The American Enemy: The History of French Anti-Americanism
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | 4.23 (511 Votes) |
| Asin | : | 0226723682 |
| Format Type | : | paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 536 Pages |
| Publish Date | : | 2018-02-04 |
| Language | : | English |
DESCRIPTION:
Brilliant scholarship, and a good read Roger had an original idea and executed it perfectly: Rather than engaging in the endless debates pro or con about America, he takes a clue from Nietzschean geneology and traces the origins and historical path of the anti-American discourse in France. This is a refreshing change of pace from the recent controversies, replacing polemic with superb historical and cultural study. This great idea is backed up with wit and good writing, making it already an indepensible book on this topic. Roger's courage and originality have certainly paid off: His book was critically well-received in France--no light feat in nation with a tradition of . "academic study of anti-americanism" according to JC Haskell. It is important to note that this book is written by a Frenchman, but one who is very sympathetic to the US. It is written in an academic style, and at times assumes a knowledge of French history and culture that may be lacking in the American reader. Nevertheless, it is a fascinating study of the subject, particularly the first bits concerning French attitudes during the 18th century about North America's degenerative qualities, and the French sympathy for the Confederacy. Some of the later bits were a bit drawn out, but all in all, very interesting.
The American Enemy is Roger's bestselling and widely acclaimed history of French anti-Americanism, presented here in English translation for the first time.With elegance and good humor, Roger goes back 200 years to unearth the deep roots of this anti-Americanism and trace its changing nature, from the belittling, as Buffon did, of the "savage American" to France's resigned dependency on America for goods and commerce and finally to the fear of America's global domination in light of France's thwarted imperial ambitions. Roger sees French anti-Americanism as barely acquainted with actual fact; rather, anti-Americanism is a cultural pillar for the French, America an idea that the country and its culture have long defined themselves against.Sharon Bowman's fine translation of this magisterial work brings French anti-Americanism into the broad light of day, offering fascinating reading for Americans who care about our image abroad and how it came about.“Mr. Georges-Louis Buffon, an eighteenth-century French scientist, was the first to promote the widespread idea that nature in the New World was deficient; in America, which he had never
While such tidbits are entertaining, the book quickly demonstrates how, during the 20th century, France's anti-American attitudes deepened as the U.S. The translation is very readable, and though Roger's source texts are often unknown in this country, his arguments are persuasive. Part of Roger's analytic technique is uncovering obscure but intriguing historical information—e.g., early anti-American sentiments were based on the supposedly scientific argument that the Americas were filled with poisonous substances and sickly animals. This shift helped create a cultural container for all anti-American feelings including mistrust of Ford's assembly line, moral abhorrence of a growing world economy controlled by the U.S. (Apr.). become a world power, overshadowi