---
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title: "From Colony to Superpower: U.S. Foreign Relations since 1776 (Oxford History of the United States)"
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# From Colony to Superpower: U.S. Foreign Relations since 1776 (Oxford History of the United States)

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The Oxford History of the United States is the most respected multi-volume history of our nation in print. The series includes three Pulitzer Prize-winners, a New York Times bestseller, and winners of prestigious Bancroft and Parkman Prizes. From Colony to Superpower is the only thematic volume commissioned for the series. Here George C. Herring uses foreign relations as the lens through which to tell the story of America's dramatic rise from thirteen disparate colonies huddled along the Atlantic coast to the world's greatest superpower. A sweeping account of United States' foreign relations and diplomacy, this magisterial volume documents America's interaction with other peoples and nations of the world. Herring tells a story of stunning successes and sometimes tragic failures, captured in a fast-paced narrative that illuminates the central importance of foreign relations to the existence and survival of the nation, and highlights its ongoing impact on the lives of ordinary citizens. He shows how policymakers defined American interests broadly to include territorial expansion, access to growing markets, and the spread of an "American way" of life. And Herring does all this in a story rich in human drama and filled with epic events. Statesmen such as Benjamin Franklin and Woodrow Wilson and Harry Truman and Dean Acheson played key roles in America's rise to world power. But America's expansion as a nation also owes much to the adventurers and explorers, the sea captains, merchants and captains of industry, the missionaries and diplomats, who discovered or charted new lands, developed new avenues of commerce, and established and defended the nation's interests in foreign lands. From the American Revolution to the fifty-year struggle with communism and conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq, From Colony to Superpower tells the dramatic story of America's emergence as superpower--its birth in revolution, its troubled present, and its uncertain future.

