Book Description
The third edition of thispopular text focuses on major events since 2000, including 9/11 and thewar against terrorism, the Iraq War's effect on the UN's relevance, andthe Millennium Development Goals. Thoroughly revised throughout, the textalso has a new chapter on human security issues that encompassesenvironmental concerns and global health. ... Read more

Book Description
In this fresh, thematic text, the authors bring the UN alive from its historical foundations to its expanding role in the post-Cold War arena. Students of all levels will learn what the UN is, how it operates, and what its relationships are with external actors and institutions. Using insights from their practical as well as academic experience with the UN, the authors show how the UN has influenced norms and operations in three key areas--security, human rights, and sustainable development--and provide recommendations for improved UN performance in the future. Well-documented and illustrated, this revised and updated third edition of The United Nations and Changing World Politics is essential to a comprehensive and contemporary understanding of the world's leading intergovernmental organization. The book is divided into three primary themes--international security issues, human rights issues, and development issues. The authors are sympathetic to the UN's mission, and they favor a multilateral approach to addressing regional and international issues and problems. In this new edition, the authors take recent issues such as sustainable development, humanitarian/human rights issues (i.e., women's rights, Kosovo), and security concerns into account. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Great service
The book I received was in great condition and the service was prompt. It was the best price I could find. ... Read more

Book Description
Long before the UN’s mammoth Oil for Food scandal, conservatives were both offended by and suspicious of this supranational organization, which seems to oppose and criticize the United States at every opportunity.

For most of the press, the UN is a beleaguered force for good in the world, one that deserves even more support from the United States (which already pays for 22 percent of its operating budget). But Eric Shawn, a senior correspondent and anchor for Fox News Channel, has aggressively reported on the many transgressions of UN officials for nearly two years.

In The UN Exposed, he uses the Oil for Food scandal as a starting point to expose the organization’s inefficiency, corruption, and extreme anti-American agenda. Shawn reveals, for example:
• how France, Russia, and China were bribed by Saddam’s billions to oppose America
• how the Security Council turned a blind eye to Saddam’s violations for nearly thirteen years
• how UN diplomats and bureaucrats abuse their privileges and waste billions

Many Americans are already disturbed by the UN’s hypocrisy. After reading Shawn’s book, they will have a much better sense of what really goes on behind its closed doors and what America should do to make it work better. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (35)

The book is an attempt to justify a preformulated conclusion
This book is written for people who want their existing political view reinforced, if you want information rather than have episodes that support a given view cherry picked from a mountain of data, look else where.

The book should be really titled the "United States United Nations"
I'm not a big fan of the United Nations to begin with but I find Eric Shawn's book The U.N. Exposed to be less than impressive.The entire book revolves around the "Oil for Food" scandal.Mr. Shawn nit picks the U.N.'s administrative problems like how they hire people (it's not what you know, it's who you know) and that leads to many under qualified individuals.The "U.N. World" as he puts it, creates an aura of rich ambassadors who take advantage of New York's generosity economically and by backstabbing the United States by vetoing resolutions we favor.He goes on to mention U.N. peace keepers that have violated women, how the U.N. funds terrorism, and how they constantly ask the biggest contributor to the U.N. (United States) for more money.I would agree with all that he states but Mr. Shawn really is making a point that the U.N. should really be titled "The United States United Nations."After all, we fund 22 percent of the U.N. budget and 27 percent of the peace keeping operations and billions more in U.N. agencies yet most countries in the U.N. votes against us.The "Oil for Food" scandal can be linked to China, Russia, and France and their role in profiteering from the program.Only the United States and Great Britain (of the five permanent security counsel members) adhered to U.N. polices.Mr. Shawn demands accountability from all U.N. members yet advocates not providing America's share of the financial burden because to him, money is being wasted by a very inefficient institution.The U.N. Exposed is a great book to read about the workings of the U.N. but Mr. Shawn puts too much emphasis on how nations vote against us but isn't that why the United Nations is an independent body?

Fine Report on the Truth of the UN's Shortcommings
The UN is really messing things up in the extreme since the 1990's. Kofi Annan was a total failure and very corrupted, as were many of their endeavors in Africa and Europe.

