A strong 4 stars. I like to think I am somewhat knowledgeable on the wars that America has been involved in, and its foreign policy through out the years. This book was so easy to get lost in, not only was the narrator Adam Barr suited to the book, but the story flowed well and even though it was well researched never felt bogged down with facts. Katz allows Butler to stand out as a person among the multitude of events that are happening, but you also get to see many of the American foreign policy choices, and blunders. He was a man unique in being on the scene of so many momentous events, and was a story worth telling/reading. Readers can come to their own opinion as to the validity of the use of the American troops, but it is nice to hear the voice of one man who was in the middle of a lot of it. Not on the side lines. Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio

*received for free from netgalley for honest review* pretty interesting read, would reread in the future because i enjoy rereading long nonfictions

Thank you NetGalley for the audioarc. This book was fascinating. If you enjoy historical fiction, give this book a chance.

Genre: history, politics

Pub date: 1/18/22 (out now)
In one sentence (from the publisher): A groundbreaking journey tracing America’s forgotten path to global power—and how its legacies shape our world today—told through the extraordinary life of a complicated Marine.

I hadn't heard of Smedley Butler prior to reading the book, and I'm betting this is the case for most Americans of my generation. Butler started his Marine career at age 16, helping drive US colonial ambitions in the Philippines, Haiti, Panama, Nicaragua, and more. The stories of his cruelty towards native populations are horrifying - as author Jonathan Katz follows Butler's path, Butler is referred to as the devil by multiple interviewees. Even more shocking is the fact that Butler came to regret his work - doing a 180 to call himself a gangster and insist that "war is a racket".

This is a strong piece of nonfiction covering US history that has been glossed over due to its brutality. I enjoyed the structure focused on Butler but also covering events more broadly - following one central character gave the book a nice narrative. Katz also discusses the imperialist attitudes of politicians of the times, including Teddy Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson, Herbert Hoover, and FDR. In support of Butler's claim that war is a racket, Katz shows how veterans were abandoned during the Depression and how various titans of industry profited from war and colonization.

I also enjoyed how Katz tied the events of Butler's lifetime to later conflicts in Vietnam and the Middle East, showing how the US continues to repeat its earlier mistakes. I recommend this book to anyone seeking to learn more about the US imperialist past - it covers some of the same themes as How to Hide an Empire and Lies My Teacher Told Me. Both text and audio are enjoyable - narrator Adam Barr has a nice rhythm to his narration that keeps the book from being too dry - it felt like listening to a good podcast!

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and Macmillan Audio for providing text and audio advanced copies in exchange for an honest review.