Released: 15th September 2020
Number of Pages: 301
Genre: Non-Fiction, Politics, Society, History
When Donald Trump was elected the leader of the free world in November 2016, many an American citizen asked: “How could this happen?”. Many commentators and pundits have gone over this question, but few have been as blunt as political writer Jared Yates Sexton in his latest book release.
“American Rule: How A Nation Conquered The World but failed its people” firmly grapples with American history. From its founding in the 1700s all the way through to the present, Sexton charts the United States’ role through the centuries, homing in on every last mistake it made along the way. Despite the many decades it covers, American Rule is very concise, homing in on the nation’s political journey. On top of this, the author consistently avoids favouring one political faction over another, aiming to represent America through an unfiltered lens.
Forged through bloody conquest and elevated to power on white supremacy and other noble lies, the book is heavily focused on America’s crimes. Each of the seven chapters flows into the next as it proceeds towards the 21st Century. The overarching point it makes is that Trump is far from the first time America has suffered under greed and authoritarianism. Instead, he is simply the most overt representation of the country’s biggest missteps. A wide range of sources from past and present ensures both credibility and authenticity throughout.
Recommended?
YES: Much like “What We Have Lost” and its take on the UK’s fall from grace, American Rule paints a sobering picture of the United States, striking straight at the heart of a collection of deep-rooted problems and how they still persist over two hundred years later.
Those who endlessly ponder why America is where it is today will be greatly engrossed by the book. Though anyone getting into its pages should be forewarned; Jared doesn’t mince his words or hold back on the negative aspects. At times it feels like he has nothing good to stay about his nation. Yet this kind of unfiltered and unsanitised framing is necessary to understand where the nation goes from here; Sexton critiques the country because he wants to see it do better and the book’s epilogue emphasises this.
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