Review: Audicious, opinionated tour de force - This is a monumental synthesis and assessment of U. S. foreign relation from 1776 to the early 21st century. It is an unprecedented American historical decathlon, exploring long forgotten corners of the evolution of U. S. foreign relations and melding these into a cohesive account that is invaluable both for the generalist and the specialist. Professor Herring relies on hundreds of books, both familiar and less known, and an equally broad array of professional journal articles to illustrate long-term continuities in U. S. relations with Latin America, Asia, and elsewhere. Half of this tour de force covers the period from 1776 to 1931, with nearly 500 pages devoted to 1931 up to the present. For this writer, steeped in early editions of Thomas A. Bailey's A DIPOMATIC HISTORY OF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE,I was surprised by the new insights and interpretations presented by Herring. I call his book an American history decathlon because it, with admirable success, interweaves domestic and international considerations into his flowing narrative of U. S. foreign relations. As such, he will distress American history diplomatic and domestic period specialists because of his expansive scope and, at times, outspoken opinions. I am reminded of a World History Association conference nearly twenty years ago, when a member of a panel on 12th century Spain sought to provide an overview assessment of the period. Several 12th century Spain social and religious panelists ignored the validity of this broad overview and focused on their own parochial nitpicking. The same has already occurred with FROM COLONY TO SUPER POWER: U.S. FOREIGN RELATIONS SINCE 1776. I prefer first to applaud the boldness of this delectable historical bouillabaisse before zeroing in on the appropriateness of some of the ingredients. Professor Herring, one of our generation's most distinguished historians, as well David Kennedy, the current general editor of the Oxford History of the United States series, are fully familiar with the ground rules of traditional historians. They chose a bold approach intended to complement the period volumes in this series. The result is a highly readable, well-conceived narrative that provides remarkable insight into both the complexity and consistency of U. S. foreign relations from early days to the present. Herring shines light into many long-forgotten corners that, in Latin America, in regarding American exceptionalism and racism, and in the myth of U. S. isolationism, contribute to a keen appreciation of how the past often is reflected in the present. I doubt that anyone is qualified to assess all of the components of Professor Herring's invaluable compendium. He seems equally topical in his assessments of long-past situations asin his modern-day syntheses. Personally, I have been a student of American history for over two generations and an American history professor for the past 18 years. As a Foreign Service Officer, I enjoyed an insider's view of foreign affairs. As the creator of Moody's Investor Services' international bond and commercial paper credit ratings, I developed a global view of finance and politics. The great bulk of Herring's unique magnus opus rings true. Some, to my mind, do not. I believe that his description of the Mexican-American War would have benefitted from John Eisenhower's SO FAR FROM GOD: THE U. S. WAR WITH MEXICO 1846-1848. Eisenhower's INTERVENTION: THE UNITED STATES' INVOLVEMENT IN THE MEXICAN REVOLUTON: 1913-1917 resents Woodrow Wilson in a less noble light that does Herring. The section of the American empire in the late 19th and early 20th century does not reflect the importance of five key individuals that were so brilliantly described in Warren Zimmermann's FIRST GREAT TRIUMPH: HOW FIVE AMERICANS MADE THEIR COUNTRY A WORLD POWER. Also David McCullough's THE PATH BETWEN THE SEAS, is the definitive account of the Panama Canal saga. I thought that Herring do not give full measure to FDR's difficult domestic situation as he sought to lead America into becoming the arsenal for democracy. I also considered his treatment of Truman overly harsh. While Alonzo L. Hamby's MAN OF THE PEOPLE: A LIFE OF HARRY S. TRUMAN is more judicious than David McCullough's Pulitzer-winning TRUMAN, the latter provides a more favorable account of Truman's actions during a tumultuous time. In a book with hundreds of bold opinions and judgments, every historian would find reason to cavil. However, overall I consider Herring's book a remarkable accomplishment. In less than 1,000 pages he has provided a cohesive, comprehensive account of U. S. foreign relations over more than two centuries. His themes have a credible timbre. They result in an overall appreciation of how U. S. foreign relations have evolved and how this relates to present-day