Overthrow: America's Century of Regime Change from Hawaii to Iraq

Stephen Kinzer

Henry Holt and Company, Apr 4, 2006 - History - 384 pages

A fast-paced narrative history of the coups, revolutions, and invasions by which the United States has toppled fourteen foreign governments--not always to its own benefit
"Regime change" did not begin with the administration of George W. Bush, but has been an integral part of U.S. foreign policy for more than one hundred years. Starting with the overthrow of the Hawaiian monarchy in 1893 and continuing through the Spanish-American War and the Cold War and into our own time, the United States has not hesitated to overthrow governments that stood in the way of its political and economic goals. The invasion of Iraq in 2003 is the latest, though perhaps not the last, example of the dangers inherent in these operations.
In Overthrow, Stephen Kinzer tells the stories of the audacious politicians, spies, military commanders, and business executives who took it upon themselves to depose monarchs, presidents, and prime ministers. He also shows that the U.S. government has often pursued these operations without understanding the countries involved; as a result, many of them have had disastrous long-term consequences.
In a compelling and provocative history that takes readers to fourteen countries, including Cuba, Iran, South Vietnam, Chile, and Iraq, Kinzer surveys modern American history from a new and often surprising perspective.

What people are saying

Review: Overthrow: America's Century of Regime Change from Hawaii to Iraq

User Review  - Libby - Goodreads

Stephen Kinzer's "Overthrow" sought to illustrate a trended pattern of regime changes driven by the United States government on foreign land. He detailed specific situations and defined the categories ...

Review: Overthrow: America's Century of Regime Change from Hawaii to Iraq

User Review  - Scott Ireland - Goodreads

Do not miss this book...if you have wondered lately "How did we (America) get into the mess we're in?", this book will give you the historical context to answer the question, if, on the other hand, you're one who blindly assumes the US is always right, don't waste your time.

About the author

Stephen Kinzer is an award-winning foreign correspondent for The New York Times who has reported from more than fifty countries on four continents. He has served as the paper’s bureau chief in Turkey, Germany, and Nicaragua. His
previous books include All the Shah’s Men: An American Coup and the Roots of Middle East Terror; Crescent and Star: Turkey Between Two Worlds; and Blood of Brothers: Life and War in Nicaragua. He is also the co-author of Bitter Fruit: The Untold Story of the American Coup in Guatemala. He lives in Chicago.

Bibliographic information

• Title: Overthrow: America's Century of Regime Change from Hawaii to Iraq
• Author: Stephen Kinzer
• Edition: illustrated
• Publisher: Henry Holt and Company, 2006
• ISBN: 0805078614, 9780805078619
• Length: 384 pages
• Subjects: History / Military / United States; History / United States / 20th Century; History / United States / General; Political Science / International Relations / General