed in the United States on July 3, 2013First a review note. I recently watched a YouTube video of a room of people that a man was marching back and forth on the stage pointing to a display of the Kindle Amazon site and telling people their "Duty" was to go to Amazon Kindle and find all the books from the "liberals" and "progressives" and give them a "1 STAR smear" and then search for the RW and give them all a "5 STAR." This reflects the sickness perhaps that taints our legitimate interest in seeing things from other perspectives. There are thousands of these people whom seem determined to "Shoot the Messenger" will no regard at all for an intellectual pursuit. Having made this important note--
This is a book that does, as all books of history filling libraries do, cherry picks many things. It has too because books like this dig right to the truths, as perceived, of things that may have been known to us, but we did not want to see or hear it. We are all, all of us, seeking a comfort zone to be sure and when someone like Oliver Stone comes along and sort of puts it in front of us, not down our throats, but in front of us with his incredible skill then we have to face these things.
I was an Army officer for nearly 30-years and a multi-year veteran of over 500 combat flying missions in SE Asia and in the CIA's Secret War. As the years went by I worked all over the world, with more books coming about working with the FBI and CIA (in a surprising manner) it became apparent to me that what Oliver Stone points to has always been in front of us, just that most of us either never looked, or the 99.99% that never was in a position to look--much less care.
We have an ugly history to be sure, perhaps every bit as bad as the Brits and French (maybe?) of colonialism, even as we wish we could ignore or deny it. But it is there.
The real issue as I have seen in my decades all over the world, including years with the CIA in covert work, is who is really running things? Is it global bankers? Jewish conspiracies? Corrupted businessmen (and women sometimes), RW conservatives that would do anything to deny people the rights to vote or other human dignities? Who?
The real thing this book does is sort of give you an electric shock to sit up, look around, be aware. No one can put their finger on just who is doing what. But, overall and maybe Oliver Stone is like this, overall it is the totality of the human existence and the stuggles just to survive that we have stripped from so many hundreds of millions--even as the "we" is unclear. That may be the message you get from this incredible book and the Showtime series that goes with it.
We all die. But so many suffer all over the world for nothing, nothing at all. Is it greed and if so, by whom? The headless, leaderless, borderless corruption flows like a river of dirty mud that engulfs so many, at all levels, in so many governments. Few if any are untainted if not by actual deeds as by looking the other way--the convenient way out.
Oliver Stone gently moves you out of your comfort zone, gets you to recognize that maybe the global human rights is more important than a few dollars on a barrel of oil, or the timber, the mines or whatever else industry wants to steal rather than buy.
The light of day, and more so now in the Internet world, will help us and this great book is like a road map to see where it is coming from.
Some of my own books put us into the shadow world, a world that maybe we do not actually want to know exists. It is is more comforting to, liberal or conservative, religious or not, to simply, carefully, without malice, to look the other way as if a distraction beyond our immediate view is more immediately important than what is before is.
WAR STORIES - From an Army Pilot Flying in the CIA's Secret War in Laos (myTroubledSkies)
Top reviews from other countries
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Cliente AmazonReviewed in Italy on September 30, 20175.0 out of 5 stars Da leggere
Un magnifico libro di storia. Quella vera. Da leggere, se si vuole capire non solo gli stati uniti, ma anche la nostra storia.
Kindle CustomerReviewed in India on July 1, 20245.0 out of 5 stars Hegemon USA
The book systematically and with references and citations exposes the settler colonist nature of the US government. How the successive governments firstly using the bogey of USSR and communism in the could war years and after that of islamic terrorism has meddled and messed up so many countries right from south America to the middle east. Terrorism take a bow to the USA government.
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藤島 高人Reviewed in Japan on July 29, 20135.0 out of 5 stars The untold History of the United States
米国左派の歴史観、 これは 悪玉、 善玉と 決め付け過ぎる点は、 気になったが、 フーンと納得するエピソードも多く交へ、 非常に興味深く読みました。 米国史だから、 米国の指導者の評価が中心となるのはやむを得ないが、 スターリン(旧 ソ連)に対する評価が、 甘過ぎる事は 強く感じた。 全体の中では、 トルーマンの部分が、 最高に面白かった(日本人としては、 原爆投下に繋がる訳で、 凡人だった、 残念、 では 済まされぬものがあるが)。 ケネディ時代の部分、 評価が高いのには、 ビックリした。
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javier babeReviewed in Spain on September 22, 20145.0 out of 5 stars The untold History of Unitaed States
Se desmontan las autoalabanzas USA referentes a su democracia, libertad, imperialismo , superioridad moral...etc
Eduardo Galeano ya nos contó mucho. Kunizk y Stone nos completan la Historia.
Riazul QuadirReviewed in France on April 13, 20145.0 out of 5 stars Invaluable
The fact that Oliver Stone needs no introduction either as a award winning film director whose primary genre has been the high water marks of American history, or as a decorated war hero and a Vietnam Veteran, gives him a certain undeniable credibility as someone who is a truly patriotic American. That he should feel strongly enough to say that he would be doing his young daughter great disservice if he didn't attempt to set the record straight when it comes to the facts of American history as has been ladled out by the tureen by the American establishment. So, in collaboration with Peter Kuznick he sets about to get the record straight. And does he? Considering he has no other axe to grind but get the Truth out, he does so beyond belief. His referencing alone deserves applause. Impeccably researched he doesn't spare any facts that may cause pain to the American pride and in the end manages to show his fellow Americans (what many in the rest of the world already knew), that the word coined by the USA for enemies it hadn't been able to defeat, was the most apt to describe itself in the 21st Century, Rogue State! He manages to show us, battle by battle, event by event, policy by policy, how a nation founded on high principles had over time become the rich industrialists' powerful tool to get the world to do its bidding and how it had hijacked democracy itself. What remains is an empty shell of a once honourable idea. At the same time the military and financial might of this rogue state is as dangerous to the well being of humanity as the environmental disaster that awaits us right round the corner.






