Empires apart : a history of American and Russian imperialism by Brian Landers [foreword by Andreas Whittam Smith].

The American road to empire started when the first English settlers landed in Virginia. Simultaneously, the first Russians crossedthe Urals and the two empires that would dominate the twentiethcentury were born. Empires Apart covers the history of the Americans and Russians from the Vikings to the present day. It showsthe two empires developed in parallel as they expanded to thePacific and launched wars against the nations around them. Theyboth developed an imperial 'ideology' that was central to the waythey perceived themselves.

Soon after, the ideology of the Russian Empire also changedwith the advent of Communism. The key argument of this bookis that these changes did not alter the core imperial values of either nation; both Russians and Americans continued to believein their manifest destiny. Corporatist and Communist imperialism changed only the mechanics of empire. Both nations haveshown that they are still willing to use military force and clandestine intrigue to enforce imperial control. Uniquely, Landers showshow the broad sweep of American history follows a consistentpath from the first settlers to the present day and, by comparing this with Russia's imperial path, demonstrates the true nature of American global ambitions. (Publisher's description)

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