Overview

Popular consensus says that the US rose over two centuries to Cold War victory and world domination, and is now in slow decline. But is this right? History's great civilizations have always lasted much longer, and for all its colossal power, American culture was overshadowed by Europe until recently. What if this isn't the end? In History Has Begun, Bruno Maçães offers a compelling vision of America's future, both fascinating and unnerving. From the early American Republic, he takes us to the turbulent present, when, he argues, America is finally forging its own path. We can see the birth pangs of this new civilization in today's debates on guns, religion, foreign policy and the significance of Trump. Should the coronavirus pandemic be regarded as an opportunity to build a new kind of society? What will its values be, and what will this new America look like? In this updated paperback edition, Maçães traces the long arc of US history to argue that in contrast to those who see the US on the cusp of decline, it may well be simply shifting to a new model, one equally powerful but no longer liberal.

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9780197638071

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Reviews

The book is a fascinating survey of the decline and possible rise of the American empire. We may still believe in the liberal values that have guided Western politics since 1945, but they are now, Mr. Maçães argues, ""true in a different way. * Dominic Green, Wall Street Journal * “Bruno Maçães's History Has Begun has one big strength. The book does not sound like any of the other pundits, academics or bloggers who write about the US today, from left, right or centre."" -Arjun Appadurai, The Wire Brilliant and wildly provocative, [Maçães] not so much turns history on its head, as inside out...a wonderfully contrarian essay on the future of world politics."" -The Evening Standard There's no better man to guide us on the differences between Europe and America than Bruno Maçães... [History Has Begun] is required reading for anyone who wants to understand the country that invented itself-and the modern world."" -The Sunday Times As a kind of counterpoint to his insightful books on the rise of Eurasia and China's One Belt One Road initiative, Bruno Maçães has written an absorbing, ruminative essay on the United States. Whereas his exploration of Eurasia was a true journey over that vast landmass, here he encounters America in his library and his imagination. Between Europe, oppressed by history, and China, intoxicated by technology, the United States still offers some hope of reconciling power and liberty."" -Niall Ferguson, Milbank Family Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution, Stanford, and author of Colossus: The Rise and Fall of the American Empire and The Square and the Tower Bruno Maçães gives us the special gift of charting a future for the United States and the world that may be very different, and quite possibly much better, than what we expect."" -Marc Andreessen, entrepreneur, investor and cofounder of Netscape This insightful book makes bold and counterintuitive arguments. The international system is poised for the flourishing of cultural and political diversity among nation states. At the same time, this can and should be another American Century. This round requires the United States creatively to remake itself inside and out."" -Kiron K. Skinner, Former Director of the Office of Policy Planning, Department of State An erudite, thought-provoking exploration of how the world is affected by a post-truth America, an America where the line between reality and entertainment is no longer discernible, and where the hallowed concept of the 'West' is losing its meaning."" -Yaroslav Trofimov, Chief Foreign Affairs Correspondent, Wall Street Journal

The book is a fascinating survey of the decline and possible rise of the American empire. We may still believe in the liberal values that have guided Western politics since 1945, but they are now, Mr. Macaes argues, true in a different way. * Dominic Green, Wall Street Journal * Bruno Macaes's History Has Begun has one big strength. The book does not sound like any of the other pundits, academics or bloggers who write about the US today, from left, right or centre. -Arjun Appadurai, The Wire Brilliant and wildly provocative, [Macaes] not so much turns history on its head, as inside out...a wonderfully contrarian essay on the future of world politics. -The Evening Standard There's no better man to guide us on the differences between Europe and America than Bruno Macaes... [History Has Begun] is required reading for anyone who wants to understand the country that invented itself-and the modern world. -The Sunday Times As a kind of counterpoint to his insightful books on the rise of Eurasia and China's One Belt One Road initiative, Bruno Macaes has written an absorbing, ruminative essay on the United States. Whereas his exploration of Eurasia was a true journey over that vast landmass, here he encounters America in his library and his imagination. Between Europe, oppressed by history, and China, intoxicated by technology, the United States still offers some hope of reconciling power and liberty. -Niall Ferguson, Milbank Family Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution, Stanford, and author of Colossus: The Rise and Fall of the American Empire and The Square and the Tower Bruno Macaes gives us the special gift of charting a future for the United States and the world that may be very different, and quite possibly much better, than what we expect. -Marc Andreessen, entrepreneur, investor and cofounder of Netscape This insightful book makes bold and counterintuitive arguments. The international system is poised for the flourishing of cultural and political diversity among nation states. At the same time, this can and should be another American Century. This round requires the United States creatively to remake itself inside and out. -Kiron K. Skinner, Former Director of the Office of Policy Planning, Department of State An erudite, thought-provoking exploration of how the world is affected by a post-truth America, an America where the line between reality and entertainment is no longer discernible, and where the hallowed concept of the 'West' is losing its meaning. -Yaroslav Trofimov, Chief Foreign Affairs Correspondent, Wall Street Journal

"The book is a fascinating survey of the decline and possible rise of the American empire. We may still believe in the liberal values that have guided Western politics since 1945, but they are now, Mr. Maçães argues, ""true in a different way. * Dominic Green, Wall Street Journal * “Bruno Maçães's History Has Begun has one big strength. The book does not sound like any of the other pundits, academics or bloggers who write about the US today, from left, right or centre."" -Arjun Appadurai, The Wire Brilliant and wildly provocative, [Maçães] not so much turns history on its head, as inside out...a wonderfully contrarian essay on the future of world politics."" -The Evening Standard There's no better man to guide us on the differences between Europe and America than Bruno Maçães... [History Has Begun] is required reading for anyone who wants to understand the country that invented itself-and the modern world."" -The Sunday Times As a kind of counterpoint to his insightful books on the rise of Eurasia and China's One Belt One Road initiative, Bruno Maçães has written an absorbing, ruminative essay on the United States. Whereas his exploration of Eurasia was a true journey over that vast landmass, here he encounters America in his library and his imagination. Between Europe, oppressed by history, and China, intoxicated by technology, the United States still offers some hope of reconciling power and liberty."" -Niall Ferguson, Milbank Family Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution, Stanford, and author of Colossus: The Rise and Fall of the American Empire and The Square and the Tower Bruno Maçães gives us the special gift of charting a future for the United States and the world that may be very different, and quite possibly much better, than what we expect."" -Marc Andreessen, entrepreneur, investor and cofounder of Netscape This insightful book makes bold and counterintuitive arguments. The international system is poised for the flourishing of cultural and political diversity among nation states. At the same time, this can and should be another American Century. This round requires the United States creatively to remake itself inside and out."" -Kiron K. Skinner, Former Director of the Office of Policy Planning, Department of State An erudite, thought-provoking exploration of how the world is affected by a post-truth America, an America where the line between reality and entertainment is no longer discernible, and where the hallowed concept of the 'West' is losing its meaning."" -Yaroslav Trofimov, Chief Foreign Affairs Correspondent, Wall Street Journal"

Author Information

Bruno Maçães is a senior advisor at Flint Global and a columnist for the New Statesman. The author of Belt and Road, History Has Begun, and The Dawn of Eurasia, he advises some of the world's leading companies on geopolitics and technology.

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