George Packer Livres

Richard Holbrooke was one of the most legendary and complicated figures in recent American history. Brilliant, utterly self-absorbed, and possessed of almost inhuman energy and appetites, he was both admired and detested. From his days as a young adviser in Vietnam to his last efforts to end the war in Afghanistan, Holbrooke embodied the postwar American impulse to take the lead on the global stage. His power lay in an utter belief in himself and his idea of a muscular, generous foreign policy. But his sharp elbows and tireless self-promotion ensured that he never rose to the highest levels in government. Holbrooke's story is the story of the rise and fall of America during its era of supremacy, its strength, drive, and sense of possibility, as well as its penchant for overreach and heedless self-confidence.

Named one of the Best Books of 2005 by The New York Times, The Washington Post Book World, The Boston Globe, The Chicago Tribune, The San Francisco Chronicle Book Review, The Los Angeles Times Book Review, The New York Times Book Review, USA Today, Time, and New York magazine. The Assassins’ Gate: America in Iraq recounts how the United States set about changing the history of the Middle East and became ensnared in a guerrilla war in Iraq. It brings to life the people and ideas that created the Bush administration’s war policy and led America to the Assassins’ Gate—the main point of entry into the American zone in Baghdad. The Assassins’ Gate also describes the place of the war in American life: the ideological battles in Washington that led to chaos in Iraq, the ordeal of a fallen soldier’s family, and the political culture of a country too bitterly polarized to realize such a vast and morally complex undertaking. George Packer’s best-selling first-person narrative combines the scope of an epic history with the depth and intimacy of a novel, creating a masterful account of America’s most controversial foreign venture since Vietnam.

The narrative explores the deepening crisis in American democracy, highlighting the stark divides created by significant economic changes over the past thirty years. George Packer skillfully intertwines various stories to illustrate the fragmentation of the social contract, portraying a nation grappling with the challenges faced by both winners and losers in this evolving landscape. His detailed observations and ability to connect complex narratives provide a compelling examination of contemporary America and its search for new directions.

A frequent commentator on literature, language, film and drama throughout his career, Orwell turned increasingly to the critical essay in the 1940s, when his most important experiences were behind him and some of his most incisive criticism lay ahead.

"Portions of this work originally appeared in The Atlantic and The New Yorker"--Copyright page.

George Packer beschreibt, was im Jahre 2020 aus Amerika geworden ist – ein gescheiterter Staat: Corona und gestapelte Särge, Black Lives Matter und George Floyd, der Kampf um Identitäten, eine unfähige Regierung und eine umstrittene Wahl. Vereinigt ist an diesen Staaten nichts mehr. Packer blickt zurück auf die jüngste Geschichte der USA, in der die ganz unterschiedlichen Amerikas immer weiter in Konflikt geraten sind. So sehr, dass das große Experiment der amerikanischen Demokratie vor dem Scheitern steht. Packer spannt in diesem eindringlichen Essay den Bogen von Tocqueville bis Trump und zeigt, wie sehr die Krise der USA auch eine der westlichen Gesellschaften ist. Sein Buch ist ein leidenschaftlicher Text darüber, wie Amerika sich retten kann. Wenn es sich darauf besinnt, was es einmal gewesen ist – ein Land, in dem jeder es schaffen kann. Packers Text über die Demokratie in Amerika ist ein Weckruf.