New York Times best-selling author and Emmy Award–winning news anchor Chris Hayes argues that there are really two Americas: a Colony and a Nation.America likes to tell itself that it inhabits a postracial world; yet nearly every empirical measure―wealth; unemployment; incarceration; school segregation―reveals that racial inequality has barely improved since 1968; when Richard Nixon became our first “law and order†president. With the clarity and originality that distinguished his prescient bestseller; Twilight of the Elites; Chris Hayes upends our national conversation on policing and democracy in a book of wide-ranging historical; social; and political analysis.Hayes contends our country has fractured in two: the Colony and the Nation. In the Nation; we venerate the law. In the Colony; we obsess over order; fear trumps civil rights; and aggressive policing resembles occupation. A Colony in a Nation explains how a country founded on justice now looks like something uncomfortably close to a police state. How and why did Americans build a system where conditions in Ferguson and West Baltimore mirror those that sparked the American Revolution?A Colony in a Nation examines the surge in crime that began in the 1960s and peaked in the 1990s; and the unprecedented decline that followed. Drawing on close-hand reporting at flashpoints of racial conflict; as well as deeply personal experiences with policing; Hayes explores cultural touchstones; from the influential “broken windows†theory to the “squeegee men†of late-1980s Manhattan; to show how fear causes us to make dangerous and unfortunate choices; both in our society and at the personal level. With great empathy; he seeks to understand the challenges of policing communities haunted by the omnipresent threat of guns. Most important; he shows that a more democratic and sympathetic justice system already exists―in a place we least suspect.A Colony in a Nation is an essential book―searing and insightful―that will reframe our thinking about law and order in the years to come.
#842600 in Books 2012-10-15Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.60 x 1.20 x 6.60l; 1.54 #File Name: 0393071642368 pages
Review
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. Commands Your AttentionBy W. C. HAKEThis was an enjoyable read. The prose flows nicely with a proper amount of detail included but not too much to bog down the flow. There are plenty of the main character's observations to pull you into the story. This is a very fair study of one man's career in the British Navy from the late 18th Century into the 19th. If the author had any prejudices; they are not apparent in his treatment of all concerned. A very well balanced presentation. Not only is Pellew's life and family explored; but we get insights into what it was like to be in the British Service in that period along with tactics and use of weaponry. It is not an overly long read either and breezes along nicely. There is something here for just about everyone.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Uncovering Britain's Greatest Frigate CaptainBy PaulThis is a good book. I had no knowledge of Edward Pellew until I discovered this work.While he was a contemporary of Lord Nelson; all admirals of that time were in the shadows as far as fame and the adoration of a grateful nation; inspired by Nelson's victories and overcome with grief when he died at the conclusion of the fleet action at Trafalgar. While Pellew did receive recognition from important people; including the King; he did take a back seat when it came to Nelson. One of the most interesting observations for me is that while Nelson lost an arm; an eye; and eventually his life; Pellew throughout numerous actions and peril while commanding from the quarterdeck; served for decades without serious injury. He was charmed in that respect.Pellew is most interesting because he came from nothing. His father died when he was young and he went to sea around age 14 and for fifty years worked his way up through personal bravery; daring; great physical strength and the qualities of a true officer and gentleman. And while he came from nothing; he made a fortune in prize money over his lifetime. A daring commander could enrich himself and his crew if able to take ships and receive the monetary reward based upon the value of the cargo. Pellew had his critics regarding all of this. My take was that some people just can't stand to see a man do well for himself.Taylor takes us through his long life and his many accomplishments and does show his lesser qualities; He was devoted to his family and was shameless at nepotism; and while an intelligent man; he never quite achieved political success with the Admiralty because he lacked early on important political backing and did not understand his position in the pecking order of the British Navy; which was; at that time; a very complex and snooty affair.His last naval action in August of 1816 with the bombardment of Algiers was nothing short of brilliance and he was able to free over one thousand slaves from various countries that had been captured by the Dey; who was held up in a highly fortified harbor with immense forts and cannons.It would take far to long to summarize every action of his long life and naval career; and I leave that alone for the reader to find out; but the book is good and the real life Jack Aubrey is a fascinating subject.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Must-read for Aubrey fans; good history for all othersBy Douglas BrownVery well-researched biography of the sea captain who was the primary inspiration for Captain Jack Aubrey (the Master and Commander series). Although his life was filled with them; there are not a lot of Aubrey- or Hornblower-style battle scenes in it; one of the disadvantages of true non-fiction. Nonetheless; the book gives a very good feel of the Naval culture of the Napoleonic era. Now if you are a Jack Aubrey fan; this book is a must-read. One niggle with the book itself is that in several of the anecdotes are brought up several times in different sections.
