Portraits of Empire: Unmasking Imperial Illusions from the American Century to the War on Terror

Smith's historical survey of U.S.foreign and domestic policy post-WWII is a must read. His lucid writing, thorough chronology and partiality towards justice will envelope readers seeking to make sense of our politically troubled world. Divided into decades, the book chronicles the misdeeds done by the world's superpower in small capsules making it appealing to even the non-historian or nominally politically inclined. "Greatest Story" is perfect for all college and high school U.S. history survey courses.

With powerful vignettes which introduce the reader to a version of events rarely heard and yet thoroughly documented, Michael K. Smith deftly brings our past actions and their results to vibrant, and poignant, life. While the author provides witty comments which bring a smile or smirk to our face, we are moved to tears at the plight of the survivors of our interventions. He reminds us of the civilization to which we all belong and ensures we will never hear an allusion to a past victory with the same consciousness.Many dissident historians, including Howard Zinn, have been criticized for focusing on the victims rather than the generals (oh, the horror!) There are plenty of books, especially in our schools, which cover the glory of our actions. In this society of hero worship, perhaps the role of authors like Michael K. Smith is to provide us with facts upon which to base our compassion. It takes courage to read this book, and the author has kindly broken it down in small paragraphs so we can read at our own pace. We love our country, as we love our friends. We see it clearly and honestly and work together to continually improve ourselves.One final word of caution: Don't read this book if you are attached to your illusions of the United States as noble savior to the world. They will be shattered.

This book reads like fiction. Unfortunately for the citizens of America and the world, it is all meticulously documented fact. For all who are interested in the U.S. post-WW II history, it is essential reading. Actually, it is essential reading for all Americans, because it reveals the seamy underside of U.S. foreign policy, all the news that ISN'T fit to print in the New York Times or report on The Jim Lehrer News Hour. After a brief introduction, the book is separated into decades. Unlike conventional histories, which tend to be dry accounts full of names of places and people and dates and statistics, this presents events in a manner akin to a snapshot: each entry is headed by a year, followed by a location and a headline. The author then places us in a scene and describes it using vivid, dramatic language. Typical entries run froma single paragraph to one page in length, so one can't get bogged down. Joel Kovel's quote on the back cover is apropos, particularly in this post-9/11 era which is already disturbingly reminiscent of the hysteria of the McCarthy witchunts of the 1950s, a subject documented in the book: "We are continually told of how benign and well-meaning America is. This notion is not shared by the rest of the orld, but it provides an effective shield against coming to grips with the realities of empire. Happily, there are people like Michael Smith to disabuse us of the illusion of innocence. His fierce compendium of the misdeeds our leaders would have us forget is an indispensable guide to a history that is perpetually suppressed but must not be forgotten." This book was previously published as The Greatest Story Never Told. It has been expanded and updated as Portraits of Empire.