1. The UN just decided out of the blue (Not blue helmets!) that they were against mercenary groups who have done allot of incredible things for Africa, especially since many are former South African or Rhodesian (Zimbabwe) Soldiers who hunted down ruthless Terrorists and criminal gangs who brutalized places like Sierra Leon, and Rwanda.Then the UN came in and disbanded them, sent in thousands of their guys who failed miserably to do a job that 100 South African Mercs could do, and chaos came back.

2. The UN has been very cushy with many ruthless third world dictators and internationally mocking the USA out of wants for power, jealousy, and control.

3. The UN has placed Cuba and Iran on human rights review counsels, which is an out rage and a joke in the 21s century.

4. The UN has not done their part in the War against Al-Qaeda, and has failed miserably in Iraq making America to do it all alone with only the UK's help.

5. The UN has tried numerous times to break American sovereignty and incite itself as a global super power controlling the world when that was NOT the original goal of the UN.

The UN does have an important role in the world, but today they are really messing things up and need to clean up their act.The UN's role must be rethought out, and reorganized.

Not exactly the most insightful book in the world
A friend avidly against the United Nations recommended Mr. Shawn's work to me, so putting aside my personal affections toward the UN I obliged him and read the book.As implied from the title, it manages to set quite a stage for the UN being the mastermind behind all American mishaps.While the facts were one-sided as expected, they were very sensational and some of the chapters were a bit overly dramatic for my taste.The UN is obviously not the most perfect organization in the world, however, the half truthes and twisted facts are not a fair description of the UN or its place in the world.If you're dead set on reading anti-UN sentiments, I'm sure there are other more reputable works to pursue that provide more insightful arguments towards its cause rather than this sensationalized rubbish.

Great read
The previous reviews summarize the book nicely, to be honest I'm just commenting on the "Little Errors = Big Distortion?". I believe that he was saying the 29 year old wasn't killed, he was apart of the victims/survivors that night. And the 18-21 year olds were the actual deaths from the bombing.

This is an excellent book, but my only comment I will say in addition to what's already been said is that Shawn's minor comments like "of course" or "obviously wrong" at the end of his points are a bit annoying and condescending. Other than that, awesome book!
... Read more

Book Description

Customer Reviews (6)

Underrated
I cannot recommend this book enough. Get it before it disappears from the world! (It was written in 1995)

It is an easy, quick read filled with interesting quirks and quotes from the most important figures in recent history.

It provides a condensed history of crisis, war, leaders and resolutions from 1945 to 1995.

Definitely worth reading, it's the most entertaining way i have come across of learning 50 years of dynamic history.

An interesting book
Stanley Meisler's fascinating book takes us through the history of the United Nations' first fifty years.And the focus is on the UN's incredible series of disasters in international policy.We see nothing about, say, Planned Parenthood or the elimination of smallpox.But we do see U.N. involvement in one war after another.

We see the U.N. mess up as early as 1946, with Iran.Next we see the U.N. fail to defend Israel in 1948 when it was attacked by Arabs.In addition, we see how the United States managed to have its President espouse one policy (recognition of Israel) while its State Department and United Nations representative did the opposite!And we see how a U.N. mediator, Count Bernadotte, did a truly terrible job that would probably have been even worse had be not been assassinated.

The next section is about the Korean War. Even here, the UN failed to accomplish much.And then we read about Suez and Hungary in 1956.Meisler admits that the Soviet suppression of the Hungarians in 1956 "mocked the power of the U.N."I agree.But he then boasts that "settlement of the Suez crisis was one of the most spectacular single achievements of the U.N. during its first fifty years."I disagree about this, and I encourage folks to read what Arthur Herman has said about Suez this year.Herman says that Suez "destroyed the United Nations."He adds "instead of teaching Nasser and his fellow dictators that breaking international law does not pay, Suez taught them that every transgression will be forgotten and forgiven, especially if oil is at stake."This "ushered in a new era of international gangsterism" and "destroyed the moral authority of the world community."I agree with Herman here.And I think that Meisler ought to have mentioned Egypt's closing of the Strait of Tiran to Israeli shipping in 1956, which was significant both then and in 1967.

After this, we see further United Nations misadventures: in the Congo, with the Cuban missile crisis, with Viet Nam, and then the Six Day War, in which the UN peacekeeping force pulled out of the Sinai at once, as soon as it was actually needed.Even Meisler admits that the Six Day War dealt the U.N. a "devastating blow."

