Did September 11th change everything? Is George W. Bush responsible for America's international isolation? Why did the United States declare 'war on terror', and what does this war mean for the future of the world?

Nicholas Guyatt answers these questions with a sweeping and penetrating study of the United States since the end of the Cold War. In doing so, he reveals the economic, diplomatic and military dimensions of American foreign policy, and investigates what Americans say and believe about their relationship with the rest of the world. A major new chapter discusses September 11th, the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, and the motives and ideas behind America's 'war on terror'.