At the dawn of the 20th century, the United States was one of the world’s richest, most populous, and most technologically advanced nations. It was also a nation divided along numerous fault lines, with conflicting aspirations and concerns pulling it in different directions. America’s resulting intervention in World War II marked the beginning of a new era for the United States and for the world. In Robert Kagan’s new book, “The Ghost at the Feast: America and the Collapse of World Order, 1900-1941,” Kagan provides “a comprehensive, sweeping history of America’s rise to global superpower — from the Spanish-American War to World War II.” 

On January 13, the Foreign Policy program at Brookings will host a panel discussion on the themes of the book. The conversation will bring together the expertise of Brookings scholars from across the Foreign Policy program and beyond to analyze both the perils of American withdrawal from the world and the price of international responsibility. 

Viewers can submit questions via e-mail to events@brookings.edu or tweet to @BrookingsFP using the hashtag #GhostattheFeast.