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Why America Fascinates and Infuriates the World“How different the world might be if the American people knew all the things their media keep from them! Less superficial and jingoistic coverage of foreign affairs would help Americans understand why their country's reputation overseas is so uneven.” - Mark Hertsgaard, in The Eagle's Shadow
The Eagle's Shadow provides a thought-provoking (and, in my opinion, even-handed) look at how American foreign policy affects people across the globe. Unlike several other recent writers to explore the subject, veteran author and world traveler Mark Hertsgaard avoids hyperbole. His analysis is based on actual interviews and exchanges with foreigners; in 2001, Hertsgaard spent six months in fifteen countries with the goal of exploring foreigners' perceptions of the United States. What he found was a mixture of admiration and resentment. Foreigners, it seems, are fascinated and at times envious of American freedoms and wealth yet simultaneously dismayed by America's behavior in the international community. Non-Americans often cannot believe how little the United States understands of its impact on the rest of the world - and are further perplexed by the lack of attention the problem is given by American citizens and media. While reading Hertsgaard's book, I found myself nodding in agreement, often recounting similar encounters and conversations of my own. Many Americans have difficulty understanding that foreigners can simultaneously love freedom (and American ideals) and dislike many of the country's foreign policy practices. Yet this is often very much the case. I sometimes cringe when I hear Americans talking about how certain foreigners "hate freedom." Very few people hate freedom, it seems. What they hate is hypocrisy, arrogance, and ignorance. The United States, as the world's only superpower, has large shoes to fill. It will never make everyone happy; there are certain dilemmas without clear and present answers. Yet America could be doing so much more to understand (and improve) its impact on and standing in the world. We can and must do better. Perhaps as well as any book I've read, The Eagle's Shadow provides a well-reasoned and objective look at perceptions of America across the globe. The issue the book examines is the same one that provoked creation of this site. For those curious about the root causes of terrorist attacks against the United States, for those concerned about how America impacts the world for better and worse, this book should not be missed. << Find this Book on Amazon.com >>
| ![[Book Cover Page: The Eagle's Shadow]](images/books/the-eagles-shadow.jpg "The Eagle's Shadow")