• The Secret History of the American Empire

  • Economic Hit Men, Jackals, and the Truth about Corporate Corruption
  • By: John Perkins
  • Narrated by: Jonathan Davis
  • Length: 11 hrs and 3 mins
  • 4.1 out of 5 stars (495 ratings)

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The Secret History of the American Empire  By  cover art

The Secret History of the American Empire

By: John Perkins
Narrated by: Jonathan Davis
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Publisher's summary

In his stunning memoir, Confessions of an Economic Hit Man, John Perkins detailed his former role as an "hit man" operating within the international corporate skullduggery of a de facto American Empire. That riveting, behind-the-scenes exposé unfolded like a cinematic blockbuster told through the eyes of a man who once helped shape that empire.

Now, in The Secret History of the American Empire, Perkins zeroes in on hot spots around the world and, drawing on interviews with other hit men, jackals, reporters, and activists, examines the current geopolitical crisis. Instability is the norm; it's clear that the world we've created is dangerous and no longer sustainable. How did we get here? Who's responsible? What good have we done and at what cost? And what can we do to change things for the next generations? Addressing these questions and more, Perkins reveals the secret history behind the events that have created the American Empire.

From the U.S. military in Iraq to infrastructure development in Indonesia, from Peace Corps volunteers in Africa to jackals in Venezuela, Perkins exposes a conspiracy of corruption that has fueled instability and anti-Americanism around the globe. Alarming yet hopeful, this book provides a compassionate plan for reimagining our world.

©2007 John Perkins (P)2007 Penguin Audio, a member of Penguin Group (USA), Inc. All rights reserved.

Critic reviews

"A sweeping, bold assault on the tyranny of corporate globalization, full of drama and adventure, with devastating stories of greed run wild. But Perkins is undaunted, and offers imaginative ideas for a different world." (Howard Zinn, author of A People's History of the United States)

“John Perkins' new book is both an eye-opening expose of global corruption and a fascinating story of adventure and intrigue. This devastating indictment of current economic policies also offers hope by showing the power of the growing movement toward a caring economics worldwide.” (Riane Eisler, author of The Chalice and the Blade and The Real Wealth of Nations)

“Having made a splash with Confessions of an Economic Hit Man, Perkins offers similarly entertaining but disturbing accounts of the American government wreaking havoc around the world in support of American business. In Perkins's view, American presidents willingly comply with their CEO masters, distributing foreign aid to corrupt Third World leaders who keep a share and return the rest to U.S. business for major projects, leaving their nations poor and massively in debt, and requiring more loans and slavish obedience to U.S. policy. If any leader objects, the CIA destabilizes his government, by assassination if necessary.” (Publishers Weekly)

What listeners say about The Secret History of the American Empire

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Excellent - buy it now!

I found this book a fascinating sequel to John Perkins "Confessions of an Economic Hit Man." "Secret History" includes more detailed information about the whys and hows of the urgent need to challenge the drift of modern life. (I liked the reader, too. He did a great job,subtly and miraculously assuming several foreign accents-CORRECTLY!)

Rather than bestsellers on how to manipulate the modern US lifestyle to best achieve Hedon, narcissistic, material comfort and that relegate those who don't aspire to such as "losers," this book deals with the scary side of realness.

Perkins presents fascinating insights into the mentality of other EHM's (many who seem to have sought him out after his first book came out)whose consciences are throbbing. Though Perkins presents some titillating insights into lives of the rich and powerful -like the parts about geishas--it's clear that's never the underlying point. His analysis always comes down on the side of the historical underdog. He also points out how the exploited are not unaware of their plight, and often see the bigger picture faster and clearer than those who are living the privileged life on a daily basis. I like how he included historical anecdotes to connect present with past.

Perkins gives a few suggestions for action that I personally found useful, and have followed up on. I felt hopeless after reading "Confessions." After "Secret History" I realized that powerful men engaged in destructive decision-making will at very least sometimes listen to other men they think they respect, and who may be able to successfully present them with either new perceptions, or with more real assessments of their impact. I think Riane Eisler' new book about broadening the definition of the current concept of "economics" would compliment this book well.

I hope for more from John Perkins! And I hope more like him will write the hidden histories that account for the mess we are in.