situations from which the generalist and the specialist can richly benefit. I doubt that anyone will again have the guts and competence to undertake such a monumental overview of our global foreign relations as they evolved within a fast-changing domestic America. In my opinion, economics is the primary driving force behind the growth and power of the United States. Initially, a volume, The American Economy by Stuart Bruchey, was included in the projected outline for the Oxford History of the United States. Evidently this did not work out and Professor Bruchey, in 1991, published independently Enterprise: The Dynamic Economy of a Free People. While Professor Herring constantly refers to economics in his history, he includes some stunning economic statistical errors. For example: * On page 127 he states that the War of 1812 cost $158 billion. Does he mean million? * On page 374 he states that the U. S. government gave Nicaragua $3 billion for a naval base and canal rights. The figure was $3 million. * On page 597 he states that the U. S. GNP rocketed from $886 million in 1939 to $135 billion in 1945 (an astonishing increase). While I don't have my library at my Long Island summer home, the GDP for this period rose from $92.2 billion to $223 billion. On balance I believe that Professor Herring has made a remarkable contribution to appreciating the nature of U. S. foreign relations from 1776 to the present. Personally, I will find it invaluable when I teach each of the periods. His overall scope, as well as his many priceless nuggets, renders this an imperative resource for all American historians. Hopefully, some students will discover that the nitty-gritty of American foreign relations is both fascinating and essential to understanding where we came from. Indeed, modern-day policy makers would benefit before they stumble into another Iraq or Afghanistan situation. As Professor Herring wisely concludes "The United States cannot dictate the shape of a new world order, but the way it responds to future foreign policy challenges can help ensure its security and well-being and exert a powerful influence for good or ill."
Review: From Colony to Superpower - Wow! What a well-written, poignant book. George Herring has written the most up to date account of American foreign relations of any book currently on the market. Not surprisingly, this is part of the Oxford History of the United States, that criticized yet powerful (and well received) series on American history. Herrings entry into the OHUS is the only topical book and he does a marvelous job. Other reviews (not those on desertcart) have been critical of Herring saying that he does not offer enough critical insight into his subject and does not have a primary theory to base his study upon. I disagree. Throughout the book he comments on the theme of American exceptionalism (which has been around for at least 30 years) and how Americans have always sought to elevate themselves above the old world and depict the American way of life as superior and beneficial to the rest of the world. Unfortunately, America often finds itself at the mercy of a world that disagrees with its principals, and under the leadership of presidents who don't really have a clear idea of how they would apply American ideals onto an unwilling world. Herring also runs a narrative that includes the good and bad of all of our presidents as they approach foreign affairs. Some eagerly want to work on the international stage while others do so only begrudgingly. Herring's effort is nothing short of remarkable. His lengthy book (over 960 pages of text and a 30+ page bibliographic essay) covers every aspect of our diplomatic history from the early days where nothing assured America's existence, through coalition building during our Civil and world wars, and into the Cold War and post-Cold War years. While there were no new topics for me to learn, there were details that I had never heard of or had realized were happening. Herring obviously has a deep understanding of his subject matter and has the skills of a seasoned professional as he applies the pen to paper. While this book is likely too long to make it a college textbook, there are other books to meet this particular need, it still is worth the effort to plow through its 1000 pages. Historians from all fields will sooner or later need to have an understanding of how America has approached foreign policy during its existence, and this book will more than meet that need. But Herring's writing style is vibrant enough so that the casual reader will also gain much from it. If nothing else, his final paragraph beginning on page 963 summarizes America's role in the present world and will help the reader reconcile ideology and reality in a way that (hopefully) will return America to the center of the world stage and truly play the lead role expected of it.

