'Wry; readable and often astonishing... A provocative and absorbing history of the United States' New York Times The United States denies having dreams of empire. We know America has spread its money; language and culture across the world; but we still think of it as a contained territory; framed by Canada above; Mexico below; and oceans either side. Nothing could be further from the truth. This is the story of the United States outside the United States - from nineteenth-century conquests like Alaska and Puerto Rico to the catalogue of islands; archipelagos and military bases dotted around the globe. Full of surprises and previously forgotten episodes; this fascinating book casts America's history; and its present; in a revealing new light.