After that, Kurt Waldheim, a former member of a cavalry unit of the Sturmabteilung (also known as the Storm Troopers, S.A., or Brownshirts) became the secretary-general of the United Nations.And perhaps it should be no surprise that Yasser Arafat actually was permitted to address the U.N. in 1974 (a major turning point for the U.N. that Meisler does not even mention in this book).Meisler does discuss the infamous "Zionism Is Racism" resolution of 1975, which was finally repealed in 1991. And he does admit that this resolution hurt the U.N. badly (he shows that before this, U.S. public opinion polls generally showed support for the idea that the U.S. should cooperate fully with the U.N. at over 60%, but that after this, that support immediately went below 50%).Nevertheless, I think he still manages to underestimate the significance of this absurd resolution.I think the appointment by Caligula of a horse to the Roman Senate has finally been overshadowed by this gratuitous and cheap act of wickedness.

If a person is willing to commit a disgraceful act of violence in public to steal ten dollars, we'll all realize that this person would be even more eager to do such a thing to steal ten thousand dollars, ten million dollars, or ten billion dollars.I think that the "Zionism Is Racism" resolution is an example of the U.N. being willing to disgrace itself for practically nothing.The fact that it could do such a thing convinces me that it is capable of doing literally anything, no matter how wicked, should it get the opportunity.And that convinces me that the U.N. is dangerous and counterproductive.It also makes me very suspicious of global organizations in general.Some folks say that such organizations will eventually wind up supporting tyranny, with the worst available people rising to the top.And after witnessing the U.N. and its first fifty years, I have to agree.

Meisler does mention the hijacking of the U.N. 1975 Conference on Women by anti-Zionists.But he does not follow this up by explaining the extent to which the General Assembly became obsessed with Israel, passing one absurd resolution against it after another and confirming that the General Assembly had been reduced to an opponent of human rights and a propaganda arm of a terrorist organization.

Oh, there's more in this book, including material about Iraq, Rwanda, and Bosnia.But it is interesting to see that the U.N. has not been helpful in any of these situations.And that brings us to Meisler's conclusions.He quotes Arthur Goldberg as saying that "if the U.N. were junked, we'd have to recreate it tomorrow."I surely do not believe that.I think if one is cured of a serious illness today, the last thing one would want or need to do is fall prey to it tomorrow.And his final words in this book are "the United Nations has served the world nobly and well for fifty years."Well, he wrote these words over ten years ago.But I very strongly disagree with them.I think the U.N. has done far worse than pretty much anyone could have predicted back in 1945.And my advice is simple: outlaw the U.N. and make sure we never try to establish anything like it again.

This book is interesting and informative, so I'm giving it three stars.But I think it vastly overestimates the value of the United Nations.

a good introduction
Meisler writes in an engaging style and with an eye for the telling detail.He often manages to convey the crux of a complex situation in relatively few words.Given the length of the book, it is to be expected that the discussion is thin in places, and, of course, some fairly important elements of UN history are omitted.

I would add that the chapter on the Suez crisis is marred by a glaring lacuna: Meisler fails to mention that along with nationalizing the Suez Canal, Nasser closed off the Strait of Tiran to Israeli shipping.As a result of this omission, Israel's motivations for going along with Anglo-French adventure are left wholly unexplained.(Indeed, the question of what might be in it for Israel was never so much as raised.)Furthermore, when it comes to the war of June 1967, the full significance of Nasser's closing of the Strait on that occasion--i.e. his re-closing in violation of previous agreements--is lost.

Good for "UN 101", but a little thin
Meisler has done an excellent job in introducing the UN to the general public with a format and language that makes it an entertaining and easy read. The most intense crises that the UN faced since its creation after WWII are all here, as are some of the greater personalities like Ralph Bunche and Dag Hammarskjold.

However, the book only briefly discusses the creation of the outlying organizations of the UN family - like UNESCO, UNICEF, and FAO. I find this to be a flaw due to the fact that these are the organizations that the UN is mostly associated with today - and not the major crises of the Cold War and beyond.

But all in all Meisler has done a magnificent job that will deepen your understanding of the UN's origins, mission, potentials, and short-comings.

Essential Reading For Those Interested In World Politics
This book is a gem in terms of the analysis it presents. Its concise easy to read and broken in to parts which allows the reader to examine major events involving the united nations during the last 50 years. It of course deals with the establishment of the UN in 1945 and quickly moves to its first major test in 1948, the construction of a Palestinian settlement involving the Ralph Bunche who following his efforts received the noble peace prise. The reader gets enough information to work out exactly the main players and positions relating to many of the crisis which have faced the organisation since 1945.

