From the Book - Fiftieth anniversary edition.
Introduction: History and the transcendence of the tragic
The transformation of the expansionist outlook
The crisis of the 1890s and the turn to imperialism
The imperialism of idealism
The rising tide of revolution
The legend of isolationism
A great debate over the tactics of empire
The internationalization of business
The war for the American frontier
The nightmare of Depression and the vision of omnipotence
Roosevelt and Stalin confront the dilemmas of victory
The open door policy and the onset of the Cold War
A new vision of omnipotence and a misreading of history prompt the United States to overplay its hand
The diplomacy of the vicious circle
The impotence of nuclear supremacy
The terrifying momentum toward disaster
Conclusion: The wisdom of an open door for revolutions
Afterword: Tragedy renewed / by Andrew J. Bacevich.
