First, I'd like to thank fellow Amazon reviewer S. Swink for suggesting this book in a comment he helpfully attached to my review of "Conjuring Hitler". That tip led me to read the most interesting and informative book I have read in a long time. As there are already 29 reviews, many of them very insightful, I will touch on topics that were not emphasised in the reviews so far. These are topics I've heard a lot about lately, but more by way of heated references than the informed discussion found in "A Century Of War". I will list a few of them.
* "Bretton Woods Agreements" - Engdahl explains the motivations of the Anglo-Americans behind the agreements and the central role of oil, which many discussions don't emphasise enough.
* "The New World Order" - Not a conspiracy theory, but a conspiracy fact. George HW Bush waxed poetic about the NWO until he was advised to tone it down. Rather than misquote the back of the US $1 bill, Engdahl explains what was actually meant by the NWO, at least at the time the term was current in the early 1990s.
* "Bilderberg Group" - Again, not a conspiracy theory. I quote an endnote to Chapter 9:
" 'Saltjöbaden conference' Bilderberg meetings, 11-13 May, 1973. The author obtained an original copy of the official discussion from this meeting. Normally confidential, the document was bought in a Paris used bookstore, apparently coming from the library of a member. "
In this book you will find irrefutable proof that the 1973 OPEC oil price "crisis" was the result of an elitist cabal, with the Bilderberg Group at the centre of the cabal. (And some reviewers complained about the lack of documentation!)
* "Trilateral Commission" - Founded in 1973 by David Rockefeller and Zbigniew Brzezinski, this is a very real and powerful group, indeed. Jimmy Carter, who nominally presided over what was then dubbed the "Trilateral Presidency", was selected by the Trilateraloids. By way of documentation, Engdahl lists the "Founding members of the Trilateral Commission (1973)".
* "Malthusian" - Now also "neo-Malthusian". I didn't understand what this reference to the Rev. Malthus had to do with modern economics until I read this book. Yes, overpopulation is a problem, but you don't solve the problem the way the neo-Malthusians in the IMF do it.
* "PNAC" - The Project for a New American Century, obviously not a conspiracy theory. I didn't actually see anything new about PNAC that isn't available all over the Internet, but Engdahl does weave the neocon policies into the fabric of his discussion.
* The fall of the Shah of Iran and the Russian invasion of Afghanistan. - Perhaps most people have forgotten by now that the US engineered the replacement of the Shah with the Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. It seems that the Shah was not only cutting deals to bypass the Anglo-American Seven Sisters to sell oil, but was also making deals to install nuclear power plants in Iran. (Sound familiar?) This move naturally had the fingerprints of the then National Security advisor Zbigniew Brzezinski all over it. Brzezinski is also defiantly proud of provoking the Russian invasion of Afghanistan, which was perhaps the single most important factor leading to the demise of the USSR.
The second edition of this book (2004) seems to contain many new references, plus an new introduction and final chapter. If you have only read the earlier edition, I suggest getting the newer one. I would eventually like to see a third edition, in line with the changing political situation in the USA, and particularly in view of Engdahl's changed views on the source of oil since the publication of this book. He now subscribes to the a-biotic or abiotic theory, abandoning his prior belief in the peak oil theory mentioned in the final chapter of "A Century Of War".
Apropos the headline of my review, I found Engdahl's references to the "Trilateral Presidency" of Jimmy Carter and Zbigniew Brzezinski's role as one of Carter's primary advisors particularly timely. As the neocons are gradually exiting from central roles in government, control behind the scenes is inevitably shifting, perhaps back to a more left-of-centre public face. Zbigniew Brzezinski has re-surfaced lately as a darling of the Left due to his opposition to the neocon policy in the Middle East and his role as the primary foreign policy controller of Barak Obama. This book as helped convince me that Brzezinski's presence in this milieu is probably not a good sign.
I recommend keeping up with the latest articles by Mr Engdahl, which are easily found on the Internet. He now has his own website which you can easily find.
I also recommend some books that cover some of the topics in "A Century Of War" in more detail.
For a detailed look at the Anglo-American machinations against Germany after WW 1:
Conjuring Hitler: How Britain And America Made the Third Reich
What's so bad about the IMF? and details of the financial deal between the USA and Saudi Arabia in the mid-1970s:
Confessions of an Economic Hit Man
Much on the US military empire:
Nemesis: The Last Days of the American Republic (American Empire Project)
There was a problem loading your book clubs. Please try again.
Not in a club? Learn more
Join or create book clubs
Choose books together
Track your books
Bring your club to Amazon Book Clubs, start a new book club and invite your friends to join, or find a club that’s right for you for free.
Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.
Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.
Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.
Book recommendations, author interviews, editors' picks, and more. Read it now.
Customers who viewed this item also viewed
Page 1 of 1 Start overPage 1 of 1