The Suez crisis of 1956 and the role of the Dag Hammershold receive particular attention. It explained the establishment of the first peace keeping force to be set up with a mandate agreed by the parties to the conflict. Later under the direction of Secretary General Uthant this force was withdrawn under pressure from the Egyptian Government leading ultimately to the Six-Day war of 1967. This and many other issues like it are examined with a critical eye. The book is not shy on pointing out the failures of the organisation however in doing this one is challenged to consider whether or not we could have afforded to live the last half century without some form of internationally agreed political/security organisation. ... Read more

Book Description
The dramatic unfolding of how, against seemingly hopeless odds at the end of World War II, the most important international organization in the world, the United Nations, came to be.

In Act of Creation, Steven Schlesinger tells a pivotal and little-known story of how Secretary of State Edward Stettinius and the new American President, Harry Truman, picked up the pieces of the shattered campaign initiated by Franklin Roosevelt to create a "United Nations." Using secret agents, financial resources, and their unrivaled position of power, they overcame the intrigues of Stalin, the reservations of wartime allies like Winston Churchill, the discontent of smaller states, and a skeptical press corps to found the United Nations. The author reveals how the UN nearly collapsed several times during the conference over questions of which states should have power, who should be admitted, and how authority should be divided among its branches. By shedding new light on leading participants like John Foster Dulles, John F. Kennedy, Adlai Stevenson, Nelson Rockefeller, and E. B White, Act of Creation provides a fascinating tale of twentieth-century history not to be missed. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

The Birth of the United Nations
This book takes the reader through the San Francisco conference that established the United Nations (UN) and shows how the organization came into being. This is not meant to serve as a history of the UN and it does not take a position on whether it is good or bad. It merely discusses the differences that the nations had in the big power arena and focuses on a couple of the bigger disputes.The decision to add Belarus and Ukraine to the delegation but not Poland is explored as well as what to do with Argentina.The Truman administration inherited a tough war and an even tougher peace. The United Nations framework was built on the Yalta agreements which Truman was not even at.Sttennius and his state department team would be the real victors with the establishment of the UN despite Truman's desire to install a new secretary of state.The book has several areas where the language is unclear and it is hard to follow the authors point but largely it is well done and good analysis. The author knows his subject well and it is an excellent look at how diplomatic history should be done.If you really want to learn about how the UN was started this is the book to use.

would you like to go to the back satge of the UN creation?
If your answer to the title of this review is YES, so you should buy this book. I just got it a few days ago and i can't stop reading it. It's amaizing how the author tells all the story behind the creation of the UN. Specially all the effort of FDR to gather some of the most powerful nations in wartime. If you belive in the values of the united nations, so you would like to know who its fathers are.

Good summary
Schlesinger gives us a good overview of the impetus for and process of creating the UN.There are some interesting, provocative events told in this story, but I finished the book thinking the story could (should) have been more interesting.That said, it was a decent, consistent read--a good case study in "getting to 'yes'".

Praise for a corrupt and greedy world-conqueror
What is missing from American readers is an ability to read between the lines, and a state of denial of where this world is heading.Why do Democrats try to portray the need for the UN?They condition us to think the sky will fall without their "international" support.Did you know that America abandoned China, refusing even to sell them weapons, all the while, they were being taken over by the communists who control china today, and were members of the U.N. while the nationalists China were removed from membership.I think the best thing this country could do is leave the U.N.
Read the book "The Insiders:Architects of the New World Order"for a real education.Or "None Dare Call it Conspiracy."
if can't find here, try ebay.

A Great Book!
I enjoyed this book immensely! It kept my interest from the time you learn of Roosevelt's death to Truman's speech at the inauguration of the United Nations. You learn about some of Roosevelt's thoughts on the need for the UN. Most importantly you learn about the true architects of the UN charter. You learn of the people involved and the opposing viewpoints that shaped the language of the charter. It is not a stuffy book nor a read with big words. It is a down to earth, straight forward review of the UN's beginning.I would recommend this book to anyone with an interest in world politics. ... Read more

Book Description

A comprehensive guide to the world body’s institutions, procedures, policies, specialized agencies, historic personalities, initiatives, and involvement in world affairs, The New United Nations is organized thematically, blending both topical and chronological explanations making reference to current terms and theories. The first book of its kind on the market, it presents the UN in its evolving role in this new era since the Cold War and shows its responsibilities for meeting challenges to the global community. Written in a clear, narrative style, The New United Nations discusses such topics as human rights, the new judicial diplomacy, peacekeeping, state-building, peacemaking, women’s issues, sustainable development, non-governmental actors in the UN process, the environment, disease (particularly HIV/AIDS), the role of world conferences, the global compact, and smart sanctions. An excellent reference and handbook for anyone involved in international relations.

