U.S. Foreign Policy and the Other [Hardcover]

John Quincy Adams warned Americans not to search abroad for monsters to destroy, yet such figures have frequently habituated the discourses of U.S. foreign policy.? This collection of essays focuses on counter-identities in American consciousness to explain how foreign policies and the discourse surrounding them develop.? Whether it is the seemingly ubiquitous evil of Hitler during World War II or the more complicated perceptions of communism throughout the Cold War, these essays illuminate the cultural contexts that constructed rival identities.? The authors challenge our understanding of others, looking at early applications of the concept in the eighteenth century to recent twenty-first century conflicts, establishing how this phenomenon is central to decision making through centuries of conflict.

Michael Patrick Cullinaneis Reader in U.S. history at Northumbria University. He is the author ofLiberty and American Anti-Imperialism, 1898-1909(2012) and numerous articles on diplomatic history in the Gilded Age and Progressive Era.

&the book is a valuable contribution to the field of U.S. foreign policy literature. Its greatest contribution will be in its elucidation of the symbiotic relationship between U.S. identity and the identification of U.S. adversaries, with the recognition that a nuanced understanding of its adversaries may facilitate the drafting of more successful foreign policies& The book should find a wide audience within the foreign policy analysis field and become a valuable addition to many libraries.? International Social Science Review

The ambitious scope of this book could make it a profitable addition to an advanced undergraduate or graduate seminar. Because each essay is brief, the collection could be assigned with complementary texts to encourage students to put scholars into conversation with each other.? Journal of American History