Oliver Stone - The Concise Untold History of the United States

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Praise for Oliver Stone and Peter Kuznicks

New York Times bestseller

THE UNTOLD HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES

There is much here to reflect upon. Such a perspective is indispensable.... At stake is whether the United States will choose to be the policeman of a Pax Americana, which is a recipe for disaster, or partner with other nations on the way to a safer, more just and sustainable future.

President Mikhail Gorbachev

A work of courage, wisdom, and compassion [that] will stand the test of time.... A fierce critique and a passionate paean for Stone and Kuznicks native land.

Ambassador Akbar Ahmed, author of The Thistle and the Drone

Finally, a book with the guts to challenge the accepted narrative of recent American history.... This is the Washington didnt really chop down the cherry tree book for our last hundred years.

Bill Maher, New York Times bestselling author of The New New Rules and host of HBOs Real Time

The most important historical narrative of this century.

Martin Sherwin, Pulitzer Prizewinning coauthor of American Prometheus

A brave revisionist study which shatters many foreign policy myths.... Make room on your bookshelf for this compelling leftist primer.

Douglas Brinkley, New York Times bestselling author of The Great Deluge

Howard [Zinn] would have loved this.... Its compulsive reading: brilliant, a masterpiece!

Daniel Ellsberg, national bestselling author of Secrets: A Memoir of Vietnam and the Pentagon Papers

As riveting, eye-opening, and thought-provoking as any history book you will ever read.... Cant recommend it highly enough.

Glenn Greenwald, The Guardian

Richly provocative... invigorating.

Kirkus Reviews

Stone and Kuznick have taken almost everything compelling about the last ninety years of American foreign policy and put it all in one place.

Jon Schwarz, MichaelMoore.com

A phenomenally great book.... Honest history that tears through myths and presents a reality not expected by most Americansand backs it up with well-documented facts.

David Swanson, author of War Is a Lie

This is a must read! This book shakes so many of the assumptions that have anchored U.S. foreign policy.

Bill Fletcher, BlackCommentator.com

Oliver Stone and Peter Kuznick have done what many would consider impossible. They have written a political history of the United States in the 20th Century that tells us exactly how the United States became an empire through conscious decisions, and how the struggle to maintain that empire will go on despite which political party holds office. It is a brilliant survey.

Lloyd C. Gardner, author of The Road to Tahrir Square

A thought-provoking rebuttal to the nationalist myths that are far too often served up as history. Stone and Kuznick remind us that, until Americans have the courage to confront reality, they will remain trapped by their illusions.

Lawrence S. Wittner, author of One World or None: A History of the World Nuclear Disarmament Movement Through 1953

Stone and Kuznick provide a boldly critical view of the most painful aspects of American history. Their perspective on nuclear danger is especially illuminating.

Robert Jay Lifton, author of Thought Reform and the Psychology of Totalism

Stone and Kuznick peel away layers of misleading myth.... Some will be surprised, others angry. Most will understand their nation much better.

Jeff Madrick, author of Taking America

Its time for serious people to confront rather than avoid or attempt to denigrate the profound challenges raised by Stone and Kuznick. They are asking (and answering!) all the right questions.

Gar Alperovitz, author of The Decision to Use the Atomic Bomb

The immense contribution of The Untold History of the United States is to shatter the conventional wisdom, challenging readers to re-conceptualize the American role in the world.... For students of US history, this is an invaluable work.

Carolyn Eisenberg, author of Drawing the Line: The American Decision to Divide Germany, 19441949

A fascinating and provocative work. This courageous and clear-minded account... is a milestone in a surprisingly small genre of books, namely, critical history written of and for the people. It should have the widest possible reading.

Bruce Cumings, author of The Korean War

Beautifully illustrated, well-argued, and compellingly written.

Marilyn Young, author of The Vietnam Wars

One of the most important books of our time. Oliver Stone and Peter Kuznick disabuse us of the popular notion that this country has always been a force for good in the world.

Marjorie Cohn, author of Cowboy Republic: Six Ways the Bush Gang Has Defied the Law

The most comprehensive and incisive critique yet written of American foreign policy since World War II.

Allan Lichtman, author of White Protestant Nation

To our childrenTara, Michael, Sean, Lexie, Sara, and Asmaraand the better world that they and all children deserve.

A project of this scope required the support, assistance, and forbearance of a large number of people. On the film side, wed like to thank the following: Fernando Sulichin for finding the financing and maintaining his composure through difficult times; Rob Wilson and Tara Tremaine were anchors from the beginning, culling archives around the world; Alex Marquez edited on and off through four years and many late nights, aided at various intervals by Elliot Eisman, Alexis Chavez, and Sean Stone; on the aural side, Craig Armstrong, Adam Peters, and Budd Carrand Wylie Stateman; in the administrative grapple, Evan Bates and Suzie Gilbert; and Steven Pines for managing the money out of thin air. Many thanks to Showtime, through two different administrationsDavid Nevins for his insights; and the help of Bryan Lourd, Jeff Jacobs, Simon Green, and Kevin Cooper.

On the book side, we are indebted to Peters colleagues and graduate students in American Universitys History Department. Max Paul Friedman lent his expertise on the history of U.S. foreign policy, reading the entire manuscript with painstaking care, challenging some of our interpretations and saving us from errors both large and small. Because U.S.-Soviet and U.S.-Russian relations figure so prominently in our story, we drew heavily on the expertise of Russian historian Anton Fedyashin, who was always ready to answer questions and check Russian language sources to make sure we got things right. Among Peters other colleagues who responded with generosity to questions regarding their own fields of historical scholarship were professors Mustafa Aksakal, Richard Breitman, Phil Brenner, Ira Klein, Allan Lichtman, Eric Lohr, and Anna Nelson.

Among the graduate students, Eric Singer and Ben Bennett were indispensable. They took vast amounts of time out of their own research and writing to help with a variety of research tasks. Eric was a master at tracking down obscure information that no one else could find. Ben, among his many contributions, took charge of finding the visuals that add such an important dimension to this book. Other current and former Ph.D. students who worked extensively on this project include Rebecca DeWolf, Cindy Gueli, Vincent Intondi, Matt Pembleton, Terumi Rafferty-Osaki, and Jay Weixelbaum. Additional research assistance and fertile leads were provided by Daniel Cipriani, Nguyet Nguyen, David Onkst, Allen Pietrobon, Arie Serota, and Keith Skillin.