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This Is Not Who We Are
This Is Not Who We Are 9781009203449: Shore: Jacket: C
Zachary Shore is Professor “What would we see if we held a mirror to America? Zachary Shore of History at the Naval uses key moments in history to find out. He examines the country at Postgraduate School, Senior its best—and its worst, exploring the roots of both smart and senseless Fellow at UC Berkeley’s decisions. In the process, he points us toward who we really are.” Institute of European Studies, DAYNA BARNES, National Defense University and author of Architects of and a National Security Occupation: American Experts and the Planning for Postwar Japan Visiting Fellow at Stanford’s Hoover Institution. He is the “In this elegantly narrated tale, Zachary Shore weaves together a rich tapestry of heroes and villains, some of whom often switch roles. author of five previous books, That alone would make for fascinating reading, but the surprises including Blunder: Why Smart that Shore reveals do more than entertain. They spotlight the moral People Make Bad Decisions quandaries that plagued Americans as their wartime thirst for and A Sense of the Enemy: vengeance wrestled with their loftier ideals.” The High-Stakes History of ADAM HOCHSCHILD, author of To End All Wars: Reading Your Rival’s Mind. A Story of Loyalty and Rebellion, 1914-1918 “As America emerges from the traumas of recent years, it will be important to restore confidence in our common identity and strengthen our social fabric. Zachary Shore’s This Is Not Who We Are has arrived just in time to foster thoughtful introspection and meaningful discussion of how our past can help us to understand the present and build a better future.”
H. R. MCMASTER, former US National Security Advisor and author of Battlegrounds and Dereliction of Duty
“By examining several difficult decisions made during the World War II, Zachary Shore’s thoughtful and original book sheds new light not only on wartime policymaking, but also on the deep moral conflicts at the core of Americans’ aspirations and experience.”
JAMES SHEEHAN, Professor Emeritus of History, Stanford University
Zachary Shore
AMERICAN HISTORY / 20TH CENTURY WAR AND CONFLICT
What kind of country is America? Zachary Shore tackles this polarizing question UK £25.00 US $27.95 by spotlighting some of the most morally muddled matters of WWII. Should Printed in the United Kingdom Designed by Dani Leigh Design Cover illustration: Image of the eagle courtesy CAD $31.95 Japanese Americans be moved from the west coast to prevent sabotage? of Daniel Hernanz Ramos/Moment/Getty Images. Should the German people be made to starve as punishment for launching the war? Should America drop atomic bombs to break Japan’s will to fight? Surprisingly, despite wartime anger, most Americans and key officials favored mercy over revenge, yet a minority managed to push their punitive policies through. After the war, by feeding the hungry, rebuilding Western Europe and Japan, and airlifting supplies to a blockaded Berlin, America strove to restore the country’s humanity, transforming its image in the eyes of the world. A compelling story of the struggle over racism and revenge, This Is Not Who We Are asks crucial questions about the nation’s most agonizing divides.
SHORE THIS IS NOT WHO WE ARE ZACHARY SHORE
America’s Struggle Between VENGEANCE and VIRTUE
UK publication January 2023 US publication January 2023
348 pages 9781009203449 Hardback
£25.00 | $27.95 USD | $31.95 CAD
Zachary Shore is Professor of History at the Naval Postgraduate School, Senior Fellow at UC Berkeley’s Institute of European Studies, and a National Security Visiting Fellow at Stanford’s Hoover Institution. He is the author of five previous books, including Blunder: Why Smart People Make Bad Decisions and A Sense of the Enemy: The High-Stakes History of Reading Your Rival’s Mind.
Advance praise
‘In this elegantly narrated tale, Zachary Shore weaves together a rich tapestry of heroes and villains, some of whom often switch roles...the surprises that Shore reveals do more than entertain. They spotlight the moral quandaries that plagued Americans as their wartime thirst for vengeance wrestled with their loftier ideals.’ Adam Hochschild, author of To End All Wars
‘Zachary Shore’s This Is Not Who We Are has arrived just in time to foster thoughtful introspection and meaningful discussion of how our past can help us to understand the present and build a better future.’ H. R. McMaster, former US National Security Advisor and author of Battlegrounds and Dereliction of Duty
‘Full of fascinating historical tidbits and sharp character sketches...this is a potent survey of America’s ongoing battle to live up to its ideals.’ Publishers Weekly
At a glance
• Asks why America treated its enemies so cruelly throughout WWII, despite public and government support for mercy • Suggests that America’s wartime acts resulted less from racism than revenge • Offers a fresh perspective into wellknown characters in US history • Presents the interconnections of each vengeful and virtuous act • Reveals how Americans came together to rebuild a shattered world
