The Icarus Syndrome, Peter Beinart
The Icarus Syndrome, Peter Beinart
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The Icarus Syndrome
A History of American Hubris

Author: Peter Beinart

Narrator: John Morgan

Unabridged: 18 hr 23 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Harper

Published: 06/01/2010

Synopsis

“Peter Beinart has written a vivid, empathetic, and convincing history of the men and ideas that have shaped the ambitions of American foreign policy during the last century—a story in which human fallibility and idealism flow together. The story continues, of course, and so his book is not only timely; it is indispensable.” — Steve Coll, author of Ghost Wars Peter Beinart's provocative account of hubris in the American century describes Washington on the eve of three wars: World War I, Vietnam, and Iraq—three moments when American leaders decided they could remake the world in their image. Each time, leading intellectuals declared that the spread of democracy was inevitable. Each time, a president held the nation in the palm of his hand. And each time, a war conceived in arrogance brought tragedy. But each catastrophe also imparted wisdom to a new generation of thinkers. These leaders learned to reconcile the American belief that anything is possible with the realities of a world that will never fully conform to this country's will—and in their struggles lie the seeds of American renewal today.

About Peter Beinart

Peter Beinart is an associate professor of journalism and political science at the City University of New York and a senior fellow at the New America Foundation. He is the senior political writer for The Daily Beast and a contributor to Time. Beinart is a former fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations and the author of The Good Fight. He lives with his family in Washington, D.C.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Tim on April 24, 2025

In the main, this book is a critique of George W. Bush's foreign policy in an effort to influence Barack Obama's foreign policy. Therefore, it's in need of an update. Quote: All these efforts differ from dominance in one fundamental way: Rather than merely requiring that other nations change, they re......more

Goodreads review by Clif on February 05, 2018

Throughout history the exercise of power has been the driver of events. While it is possible for power to be used in a benign, protective way, it is far more usual and predictable for it to create dreams of dominance in the minds of those that hold it resulting in a breakout where one nation strives......more

Goodreads review by Chad on November 04, 2019

I forget exactly where I picked up The Icarus Syndrome, but I believe it was in the footnotes of one of the political books I have read semi-recently. In general terms, it is a history of American foreign policy in the 20th and 21st century. I am by no means a foreign policy expert, but in my humble......more

Goodreads review by John on February 24, 2023

The Icarus Syndrome: A History of American Hubris, by Peter Beinhart, gets its name from the ancient Greek legend of Icarus. According to the legend, Icarus’ father Daedaulus built a pair of wings for him out of wax and feathers. Daedaulus warned his son not to fly too high, or the heat from the sun......more

Goodreads review by Ronnie on September 24, 2022

I hate to write this. I thought that this book would be an apology to the thinkers and non thinkers who have been responsible for the horrid shape our domestic and foreign policy matters. As an Army Vet I was not ready for this reading. If at first it was a dreary reading with the coming of WWI and......more

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