## Technical Specifications

| Specification | Value |
|---------------|-------|
| Best Sellers Rank | #627,592 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #11 in International Relations (Books) #45 in United States History (Books) #201 in U.S. Revolution & Founding History |
| Customer Reviews | 4.5 out of 5 stars 314 Reviews |

## Images

![From Colony to Superpower: U.S. Foreign Relations since 1776 (Oxford History of the United States) - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81aihl3WSXL.jpg)

## Customer Reviews

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Audicious, opinionated tour de force
*by K***K on July 1, 2010*

This is a monumental synthesis and assessment of U. S. foreign relation from 1776 to the early 21st century. It is an unprecedented American historical decathlon, exploring long forgotten corners of the evolution of U. S. foreign relations and melding these into a cohesive account that is invaluable both for the generalist and the specialist. Professor Herring relies on hundreds of books, both familiar and less known, and an equally broad array of professional journal articles to illustrate long-term continuities in U. S. relations with Latin America, Asia, and elsewhere. Half of this tour de force covers the period from 1776 to 1931, with nearly 500 pages devoted to 1931 up to the present. For this writer, steeped in early editions of Thomas A. Bailey's A DIPOMATIC HISTORY OF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE,I was surprised by the new insights and interpretations presented by Herring. I call his book an American history decathlon because it, with admirable success, interweaves domestic and international considerations into his flowing narrative of U. S. foreign relations. As such, he will distress American history diplomatic and domestic period specialists because of his expansive scope and, at times, outspoken opinions. I am reminded of a World History Association conference nearly twenty years ago, when a member of a panel on 12th century Spain sought to provide an overview assessment of the period. Several 12th century Spain social and religious panelists ignored the validity of this broad overview and focused on their own parochial nitpicking. The same has already occurred with FROM COLONY TO SUPER POWER: U.S. FOREIGN RELATIONS SINCE 1776. I prefer first to applaud the boldness of this delectable historical bouillabaisse before zeroing in on the appropriateness of some of the ingredients. Professor Herring, one of our generation's most distinguished historians, as well David Kennedy, the current general editor of the Oxford History of the United States series, are fully familiar with the ground rules of traditional historians. They chose a bold approach intended to complement the period volumes in this series. The result is a highly readable, well-conceived narrative that provides remarkable insight into both the complexity and consistency of U. S. foreign relations from early days to the present. Herring shines light into many long-forgotten corners that, in Latin America, in regarding American exceptionalism and racism, and in the myth of U. S. isolationism, contribute to a keen appreciation of how the past often is reflected in the present. I doubt that anyone is qualified to assess all of the components of Professor Herring's invaluable compendium. He seems equally topical in his assessments of long-past situations asin his modern-day syntheses. Personally, I have been a student of American history for over two generations and an American history professor for the past 18 years. As a Foreign Service Officer, I enjoyed an insider's view of foreign affairs. As the creator of Moody's Investor Services' international bond and commercial paper credit ratings, I developed a global view of finance and politics. The great bulk of Herring's unique magnus opus rings true. Some, to my mind, do not. I believe that his description of the Mexican-American War would have benefitted from John Eisenhower's SO FAR FROM GOD: THE U. S. WAR WITH MEXICO 1846-1848. Eisenhower's INTERVENTION: THE UNITED STATES' INVOLVEMENT IN THE MEXICAN REVOLUTON: 1913-1917 resents Woodrow Wilson in a less noble light that does Herring. The section of the American empire in the late 19th and early 20th century does not reflect the importance of five key individuals that were so brilliantly described in Warren Zimmermann's FIRST GREAT TRIUMPH: HOW FIVE AMERICANS MADE THEIR COUNTRY A WORLD POWER. Also David McCullough's THE PATH BETWEN THE SEAS, is the definitive account of the Panama Canal saga. I thought that Herring do not give full measure to FDR's difficult domestic situation as he sought to lead America into becoming the arsenal for democracy. I also considered his treatment of Truman overly harsh. While Alonzo L. Hamby's MAN OF THE PEOPLE: A LIFE OF HARRY S. TRUMAN is more judicious than David McCullough's Pulitzer-winning TRUMAN, the latter provides a more favorable account of Truman's actions during a tumultuous time. In a book with hundreds of bold opinions and judgments, every historian would find reason to cavil. However, overall I consider Herring's book a remarkable accomplishment. In less than 1,000 pages he has provided a cohesive, comprehensive account of U. S. foreign relations over more than two centuries. His themes have a credible timbre. They result in an overall appreciation of how U. S. foreign relations have evolved and how this relates to present-day situations from which the generalist and the specialist can richly benefit. I doubt that anyone will again have the guts and competence to undertake such a monumental overview of our global foreign relations as they evolved within a fast-changing domestic America. In my opinion, economics is the primary driving force behind the growth and power of the United States. Initially, a volume, The American Economy by Stuart Bruchey, was included in the projected outline for the Oxford History of the United States. Evidently this did not work out and Professor Bruchey, in 1991, published independently Enterprise: The Dynamic Economy of a Free People. While Professor Herring constantly refers to economics in his history, he includes some stunning economic statistical errors. For example: * On page 127 he states that the War of 1812 cost $158 billion. Does he mean million? * On page 374 he states that the U. S. government gave Nicaragua $3 billion for a naval base and canal rights. The figure was $3 million. * On page 597 he states that the U. S. GNP rocketed from $886 million in 1939 to $135 billion in 1945 (an astonishing increase). While I don't have my library at my Long Island summer home, the GDP for this period rose from $92.2 billion to $223 billion. On balance I believe that Professor Herring has made a remarkable contribution to appreciating the nature of U. S. foreign relations from 1776 to the present. Personally, I will find it invaluable when I teach each of the periods. His overall scope, as well as his many priceless nuggets, renders this an imperative resource for all American historians. Hopefully, some students will discover that the nitty-gritty of American foreign relations is both fascinating and essential to understanding where we came from. Indeed, modern-day policy makers would benefit before they stumble into another Iraq or Afghanistan situation. As Professor Herring wisely concludes "The United States cannot dictate the shape of a new world order, but the way it responds to future foreign policy challenges can help ensure its security and well-being and exert a powerful influence for good or ill."

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ From Colony to Superpower
*by J***R on March 18, 2009*

