Friday, November 6, 2026 at 6:30 PM to 9:00 PM
Stories Books & Cafe, Los Angeles
Imperialist Realism explores how Americans have come to accept their global empire not because they believe in its righteousness but because they believe no alternative to U.S. hegemony is possible. What does it feel like to live in a moment in which it is easier to imagine the end of the world than it is to imagine the end of the U.S. Empire? By analyzing the theory and practice of U.S. foreign policy, Imperialist Realism provides theoretical and empirical accounts of modern empire, liberalism, and global affairs. Daniel Bessner is an historian and journalist. He is currently the Anne H.H. and Kenneth B. Pyle Associate Professor in American Foreign Policy in the Henry M. Jackson School of International Studies at the University of Washington. He is the author and editor of numerous books, including Imperialist Realism: Politics and Culture at the End of the American Century (Zero, 2026).