Customer Reviews (1)

Fine History
This book is well written & researched and it is easy to understand.It is appropriate for those who enjoy history and for those who are just taking a class for credit.The only downside is that authors occasionally interject their opinons to make it sound like it is fact.I didn't care for that.At any rate, it is recommended reading. ... Read more

Book Description

This spirited narrative challenges students to think about the meaning of American history. Thoughtful inclusion of the lives of everyday people, cultural diversity, work, and popular culture preserves the text's basic approach to American history as a story of all the American people.

The Seventh Edition maintains the emphasis on the unique social history of the United States and engages students through cutting-edge research and scholarship. New content includes expanded coverage of modern history (post-1945) with discussion of foreign relations, gender analysis, and race and racial relations.

• Chapter-based "Links to the World" connect US history to global events and provide web links for further research while end-of-chapter "Legacies for a People and a Nation" focus on meaningful events or movements relevant to present-day issues or controversies.

Customer Reviews (2)

Heavy on Info, Light on Substance
I teach a U.S. History course for a local college and have utilized this textbook in conjunction with more substantive books that provide deeper assessment and critical analysis of historical events.While this text is good for a survey course, I would not recommend it for a history student who wants to delve into a more nuanced and robust analysis of U.S. History.The tone and pace is what one might expect from a textbook, laborious to read and monotone in prose. One nice aspect is the introduction of controversial topics throughout the text.While the book does not provide an expansive background of the more controversial topics, it does provide a satisfactory introduction that can lead to a more in-depth review from other sources of both primary and secondary nature.

big, big, big , big, big
I am a high school student who just recieved this book for the year. The teacher claims that it is a college level text book, and after a few nights of reading, i agree with him. This stuff is really hard to read. It reads somewhat similarly to a primary source, very wordy with very long sentences. It is very hard to concentrate while reading, so it is vital to take notes while reading. My class and i agree that 10 pages takes about an hour with notes. And it is hard to take notes out too because it is difficult to pick out the most important information. ... Read more

Book Description
This new, updated edition of Basic Facts about the United Nations reflects the multitude of ways in which the United Nations touches the lives of people everywhere. It chronicles the work of the Organization in such areas as peace, development, human rights, humanitarian assistance, disarmament and international law. In describing the work of the United Nations family of organizations, this book provides a comprehensive account of the many challenges before the international community, as well as the joint ongoing efforts to find solutions. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

A Major Undertaking by Mrs. Roosevelt.
The UN founded after the end of WWII is the most important global organization, with fifty-one members in 1945, formed to protect and promote national interests.It had grown to 185 members in 1999.Others like OPEC, NAFTA, NATO, UNESCO, sprang from the original United Nations.

UN's purpose was to promote international peach, security and cooperation among states (as the colonies in Africa, South Africa, other small countried reached state status) and to protect human rights.

Cordell Hull from Tennessee was the pivotal person in charge, wtih Alger Hill close behind.First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt played a major role representing her husband; Gladys Irwin also was a delegate while her husband was a federal judge.I knew there was a Cordell Hull Dam near Nashville, but she showed her pride in working with "your" Cordell Hull.At CWU meetings, she told all newcomers how much it meant to her.

Based in New York City, the headquarters are something to see.It is taller than the World Trade Center was.Except for Switzerland, all states on Earth are members of the UN Interpol, the Inernational Criminal Police Organization.It is truly a globel membership, thanks to the iniative and hard work of Mrs. Roosevelt.Stephen Schlesinger worked at the U. N. in the mid-1990s and relates in his book, "Act of Creation," that Franklin D. Roosevelt had the desire to become the Secretary-General of the UN and would have resigned his presidency to do so at the San Francisco Conference.On April 12, just 13 days before the Conference, FDR died.It fell to Harry Truman to address the UN Conference on opening day.

