Smedley Butler, the Marines, and the Making and Breaking of America's Empire
English language
Published Jan. 23, 2022 by St. Martin's Press.
I didn't really expect the more personal travelogue aspect but thought the stories, both personal and people meet, actually helps illuminated the imperialism of America and one of it's own coming to term with their own actions and believes.
This was a great approach to such a well-documented historical figure who has nevertheless fallen out of recognition, mixing his exploits with the author's journeys to each place in the modern day, and using the fascistic coup plots of the 30's that tried to rope him in as the narrative frame, closing with Reality Winner, January 6, and the Trumpist movement as examples of how much these times resemble those. Now I will go and read "War is a Racket," finally.
Highly recommend this book.
My dad was a marine, and took pride in that fact. I didn't know Much about Butler until I came across his "War is a Racket" speech. This book is a great biography.
It's not really about Butler, though. It's about the imperialism he fought for and then fought against. It's about how the US created a kitty of problems in the name of profit, and how we keep doing that.
an excellent complement to Daniel Immerwhar (who blurbed) how to hide an empire, another book on the making of american imperialism, this time told through the lens of Gen. Smedly Bulter (incredible name) and is turn towards antiwar activism. the travelogue sections of each chapter are not as good and in areas where I had significant knowledge really showed the ack of the authors dephth.
