• The Icarus Syndrome

  • A History of American Hubris
  • By: Peter Beinart
  • Narrated by: John Morgan
  • Length: 18 hrs and 23 mins
  • 4.4 out of 5 stars (85 ratings)

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The Icarus Syndrome  By  cover art

The Icarus Syndrome

By: Peter Beinart
Narrated by: John Morgan
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Publisher's summary

"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.

©2010 Peter Beinart (P)2010 HarperCollins Publishers
  • Unabridged Audiobook
  • Categories: History

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What listeners say about The Icarus Syndrome

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Great read

Really good narration & interesting details that support a very timely thesis. It's like David Halberstam's The Best and the Brightest but covering more history.

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8 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars

Thought-provoking!

This was a great history lesson and interesting perspective on the lead-up to America going to war and how the leaders of the time made decisions. I thought the piece was well-researched and presented in a very interesting format. I'd say it's one of the better non-fiction books I've read recently and very engaging.

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2 people found this helpful

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    4 out of 5 stars

Great read!

This was a great read! It is very revealing and insightful on the key characters that formed American foreign relations. It was also very interesting to get a view on the mindset and circumstances that affected key thinkers and policy makers in the US. I would highly recommend this book.

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2 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars

Very interesting

I know this book is just one perspective on US foreign policy, but it certainly does explain some of our more significant foreign policy boondoggles.

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1 person found this helpful