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Title details for Ark of the Liberties by Ted Widmer - Available

Ark of the Liberties

America and the World

by Ted Widmer
William Hughes
Audiobook
1 of 1 copy available
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1 of 1 copy available

From its earliest beginnings, America has been seen as an icon of liberty with a mission to redeem the world. Often, the ideal fits. But sometimes even our most noble aspirations can be as damaging as they are uplifting. With wit, brilliance, and deep affection, the inimitable Ted Widmer traces America's wondrous history, from the Declaration of Independence to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. He also looks unblinkingly at our less glorious history, from slavery to the occupation of Iraq. This thoughtful, celebratory critique is written in the conviction that if Americans want the world to respect us more, then it will certainly help to know ourselves a little better.

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    June 24, 2008

  • Formats

    • OverDrive Listen audiobook

      • ISBN: 9781483057507
      • File size: 391548 KB
      • Duration: 13:35:43

  • Languages

    • English

  • Reviews

    • AudioFile Magazine
      As Widner reminds us, the United States stands alone among the world's nations because its principles still ring true, even if our government sometimes fails to live up to them. As our role in the world rapidly changes, America's tradition of liberty deserves a second look--especially the times when the concept seemed to conveniently suit the nation's political needs. William Hughes reads the text with straightforward clarity, as flat and clear as a cornfield, bringing to life Widmer's hypotheses about the various times the U.S. has overstepped its bounds. More than mere semantics, ARK is a reminder of how words have real meaning beneath the constant barrage of chatter we are all subjected to. J.S.H. (c) AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine
    • Publisher's Weekly

      May 5, 2008
      Widmer, a Brown University history professor and former Clinton speechwriter, examines the timely question of how the concept of liberty has influenced the development of America and American foreign policy from pre-Revolutionary days to the present. Widmer argues that liberty was part of the New World's allure for centuries, and that the Puritans' quest for religious freedom led directly to the peculiarly American concept of liberty that he says “was essential to America's modern greatness.” While acknowledging many foreign policy fiascos inconsistent with his thesis—including the Mexican-American war, the CIA's destabilization of various Latin American governments and the war in Vietnam—Widmer argues that overall, American actions have been instrumental in furthering liberty, both nationally and internationally. He places Lincoln's performance during the Civil War, Woodrow Wilson's League of Nations, FDR's leadership during WWII, the Marshall Plan and Kennedy's inspirational Pax Americana on the liberty side of the ledger. The Iraq War is addressed only in a scathing epilogue. Widmer offers a critical, informative and ambitious study that honors the best American impulses without ignoring the times the country has fallen from grace.

    • Publisher's Weekly

      August 25, 2008
      From the colonial period through our current age, Widmer traces the legacy of American liberty with all its respect, contradictions and misapplications. His narrative explains the significance of the U.S.’s fall from international popularity in the last decade. Widmer’s admiration for his country doesn’t prevent him from recognizing its faults and, at times, the country’s inability to hold true to the ark of liberty set forth in the national narrative. Widmer’s writing is wonderfully nuanced, extrapolating large ideas and themes from the smallest of actions and symbols. William Hughes’s narration doesn’t do the book justice. His delivery lacks that subtlety, specificity and energy that Widmer’s impressive and witty text needs. A Hill & Wang hardcover (reviewed online).

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

subjects

Languages

  • English

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