First Impressions Robert Kaplan's 21st-Century American Travelogue Is Written For The Ruling Elite. This is no traditional history book.
Military action is an apparent exception.
The Civil War changed everything. It was the pivot point to our present. And ever since, American military might has made the world safe for democracy, although it all may amount to a brief shining moment before democracy, too, fades in the inexorable sweep of historical tides. But, our military should keep us from falling over the edge into the terrors of the Millennium. These are just a few of the assumptions you've got to buy not to get angst from reading An Empire Wilderness , author Robert D. Kaplan's latest, wide-ranging, difficult and uneven work.