Wow! What a well-written, poignant book. George Herring has written the most up to date account of American foreign relations of any book currently on the market. Not surprisingly, this is part of the Oxford History of the United States, that criticized yet powerful (and well received) series on American history. Herrings entry into the OHUS is the only topical book and he does a marvelous job. Other reviews (not those on Amazon) have been critical of Herring saying that he does not offer enough critical insight into his subject and does not have a primary theory to base his study upon. I disagree. Throughout the book he comments on the theme of American exceptionalism (which has been around for at least 30 years) and how Americans have always sought to elevate themselves above the old world and depict the American way of life as superior and beneficial to the rest of the world. Unfortunately, America often finds itself at the mercy of a world that disagrees with its principals, and under the leadership of presidents who don't really have a clear idea of how they would apply American ideals onto an unwilling world. Herring also runs a narrative that includes the good and bad of all of our presidents as they approach foreign affairs. Some eagerly want to work on the international stage while others do so only begrudgingly. Herring's effort is nothing short of remarkable. His lengthy book (over 960 pages of text and a 30+ page bibliographic essay) covers every aspect of our diplomatic history from the early days where nothing assured America's existence, through coalition building during our Civil and world wars, and into the Cold War and post-Cold War years. While there were no new topics for me to learn, there were details that I had never heard of or had realized were happening. Herring obviously has a deep understanding of his subject matter and has the skills of a seasoned professional as he applies the pen to paper. While this book is likely too long to make it a college textbook, there are other books to meet this particular need, it still is worth the effort to plow through its 1000 pages. Historians from all fields will sooner or later need to have an understanding of how America has approached foreign policy during its existence, and this book will more than meet that need. But Herring's writing style is vibrant enough so that the casual reader will also gain much from it. If nothing else, his final paragraph beginning on page 963 summarizes America's role in the present world and will help the reader reconcile ideology and reality in a way that (hopefully) will return America to the center of the world stage and truly play the lead role expected of it.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ A outstanding analysis of American foreign policy from the Declaration to today.
*by G***6 on August 2, 2015*

This entry into the Oxford History of the United States focuses its attention on the diplomatic affairs of the nation since its founding in 1776. In doing so, this volume examines US history through the lens of two centuries and more which sets it apart from the other volumes which focus on smaller time spans. I found the book to be interesting as most histories tend to focus on all aspects of eras and denote foreign affairs only as sideshows to domestic events. Herring’s lens placed foreign affairs at the center of attention and showed how they impacted domestic affairs. This was a rather interesting change of pace. Herring is the Alumni Professor of History Emeritus at the University of Kentucky. He has specialized in studying American foreign affairs as a career field and has written several books on the subject. This volume is the culmination of that specialized study. Beginning with Benjamin Franklin and his incredible achievements in France during the American War of Independence right up to the first decade of the 21st century, Herring covers the often mishandled foreign policy of the nation. The thing that struck me the most in reading the book is that Herring seemed to show how there has never been a general US foreign policy. It has always changed depending on the will of the president and political party in control of the federal government. I would think this would be extremely frustrating for other nations who constantly had to adapt to a new president and their desires. If one thing stands out, it is that the nation’s leaders often regulated foreign policy to the backburner in favor of domestic affairs, but soon found out that this approach often failed. Woe to the American president who ignored foreign affairs after WWII. In some cases foreign policy influenced their decision making process far more than they wanted to the point where foreign affairs played a make or break role in their administration’s success in the long term. A prime example of this would be Lyndon Johnson. The conflict in Vietnam sapped his ability to sustain his liberal domestic policy which resulted in conservative assaults upon it that severely crippled the legislation’s ability to live up to its promises. The nation still deals with the effects of that event. In the case of early American presidents, Herring also shows how foreign policy impacted their choices. Jefferson and Madison are often well known for their domestic policies and political idealism, but foreign affairs played such a strong role in their choices that contemporary Americans often felt those administrations were nowhere nearly as successful as modern Americans make them out to be. Herring is extremely critical of the unilateralist policies of George W. Bush and his neo-conservative base. He saw these policies as disastrous which probably reflects the attitudes of the academic community at large during those times as well as the hindsight which has clearly shown unilateralism to have significantly damaged America’s standing in the international community. I thought the book was excellent even without that analysis. While some readers may object to that analysis, the facts bear out Herring’s assessment. Herring supported his interpretations quite well with a great deal of scholarship as borne out by his supporting documentation. He used a rich mixture of primary and secondary sources to develop them. I really liked the book and its set up as working the different eras via chapters. Each one could be read separate from the other which is helpful for instructors who are looking for information on specific time periods. The drawback is this is a big book and the separation can cause readers to set it down for long stretches. All in all I found the book to be a very good study of US foreign policy which has greatly enriched my understanding of the nation’s development over time.

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