Alger Hiss was the acting SG and shared the platform with Earl Warren, then Governor of California.The four freedoms espoused were from want and fear, of speech and worship.Archibald MacLeish served as advisor to the U.S. delegation.He and his aide, Adlai Stevenson, dispensed information about UN in radio broadcasts, speeches, forums and meetings (also lectures for NBC radio).Stevenson, from Chicago, was the grandson of Grover Cleveland's Vice President and worked in the State Department.Later, he would run for the President of the United States.

The UN replaced the League of Nations.Roosevelt convinced Winston Churchill the name should be "United Nations."The UN Declaration was signed by representatives from twenty-six nations.The SG had more power than the League whcih was mostly clerical and administrative.Hehad to be a linguist to speak the language of the various nations.

One of the best known Secretary Generals was the legenday Dag Hammamskjold from Sweden who served from 1953-1961.In Linda Fasulo's "An Insider's Guide to the UN" is a photo of Eleanor Roosevelt holding the Universal Declaration of Rights poster in November, 1949, which was replaced later by the Universal Declaration's International Bill of Rights.Dag Hammarskjold died in a plane crash and a beautiful stained glass window by Marc Chagall is at the UN in his memory.At the headquarters in Manhattan, flags of all the members fly from 48th Street to 42nd (191 arranged alphabetically like a grand boulevard).

For twenty years, the unwritten agreement had been tha tthe SG should rotate among regions of the world.Seven have served: Norway, Sweden, Burma, Austria, Peru, Egypt, and Ghana.Fasulo was UN corrospondent and had a weekly NPR report.She explores the founding of UNESCO (UN Educational, Scienfitic, and Cultural Organization) a failure because of favoritism, nepotism, corruption and poor management, like Knox County government's appointing twelve commissioners instead of a special election.On the other side, UNICEF (UN Children's Fund) has lasted and served its purpose successfully.Bureaucracy abounds as in any organization, but the peacekeeping operations supersede all criticism.Different cultures, different opinions.What is good for some is bad for others.You can't please all the people all the time.It's good to remember that manners reflect one's self.

Great book
Detailed books with precise well written information. A must have for who's interested.

Best summary available on the UN
The chief cause of opposition to the United Nations is lack of knowledge about what it is, what it does, what it can do and what it cannot do.If I were to pick one volume to help both supporters and critics understand what the United Nations is, this book would be it. ... Read more

Book Description
Below the surface of public attention, internationalists have been working for decades to build the United Nations into an all-powerful world government. In this carefully documented study, William F. Jasper shows that, with the United Nations, the American people are being offered what amounts to poison disguised as candy. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (15)

Well-Researched & Relevant
This is a very important read for anyone unacquainted with the UN's true agenda. Watching the TV news or reading entertainment masquerading as journalism (Time, Newsweek, U.S. News) will not do this subject justice. In addition, the writing style is engaging and friendly to the general reader. Anyone who reads this book with an open mind will walk away stunned. Jasper has long researched the UN and has been in attendance at many of their functions. His footnotes and documentation are exemplary. I use this book, along with a few others, as a cornerstone source for the Foreign Policy unit lecture notes I give students in my Senior U.S. Government class.

In case you're interested, the others are:
"The Shadows of Power" by James Perloff
"The Costs of War" & "Reassessing the Presidency" by John V. Denson, ED.
"A Republic, Not An Empire" by Patrick J. Buchanan

Given the two unfair reviews below it is incumbent upon me to also point out that one should actually read the book one is reviewing in order to make a positive contribution to the Amazon.com review system. Embarrassing yourself with worthless comments may be thrilling as an excuse to see your name on the internet, but many of us prefer intelligent discourse instead. As the two "reviewers" below pointed out, this book is published by the John Birch Society. Unlike those two "reviewers", however I will not proceed at this point to engage in an ignorant, uninformed attack on that organization. The discredited smears against the John Birch Society are based on intemperate, usually out of context, anti-Eisenhower remarks made by their founder in the 1950s, out of his frustration with the decline of freedom in this once great nation. Are you going to smear the ACLU because their founder specifically declared communism to be their chief goal? Are you going to smear Planned Parenthood because their founders' intentions were to prevent non-whites from overbreeding? The John Birch Society is and always has been comprised of kind, God-fearing, well-intentioned Americans who are genuinely concerned about liberty. Their opposition to the "Civil Rights" racket as well as their clear-eyed view of Nelson Mandela (both alluded to in the two "reviews" below) are evidence of thoughtful, independent analysis, as opposed to politically correct capitulation. To begin your review with, "i(sic) have not read this book...", pretty much says it all.

