
Purchase
The Fall of an Empire and the Fate of America
Houghton Mifflin
May 2007
On Sale: May 10, 2007
272 pages ISBN: 0618742220 EAN: 9780618742226 Hardcover
Add to Wish List
Non-Fiction
The rise and fall of ancient Rome has been on American minds
from the beginning of our Republic. Today, we focus less on
the Roman Republic than on the Empire that took its place.
Depending on who's doing the talking, the history of Rome
serves either as a triumphal call to action, or a dire
warming of imminent collapse. Esteemed editor and author
Cullen Murphy ventures past the pundits' rhetoric to draw
nuanced lessons about how we might avoid Rome's demise.
Murphy reveals a wide array of similarities between the two
empires: the blinding, insular culture of our capitals; the
debilitating effect of corruption; the paradoxical issue of
borders; and the weakening of the body politic through
various forms of "privatization." Most pressingly, he argues
that we most resemble Rome in the burgeoning corruption of
our government and in our arrogant ignorance of the world
outside--two things that are in our power to change.
Comments
No comments posted.
Registered users may leave comments.
Log in or register now!
|