A revelatory history of expansion, influence and the making of American power.

Historian Daniel Immerwahr exposes a forgotten truth: the United States has always been an empire. From Puerto Rico to Guam, the Philippines to a network of global military bases, How to Hide an Empire uncovers how U.S. territories and influence extend far beyond its 50 states.

Blending archival research with witty storytelling, Immerwahr reveals the surprising ways empire has shaped American politics, culture and identity. Eye-opening and deeply relevant, this book forces readers to reconsider what it means to be "American" - and how power really works in the modern world.

'Wry, readable and often astonishing' New York Times

Daniel Immerwahr is an associate professor of history at Northwestern University and the author of Thinking Small: The United States and the Lure of Community Development, which won the Organization of American Historians' Merle Curti Award. He has written for n+1, Slate, Dissent, and other publications.