know where your information is coming from...
i have not read this book, i stumbled across the listing on amazon and looked at it, so i can't actually comment as to the comments. but i want people to realize that the publisher is listed as the john birch society, a very right-wing fringe group that among other things in its history, was against the civil rights movement. look them up on wikipedia or something if you want more information, i just wanted to let people who are not familiar with the jbs know who was responsible for publishing this.

murderous thug
I used to live in Appleton, the hometown of the Bircher's.I picked this book up at a used bookstore, and later resold it about a year ago.What really stood out for me was when Jasper TWICE--without any explanation--called Nelson Mandela a "murderous thug."Take that for what it's worth.read the book for all I care.

junk
Who is this guy?

I spent 20 years covering the UN and never saw this guy....

What needs to be exposed is this phoney and his phoney book....

This guy couldn't tell Kofi Annan from Mr. Coffee....

The UN may be a rip off but so is this book....

Save your money and give it to UNICEF...not this crook.

Beware of the UN
This book, by William F. Jasper, proves beyond a shadow of a doubt the fact that the UN is more than a harmless "debate society."It shows how, since it's founding in 1945, the UN is in fact the foundation of a one world goverment intent to destroy our sovereignty.
In this book Mr. Jasper goes into great detail about how our borders are being erased as our nation is slowly, quietly merged with Mexico and Canada; How our military is being used in an unconstitutional manner to enforce the dictates of the UN; why Supreme Court Justices like Sandra day O'Conner quote from international court decisions rather than base her arguments on the US constitution; how the UN, rather than stop genocide in places like Rawanda and the Congo actually contributed to it and encouraged it!
Whether or not you are conservative, every American should read this book and educate themselves about the UN and what it is doing. ... Read more

Book Description
An authoritative, one-volume treatment of sixty years of history of the United Nations written by distinguished scholars, analysts, and practitioners. Citations and suggested readings contain a wealth of primary and secondary references to the history, politics, and law of the world organization. Between two covers, there is a clear and penetrating examination of the UN's development since 1945 and the challenges that it faces in the twenty-first century. This key reference work also contains appendices of the UN Charter, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and the Stature of the International Court of Justice.This volume is intended to shape the discipline of UN studies, and to establish itself as the essential point of reference for all those working on, in, or around the world organization. It is substantial in scope, containing contributions from over 40 leading scholars and practitioners - writing sometimes controversially, but always authoritatively - on the key topics and debates that define the institution. ... Read more

Book Description
KEY BENFIT: Taking political economy as its organizing theme, Making A Nation offers an intellectual focus to history that is sensitive to the recent innovations in women's history and environmental history. The book focuses on the relationships that shape and define human identity—cultural, diplomatic, race, gender, class and sectional relations— and recognizes the importance of such traditional fields as politics and diplomacy. The reference synthesizes the literature in such as way as to allow readers to see the links between the particular and the general, between large and seemingly abstract forces such as globalization and political struggle and the daily struggles of ordinary men and women.The Combined Volume covers U.S. history in its entirety from its early days in 1450 and moves through colonial outposts, the eighteenth-century world, creating a new nation, liberty and empire, the market revolution, securing democracy, reform and conflict, the manifest destiny, the politics of slavery, a war for union and emancipation, reconstruction, the triumph of industrial capitalism, cultural struggles of industrial America, the politics of industrial society, a global power, a great depression and a new deal, the second World War, the Cold War, the consumer society, the rise and fall of the new liberalism, living with less, the triumph of a new conservatism, and a new America.For historians and others interested in a comprehensive overview of the relationships that shape and define U.S. history. ... Read more

Book Description
After years of paralysis, the 1990s saw an explosion in the number of United Nations field operations around the world.In terms of scope and level of ambition, these interventions went beyond the tried and tested principles of classical UN peacekeeping. Indeed, in some cases - such as Cambodia, Kosovo and East Timor - the UN presence assumed the form of quasi-protectorates designed to steer war-torn and deeply divided societies towards lasting peace. This book examines the UN's performance and assesses the wider impact of 'new interventionism' on international order and the study of international relations.Featuring eight case studies of major UN interventions and an introductory chapter outlining the most important theoretical and political features of the international system which have led to the increased interventionary practices of the UN, this book will appeal to students and researchers in international relations and international organizations. ... Read more

Book Description
NATURE'S NATION examines our consumer-based industrial and urban society, and comments upon the heavy human and environmental price this society exacts. Opie contextualizes the political, economic, social, and cultural development of America within an environmental framework. Students discover the effects that 15th-century European philosophies have on conditions in the New World, the effects of westward expansion on America's environment, and connections between other historical events and environmental conditions. ... Read more

Book Description

Provides supplementary instruction and increases students' chances for academic success by helping them get the most out of their textbooks.

