From an acclaimed conservative historian and former military officer, a provocative call for Americans to confront our national crises—and renew our country's promise.

The Limits of Power identifies a profound triple crisis facing America: The economy, in remarkable disarray, can no longer be fixed by relying on expansion abroad; the government, transformed by an imperial presidency, is a democracy in form only; U.S. involvement in endless wars, driven by a deep infatuation with military power, has been a catastrophe for the body politic. These pressing problems threaten all of us, Republicans and Democrats. If the nation is to solve its predicament, it will need the revival of a distinctly American approach: the neglected tradition of realism.

Andrew J. Bacevich (The New American Militarism), a retired U.S. Army colonel uniquely respected across the political spectrum, offers a historical perspective on the illusions that have governed American policy since 1945. The realism he proposes includes respect for power and its limits; sensitivity to unintended consequences; aversion to claims of exceptionalism; skepticism of easy solutions, especially those involving force; and a conviction that the books will have to balance. Only a return to such principles, Bacevich argues, can provide common ground for fixing America’s urgent problems before the damage becomes irreparable.

The Washington Post called The Limits of Power  “a bracing slap of reality . . . chockablock with provocative ideas,” and said the book “ought to be on the reading list of every candidate for national office.” Publishers Weekly praised its “crisp prose, sweeping historical analysis, and searing observations.”