The End of the Myth

From the Frontier to the Border Wall in the Mind of America

By: Greg Grandin

Narrated by: Eric Pollins

Winner of the 2020 Pulitzer Prize for General Nonfiction

From a Pulitzer Prize finalist, a new and eye-opening interpretation of the meaning of the frontier, from early westward expansion to Trump’s border wall.

Ever since this nation’s inception, the idea of an open and ever-expanding frontier has been central to American identity. Symbolizing a future of endless promise, it was the foundation of the United States’ belief in itself as an exceptional nation - democratic, individualistic, forward-looking. Today, though, America has a new symbol: the border wall.

In The End of the Myth, acclaimed historian Greg Grandin explores the meaning of the frontier throughout the full sweep of US history - from the American Revolution to the War of 1898, the New Deal to the election of 2016. For centuries, he shows, America’s constant expansion - fighting wars and opening markets - served as a “gate of escape”, helping to deflect domestic political and economic conflicts outward. But this deflection meant that the country’s problems, from racism to inequality, were never confronted directly. And now, the combined catastrophe of the 2008 financial meltdown and our unwinnable wars in the Middle East have slammed this gate shut, bringing political passions that had long been directed elsewhere back home.

It is this new reality, Grandin says, that explains the rise of reactionary populism and racist nationalism, the extreme anger and polarization that catapulted Trump to the presidency. The border wall may or may not be built, but it will survive as a rallying point, an allegorical tombstone marking the end of American exceptionalism.

©2019 Greg Grandin (P)2019 Macmillan Audio

"In a world..."

Great book that suffers from poor narration.

Eric Pollins has a great voice for a movie advertisement, but his performance in this audiobook is severely lacking. Phrasing is almost non-existent and it's difficult to tell where one sentence ends and another begins.

Pollins' speech is clear, but incredibly boring. Narration is a performance, created for human consumption. The task is not just to read the words, but to engage the listener.

Pollins' cadence never changes, his inflection is almost always flat and uninteresting. With about four hours left in the book he ever-so-slightly changes words that are quotes or Spanish names. The difference is slight and easy to miss.

history with intellectual fire

Stunningly powerful and convincing and brilliantly written
It shows how the USA has reached it's current weakened cruel state under Trumpism

Brilliant

This what I always thought a nd these events are in a book. I highly recommend this book

The boarder explained

The End of the Myth by Greg Grandin offers a fascinating and insightful framework for understanding the MAGA movement’s anti-immigration ideology, which fuels racism and an almost rabid desire for a physical barriers to prevent immigration. While reading this book, I found it particularly relevant to the current heated debates on X around immigration policy, H1B visas, and whether non-American-born Trump appointees should have any input on these issues given their own immigrant backgrounds.

Grandin begins with the concept of westward expansion, rooted in James Madison’s vision of like-minded communities where ample space would allow for peaceful coexistence. Yet, this vision was fraught with challenges due to the presence of Indigenous peoples, enslaved individuals, Mexicans, and the question of their rights.

Andrew Jackson’s role is pivotal in this narrative. His blatant disregard for Indigenous, slaves and Mexican rights and his rejection of federal government constraints reflected a belief in individual liberties—but only for white Americans. This exclusionary ideology prioritized the rights of white settlers while perpetuating violence and oppression against Indigenous peoples and enslaved individuals. As settlers pushed further westward, these tensions only deepened, with violence and terror employed to enforce expansionist ambitions. A real Blood Meridian.

Grandin argues that the Spanish-American War of 1898 provided a new ideological framework, enabling Southern whites and their former Northern adversaries to unite under a shared vision of American expansion. However, this vision was steeped in Southern racism and bigotry, sustained by wars and systemic oppression of non-white peoples. This enduring ideology, grounded in Jacksonian principles, continued to shape much of American history.

One of the book’s most striking revelations is the persistent failure to address systemic racism, even after the Civil War. Grandin examines Frederick Jackson Turner’s frontier thesis, which suggested that the closing of the American frontier would force the nation to turn inward. This shift began with the New Deal, which created a robust post-WWII economy. Programs like the GI Bill accelerated economic growth but often excluded Black Americans and other marginalized groups, perpetuating racial inequalities.

The book then transitions to the post-Vietnam era and the civil rights movements of the 1960s, which posed a significant challenge to white supremacist ideologies. However, the progress made during this period was short-lived. With Ronald Reagan’s presidency, the nation saw a resurgence of Jacksonian ideals and renewed hostility toward immigrants and racial minorities.

Today, we are witnessing another chapter of this inward-looking, exclusionary American narrative. Grandin skillfully connects the threads of history to illustrate how racism and expansionist ideologies have continuously shaped the nation’s policies and identity. His work is a sobering reminder of how the past remains inextricably woven into the present.

In conclusion, Grandin makes it clear that violence and racism have pooled at the border, serving as the physical and symbolic representation of America’s violent and brutal past. Under Donald Trump, this dark history has been given a new, violent, and horrifyingly renewed life.

One of the best books I’ve ever read

If you really want to understand Trump and the American empire this book is essential

Worth it

This is one I will be coming back to at some point. Worth getting a hard copy as well

The chickens are coming home to roost

This is American history viewed through the lens of expansionism, from the Western frontier to the many wars (military, ideological, economic) the US has fought at home and abroad. The thesis of the book is that seemingly endless expansion allowed the US to shore up the country at critical junctures by projecting outward many of its worst inclinations (violent racism, rampant greed/corruption, right-wing extremism) until relatively recently. Now that the US is contracting in power and influence with no new frontiers left to exploit, quagmires/losses in most wars since Vietnam, and serial economic disasters taking their toll, those historically destructive impulses have nowhere "out there" left to go and are being redirected internally. A sweeping, fascinating, and profoundly unsettling listen. Very highly recommended.

Best material history of American exceptionalism

I deeply appreciated this books commitment to providing a material basis for America’s domestic and later foreign policy. It’s not a book about vibes. The safety valve metaphor (the way expansion continually staved off serious social reform) worked well throughout albeit felt a bit squishy in the contemporary history part in the second half. Great narration to my ears.

I agree with Grandin but...

This book is thoroughly researched and cited. The author's style is engaging with well-written sentences. I learned a lot while listening to it. I recommend listening or reading it. Indeed, I've recommended it to friends and colleagues who share a similar interest in this topic. However , there are a few things that the reader should be aware of.

I share what I call the author's outrage and anger about the historic and contemporary policies and actions of specific groups of Americans. These actions resulted in death, disability, loss of freedom, and loss of livelihood for uncountable millions. I don't doubt the truth that the author reveals.

However, the anger and outrage gets repetitive and ended up numbing me to yet another injustice described in the book. A bit of counterpoint in the form of what was done or is being done to fight back against such injustice on the old and new frontiers. Perhaps some suggestions on how to work toward a better world. Without a bit of hope for improvement, the book is depressing. However, if you do dive into this book and find yourself experiencing this same feeling, push forward and finish the book. This story needs to be heard and understood.

Well done. Deserve the Pulitzer Prize

Excellent book should be on your reading list. Explains a lot of the problems throughout our history pertaining too race. Predicted.l the Trump disastrous rule