The Case for American Power
Nov 2025 · Sold by Simon and Schuster
Ebook
256
Pages
family_home
Eligible
info
About this ebook
“A clear-eyed assessment of the current global situation. Highly recommended.” —Francis Fukuyama, author of Liberalism and Its Discontents
A provocative case for why a better world is only possible with American power by Washington Post columnist and author of Islamic Exceptionalism Shadi Hamid.
From acclaimed author Shadi Hamid comes an urgent and deeply personal argument for why American dominance, despite its many flaws, remains the world’s best hope. Hamid traces his journey from opposing America’s role in the world to reluctantly embracing it—while grappling with how recent events, from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine to Israel’s devastating war in Gaza, have challenged his convictions.
Drawing on his unique perspective as both an American and a Muslim who came of age in the shadow of the September 11 attacks, Hamid contends with the contradictions of American power: how a nation founded on moral purpose so often fails to live up to its ideals. Hamid confronts head-on America’s failures, from the war in Iraq to support for authoritarian regimes across the Middle East. Yet, he argues that in a world where power is a fact and someone must wield it, the alternative to American leadership isn’t a morally perfect superpower—it’s the brutal authoritarianism of countries like China and Russia.
At once idealistic and pragmatic, this is a book about embracing our power as the only moral option in a world beset by tragedy. Because America is a democracy, it retains the potential to correct past mistakes and change for the better. That part is up to us. Bracing and timely, The Case for American Power is an ambitious work on what may be the most fundamental question facing America today: how should we think about the power we have—while we still have it?
A provocative case for why a better world is only possible with American power by Washington Post columnist and author of Islamic Exceptionalism Shadi Hamid.
From acclaimed author Shadi Hamid comes an urgent and deeply personal argument for why American dominance, despite its many flaws, remains the world’s best hope. Hamid traces his journey from opposing America’s role in the world to reluctantly embracing it—while grappling with how recent events, from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine to Israel’s devastating war in Gaza, have challenged his convictions.
Drawing on his unique perspective as both an American and a Muslim who came of age in the shadow of the September 11 attacks, Hamid contends with the contradictions of American power: how a nation founded on moral purpose so often fails to live up to its ideals. Hamid confronts head-on America’s failures, from the war in Iraq to support for authoritarian regimes across the Middle East. Yet, he argues that in a world where power is a fact and someone must wield it, the alternative to American leadership isn’t a morally perfect superpower—it’s the brutal authoritarianism of countries like China and Russia.
At once idealistic and pragmatic, this is a book about embracing our power as the only moral option in a world beset by tragedy. Because America is a democracy, it retains the potential to correct past mistakes and change for the better. That part is up to us. Bracing and timely, The Case for American Power is an ambitious work on what may be the most fundamental question facing America today: how should we think about the power we have—while we still have it?
“A clear-eyed assessment of the current global situation. Highly recommended.” —Francis Fukuyama, author of Liberalism and Its Discontents
A provocative case for why a better world is only possible with American power by Washington Post columnist and author of Islamic Exceptionalism Shadi Hamid....
Discover more
About the author
Shadi Hamid is a columnist at The Washington Post and a senior fellow at Georgetown University’s Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding. From 2023 to 2024, he served on the Post’s editorial board. Hamid is the author of several books, including The Problem of Democracy and Islamic Exceptionalism, which was shortlisted for the 2017 Lionel Gelber Prize for the best nonfiction book on foreign affairs. In 2019, he was named one of the world’s top fifty thinkers by Prospect magazine. Hamid lives in Washington, DC.
Shadi Hamid is a columnist at The Washington Post and a senior fellow at Georgetown University’s Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding. From 2023 to 2024, he served on the Post’s editorial board. Hamid is the author of several books, including The Problem of Democracy and Islamic Exceptional...
Rate this ebook
Tell us what you think.
Reading information
Smartphones and tablets
Install the Google Play Books app for Android and iPad/iPhone. It syncs automatically with your account and allows you to read online or offline wherever you are.
Laptops and computers
You can listen to audiobooks purchased on Google Play using your computer's web browser.
eReaders and other devices
To read on e-ink devices like Kobo eReaders, you'll need to download a file and transfer it to your device. Follow the detailed Help Center instructions to transfer the files to supported eReaders.