Customer Reviews (6)

Incomplete and Biased
I thought this text presented a very anti-American picture. While America's history includes actions that would draw criticism if weighed against current values, I don't think it is appropriate to apply modern values when judging leaders of our past in a textbook. Additionally, I found the text's use of facts one-sided, as exemplified by the omission of the significant MAGIC transcripts and the part they played in the decision to relocate those of Japanese ancestry from the West Coast during WWII. The only good thing I can say about the text is I found it easy to read.

Be aware of history before speaking out
There is no such thing as a "facts and figures" kind of text book-- all texts books are subjective in what they choose to include and focus on and what they dont...and guess what, "facts and figures" can be made from false or misleading scholarship. The book in which you are being so critical of is written by the top historians in America!!! They have done more research than you could imagine...just because America's past is complicated and full of ugly events doesnt mean telling that story makes them really "left". It is our history and the sooner we own up to it the better off our country will be. Great book and great primary source use for the classroom- loved it!

History
Although I have no knowledge of this book yet.I have to say that History is a cultural study.There are facts and chronological events, but learning and teaching history should relate to the "Why?"

"Hunters will cease to be heroes when lions write history."

An interesting book
I found this book have a different point of view about history. It makes things is more interesting because there is something that doesn't just dreaming about us, Americans.

Maligning fantasy
Although I appreciate the easy reading narrative format, I am incensed about the blatant defamatory rhetoric of the authors against "white Americans" as exploiters of American pioneering. They portray "white Americans" as superhuman, immune from hardship and failure as they waltzed across the western frontier purposely exploiting everyone and everything in their path. In my opinion the authors exhibit a personal vindictiveness against "white Americans".
My understanding has always been that the West was hard won. "White Americans" ventured west searching for a chance to a better life just like any people do today.
The authors ramble on with out any footnotes to historical documents to support their claims. Without reference they contradict themselves from one paragraph to the next.
My greatest worry, this book is being used as a text book to teach students in a required American history course in California universities.
Which way America? ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

whathappenedtomaps?
This American History book is a very good, but not excellentcoverage of the History of the United States. The book istypical entry level college material. Historical information is either very interesting with good detail to boring and vague.Photographs, portraits, paintings, charts, and illustrations are abundant and beautiful helping to keep interest level moving.However, the book rapidly sheds its allure and interest. That is because it fails to deliver on providing enough, interesting and neccessary political and war detail maps associated with important major historical events.

A history book with only a few maps in my opinion can not be recommended.Maps provide important visual political and geographical illustrative information that words alone can not. Previous editions of this textbook included enough maps to statisfy the reader. And the maps are still available, but the reader has to enroll, for additional cost, into an internet online service called " [...]" to access the maps.The textbook is already way overpriced at $96.00 dollars. The textbook is a beautiful hardcover with over 900 pages, but most of the information was compliled 40 years ago with frequent updating editions to the present year. no wonder this adds to why the cost of college education is soaring.

The authors receive commendation for a generally well organized book covering over 400 years of complex historical information. However, as historians they sold out on the students of history by not supplying all the information needed (the maps!).

Even so this history textbook is one of the better ones available. However, if maps are important to you.You will be disappointed. ... Read more

Book Description
The United Nations Development Programme is the central network co-ordinating the work of the United Nations in over 160 developing countries. This book provides the first authoritative and accessible history of the Programme and its predecessors. Based on the findings of hundreds of interviews and archives in more than two dozen countries, Craig Murphy traces the history of the UNDP's organizational structure and mission, its relationship to the multilateral financial institutions, and the development of its doctrines. He argues that the principles on which the UNDP was founded remain as relevant in a world divided by terrorism as they were in the immediate aftermath of the Second World War, as are the fundamental problems that have plagued the Programme from its origin, including the opposition of traditionally isolationist forces in the industrialized world. ... Read more