In the heady days after 1945， the authority of the United States was unrivalled and， with the founding of the UN， a new era of international co-operation seemed to have begun。 But seventy-five years later， its influence has already diminished。 The world has now entered a post-American era， argues Michael Pembroke， defined by a flourishing Asia and the ascendancy of China， as much as by the decline of the United States。

This book is a short history of that decline; how high standards and treasured principles were ignored; how idealism was replaced by hubris and moral compromise; and how adherence to the rule of law became selective。 It is also a look into the future – a future dominated by greater Asia and China in particular。 We are in the midst of the third great power shift in modern history – from Europe to America to Asia。

Covering wars in Korea， Vietnam， Iraq and Afghanistan， interventions in Iran， Guatemala and Chile， and a retreat from international engagement with the UN， WHO and， increasingly， trade agreements， Pembroke sketches the history of America’s retreat from universal principles to provide a clear-eyed analysis of the dangers of American exceptionalism。