The Forever War - by Nick Bryant (Hardcover)

About the Book

From the author of When America Stopped Being Great, an insightful and urgent assessment of America's past, present and future - as a country which is forever at war with itself.

Book Synopsis

'This is a must read book for all those who love America and want it to be healed.' -- Justin Webb, presenter of the BBC's Today programme and Americast

'Unflinching and insightful.' -- Lyse Doucet, the BBC's Chief International Correspondent

From the author of When America Stopped Being Great, an insightful and urgent reassessment of America's past, present and future - as a country which is forever at war with itself.

The Forever War tells the story of how America's extreme polarization is 250 years in the making, and argues that the roots of its modern-day malaise are to be found in its troubled and unresolved past.

As we approach the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, the American experiment is failing. Division, mistrust and misinformation are now the country's defining characteristics. The storming of the Capitol, the prosecution of Donald Trump and battles over gun rights and abortion raise the spectre of further political violence.

Nick Bryant explains how the hate, divisiveness and paranoia we see today are in fact a core part of America's story. Combining brilliant storytelling, historical research and first-hand reportage, Bryant argues that insurrections, massacres and civil disturbances should sadly not be seen as abnormalities; they are a part of the fabric of the history of America.

Review Quotes

"Bryant writes with the familiarity of a journalist who has spent decades living in the US but also with the outsider's capacity for detachment and irony. This is the must-read book about America for 2024." --Professor Adam Smith, Director of the Rothermere American Institute, University of Oxford

"It's a superb achievement. And as the American people face one of the most crucial elections in their history, nobody with the slightest interest in their future can afford to miss it." --Dominic Sandbrook, author and historian

"America's story rewritten with remarkable authority and affection. Unflinching and insightful. A great achievement." --Lyse Doucet, the BBC's Chief International Correspondent

"Bryant is a genuine rarity, a Brit who understands America." --Washington Post

"Nick Bryant combines wisdom with humour - this is a must-read book for all those who love America and want it to be healed." --Justin Webb, presenter of the BBC's Today programme and Americast

"A must-read book by one of the sharpest observers of American strife. There is a reason presidents read [Nick Bryant] - he is the outsider who observes and writes with clarity and perspective where others see just chaos and confusion." --Robert Moore, ITV foreign correspondent, Twitter/X

"What is going to be regarded as one of the greatest pieces of political analysis regarding American history ever...An outstanding job." --Justin Pereira, Twitter/X

"A sharp study of the endemic battles that have blighted the U.S. throughout its existence. A perceptive look at America's unresolved history. " --Kirkus Reviews

"Read The Forever War. It's well-written and timely." --Counterpunch

"The Forever War is an essential read. Bryant's blend of rigorous reporting and thoughtful analysis makes this book a standout addition to contemporary political literature." --Amazon 5 star review

"Bryant has written an excellent account of how American history informs its present and why history wars, fought by the mobilised ignorant, might mar its future." --Australian Review of Books

"Bryant's work of history is as unflinching as it is accessible." --The Conversation

"An unflinching and accessible history of the US." --Morning Star

"The Forever War is a splendid addition to the Bryant canon. [He] brings a close understanding and familiarity with the United States and its way of being." --Reaction

"[An] important book." --Guardian

"Just brilliant...timely to say the least. Extraordinary...it's enlarged my understanding of America." --Nihal Arthanayake, BBC Radio 5 Live

"The Forever War... is a frigid splash of icy water on the notion of American exceptionalism. Bryant goes back thematically to the founding of our country, its endemic problems many enshrined in our Constitution and never solved." --RichardHowe.com

"Perspicacious... [a] sharply observed and witty dive into American history... Bryant's measured tone and lack of shrillness throughout The Forever War makes it an unalloyed pleasure." --Engelsberg Ideas.com

About the Author

Nick Bryant is the author of When America Stopped Being Great, a book that Joe Biden keeps in the Oval Office. He was formerly one of the BBC's most senior foreign correspondents, with postings in Washington DC, New York, South Asia and Australia. After covering the presidencies of Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama, Donald Trump and Joe Biden, he left the BBC in 2021, and now lives in Sydney with his wife and children. Nick studied history at Cambridge and has a doctorate in American history from Oxford.