American Rule

How a Nation Conquered the World but Failed Its People

By: Jared Yates Sexton

Narrated by: MacLeod Andrews

From writer and political analyst Jared Yates Sexton comes an eye-opening journey through American history that unearths and debunks the myths we've always told ourselves.

Recent years have brought a reckoning in America. As rampant political corruption, stark inequality, and violent bigotry have come to the fore, many have faced two vital questions: How did we get here? And how do we move forward?

An honest look at the past - and how it’s been covered up - is the only way to find the answers. Americans in power have abused and subjugated others since the nation’s very beginning, and myths of America’s unique goodness have both enabled that injustice and buried the truth for generations. In American Rule, Jared Yates Sexton blends deep research with stunning storytelling, digging into each era of growth and change that led us here - and laying bare the foundational myths at the heart of the American imagination.

Stirring, unequivocal, and impossible to pause, American Rule tells the truth about what this nation has always been - and challenges us to forge a new path.

©2020 Jared Yates Sexton (P)2020 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

“Sexton, a professor of creative writing at Georgia Southern University, exposes the myth of American exceptionalism in this searing account.... Sexton’s survey of American political history is taut and tart.... An unflinching and well-crafted takedown of the nationalist rhetoric that fueled Trump’s rise.”(Publishers Weekly)

"Sexton continues to serve as a historical myth buster, tackling the belief of America as a fair and just government of the people, and portraying instead a broken system built by and for white elites.... Sexton is effective at drawing parallels between contemporary politics and historic events.... Recommended primarily for those concerned by the tone and direction of American politics and seeking a better understanding of the question on which the book is framed: ‘How did we get here?'" (Library Journal)

“A ‘chronicle of oppression’ that makes a rousing counter to the usual celebratory narratives of the American past.” (Kirkus Reviews)

Historical truth we need to hear

I loved every chapter from our past to our present. Every American needs to listen to this book to understand how we got here and how we can rise to be the democracy we thought we were, but always failed to be.

The behind-the-scenes information on the forming of the constitution.

I have a basic knowledge of the history of the United States. The information included was the type of information they don’t mention in the history books. I had an idea of some of the things which go on, but it is good to know the specifics.

The inconvenient truth

The inconvenient truth that Americans need to acknowledge. I love the timeline laid out and the historical capture that brings the totality of the subject into focus.

A Must Read for Everyone

Really opened my mind to understanding the true history of the United States. Frightening but essential reading to start us on a path towards getting better.

Eye-opening, if a bit biased

You can hear the echoes of Trump from the first chapter and the agenda is pretty apparent, but that doesn't mean that the historically accurate letters and essays are false or made up. The narrative is a bit too clean and straight forward for a perfectly true history, but the insights are still valuable. Coming from a White American Evangelical background, the history lesson was helpful and necessary.

Very informative book

everyone should read this book . it's a great overview of our history and why were in such bad shape right now as a nation . Also remember to vote in 2022 and 2024.

A Must Read

Everyone I know must read this book and offer it to others urgently until real civics is again taught in school.

Summing up of Exceptionalism Fantasies

One of the best books to summarize Americas falsities up up to 2021. He listed the realities of America, showing our history as it actually was, without glossing over the mistakes that we have made so we create a government and society that truly serves and protects everyone.

absolutely excellent

more than angrifying, but essential for understanding. highly recommended listening for anyone who wants to learn more about how we ended up here.

Future Required Reading

American Rule is (at the time of writing this) the latest from literary critical thinker Jared Yates Sexton.

If you, like many of us, have been thinking “how did we get here,” this book will hopefully help you understand the problematic nature of that question in and of itself. The truth, once you peel back the veneer of the American myth we have all been steeped in (in major and minor ways) our whole lives, is that we always have been.

The best part about this book and this author, is you can trust all of the fingers are pointed deliberately in all of the directions. Just read it. I also gained a significant amount of fun facts for dropping knowledge as well, so you could also consider it relevant for all future family gatherings.

Mostly just ingest and digest this book, it deserves it. You won’t be disappointed.