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28 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars

Off the deep end

While I enjoy books from authors and topics opposite of my own views, within minutes of starting this book I got the "this guy's supposed personal story sounds like fiction . . . and not very good fiction at that." Conspiracy craziness packaged into a fictional biography. The cap for me was when the author described Che Guevara as a "Argentinian doctor" with interest in helping indigenous people and chose Bolivia as a focus, who happened to have the support of Cuba. Geesh. I can't recall the last time I read something so absurd from an author pedaling a political story. Che was Fidel Castro's right hand man in the Cuban revolution, ran the Cuban jails, torture, and death squads!

The negative impacts of globalization and American domination are important issues with some credible arguments for conservatives like I to consider. But this book only convinced me that maybe the core of this movement really is what I see on the streets outside World Bank meetings . . . spoiled college students and trust fund babies dressing like revolutionaries, smashing windows, and generally acting like fools.

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22 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars

Nothing New

I am not exactly sure why Mr. Perkins found it necessary to write this volume. His Economic Hitman book pretty much covered everything he talked about here. There was a spattering of additions from a couple of outside people, whom are rarely, if ever, identified. There are a couple of extra stories, but if you read/listened to his previous book you are not much surprised by anything offered here.
One tip though, high class Filipino prostitutes in Indonesia are not geisha...they may call themselves geisha, but they are better explained as high class prostitutes. My friends here in Japan were quite confused when I talked to them about that passage.

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13 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars

Interesting but poorly substentiated

As a left leaning liberal, I found this book interesting, there are some truth in the book, such as the negative effect of US agricultural subsidy on African farmers and the length US goes to for national interest, however, the book ran away with accusation with clandestine operations that made James Bonds seem like angels of moderation. I agree with his moral conclusion, but for a academic polemic, it needs more substantiated proof.

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7 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Laws and Sausages

Just started this reading, but Perkins reminds me of the guy in my Politics 101 class long ago, very upset about United Fruit's storied past in Latin America, but who never mentioned the 15 cent bananas, and 10 cent coffee he gobbled up at the lunch hall each day. In the end, he seemed most interested in recounting his family's vacations in Latin America.

In the same way, Perkins manages to make romance out of the a business that is as unsightly as the making laws and sausages. He made his money and had his interesting life as an "EHM", and retires to becomes a labor economist for a profitable hobby. I guess it's not a moral failing to be a hypocritical if you stand up quaking and confessing to America's opinion class at $19.00 per person, or "1 credit", before making your plea that the American middle class (prices, pensions, taxes) pay for fair trade While the EC and Asian economies play catch up for limited resources.

By the way, since some reviewers are splitting hairs: those working girls (Nancy and Mary) in Indonesia were said to be Taiwanese-American, raised in Japanese "foster care" by a Japanese pimp, not "Filipino," as the reviewer asserts. Having worked in Asia, I found it convincing that they called themselves "Geisha". There aren't many fact checkers around the whirlpools. Good thing for Jack too.

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7 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Life-changing

One of the best books I ever listened to, even though it is not about mellifluous prose or any literary devices. It is even better than Confessions of an Economic Hitman. Read this today and get your eyes opened. Once you know what really goes on you can not go back to your illusions.

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5 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

A good read

The first part of the book is basically a rehash of "Confessions.." with a tad more detail. Nonetheless, its a good read and important documentation of our true history.

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5 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars

Last few paragraphs of the book ruined it

"Encourage taxes on externalities? Higher prices for gas, clothes, electricity, etc. as long as the difference pays to right social and evironmental wrongs?"

No thank you, sir. It's not the consumer's duty to right social and environmental wrongs by paying more for goods and utilities.

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

Adorably out of touch

A few dozen "that happened" stories punctuated by endless, endless platitudes. There's nothing of substance here you haven't heard before, elsewhere, or better. At its best, it's nostalgic trip through 90s-era leftism, at its worst, a dull slog through the author's ego that offers nothing timely, relevant, or interesting.

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars

So much left leaning jargon!

There is a lot of interesting information in this book. It seems as though there was only corruption on the right and the left were the heroes, but science has already proVen so much of his environmental points have been debunked. It would have been better to stick to given record of governmental corruption on both sides of the isle.

I will not be buying another book from this author.

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3 people found this helpful