The Sorrows of Empire

This book is not purchasable in your country. Please select another book.

Listen to a sample

What to expect

In the years after the Soviet Union imploded, the United States was described first as the globe’s “lone superpower,” then as a “reluctant sheriff,” next as the “indispensable nation,” and, in the wake of 9/11, as a “New Rome.” In this important national bestseller, Chalmers Johnson thoroughly explores the new militarism that is transforming America and compelling us to pick up the burden of empire. Recalling the classic warnings against militarism—from George Washington’s farewell address to Dwight Eisenhower’s denunciation of the military-industrial complex—Johnson uncovers its roots deep in our past. Turning to the present, he maps America’s expanding empire of military bases and the vast web of services that support them. He offers a vivid look at the new caste of professional militarists who have infiltrated multiple branches of government, who classify everything they do as “secret,” and for whom the manipulation of the military budget is of vital interest. Among Johnson’s provocative conclusions is that American militarism is already putting an end to the age of globalization and bankrupting the United States, even as it creates the conditions for a new century of virulent blowback. The Sorrows of Empire suggests that the former American republic has already crossed its Rubicon—with the Pentagon in the lead.

Critics Review

  • “Chilling…a frightening picture…of the spread of American military control over the world.”

    New York Times Book Review
  • “Original and genuinely important…The role of the prophet is an honorable one. In Chalmers Johnson the American empire has found its Jeremiah. He deserves to be heard.”

    Washington Post Book World
  • “Impressive…a powerful indictment of US military and foreign policy.”

    Los Angeles Times Book Review
  • “Trenchantly argued, comprehensively documented, grimly eloquent…Worthy of the republic it seeks to defend.”

    Boston Globe
  • “[A] provocative, detailed tour of what [Johnson] sees as America’s entrenched culture of militarism…one of the most startling and engrossing accounts of exotic defense capabilities, operations and spending in print.”

    Publishers Weekly
  • “A provocative summons to the task of reining in a runaway military.”

    Booklist

Subscribe to our newsletter

Sign up to get tailored content recommendations, product updates and info on new releases. Your data is your own: we commit to protect your data and respect your privacy.