My thanks to both NetGalley and the publisher Public Affairs for an advanced copy of this history on the United States and it control over the Western Hemisphere, the many failures this lead to and how history keeps on repeating itself.

I remember in school learning about the Monroe Doctrine and the entirety of the western hemisphere being America's sphere of influence. What was never real taught us was all the times that American intervened in numerous countries within that sphere, way before America started taking an interest in the rest of the world after World War II. The oceans that separated Europe and Asia from America were always the first defense we had both from invasion, and from Europe making toeholds here. The Americas were a draw for Europe, there was a lot of money to be made in the countries and islands of the Americas. Giant canals to be built, minerals to be extracted, trees and more. As the United States began to grow into itself, people in both government and private sectors began to see the money that could be made. And slowly a foreign policy began to take shape, in fits and spurts. We May Dominate the World: Ambition, Anxiety, and the Rise of the American Colossus by writer and lawyer Sean A Mirski is a look at the rise of both American interest in the Western Hemisphere, its desire to keep out other nations, and its increased intervention in many countries, a legacy that continues to this day.

The book begins with America invading Haiti, to stop the chaos that came from another coup attempt. This could be anytime, as Haiti seems to be a particular popular place for intervention, but this was during a very blood coup that left many dead and the people crying for revenge. The book than goes back to the closing days of the American Civil War, with victory at hand, the traitors surrendering at Appomattox, the dead not even counting, General Grant was planning to do something about Mexico. While America was at war with itself, Europe loving the troubles, began to make inroads in the Americas. The United States was getting a little big, so problems internally could only help Europe, especially France in Mexico. After an allied invasion to recover defaulted loans, France supported Maximilian I as proxy leader of Mexico. General Grant, without a lot of permission as the assassination of Lincoln had caused confusion in the government, and many had no idea that troops were even close to Mexico. Using a show of force, some force, and backing rebels against Maximilian General Sheridan was able to help the overthrow of Maximilian, causing years of chaos in Mexico, but denying Europe their proxy leader. Soon more plans were being made some good, some horrible, and history in the western hemisphere would never be the same.

I had thought before reading this that I was familiar with a lot of our actions in countries in this hemisphere, I was really wrong. Mirski is a very good writer, able to write in way that makes everything clear and understandable, without being academic and well exhausting. The research alone must have taken a very long time. Mirski is able to capture both the oddness of many of these characters, the mix of superiority, racism, and stupidity, with the actions taken, and actions that still make the United States unpopular in so many places. Every page has something revelatory, and never drags. A very different view of America and how it started to become imperialist, and how much of a mess people at the time made of things.

Recommended for readers of Latin American history, or for those who like American history with a lot more depth and bigger issues than most of the pop history books that come out. A book that shows where America went wrong in a lot of ways when it came to foreign policy, and the repercussions that still resound today.

A deep dive into US western hemisphere policy from the end of the Civil War to WWII and a little beyond. Mr. Mirski details the successes (not many) and failures (very very many) of the United States enforcing the Monroe Doctrine, Roosevelt Corollary and it’s associated policies. Vivid in detail and in substance I found the book well written but accessible to non scholars like myself who want to learn more about the policies that helped to shape the “American Century” Not matter what “currant jelly” policy the US tried to make stick to the walls of its closest neighbors, Mr Mirski shows that Americas policy makers were ineffective in making their ideals stick as the model for everyone, a policy that still is tried and tried again even today.