| The Imperial Cruise | |
|---|---|
Front cover |
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| Author(s) | James Bradley |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Genre(s) | history non-fiction historical revisionism |
| Publisher | Back Bay Books / Little, Brown and Company |
| Publication date | November 24, 2009[1] |
| Media type | print (hardback & paperback) |
| Pages | 400 pp (paperback) |
| ISBN | ISBN 978-0-316-00895-2 (hardback) / ISBN 978-0316-01400-7 (paperback) |
The Imperial Cruise is a non-fiction book authored by James Bradley pertaining to the history of American political affairs in the Pacific during the presidency of Theodore Roosevelt. The material covers a wide array of details that loosely relate to the largest diplomatic delegation ever sent to Asia in U.S. history.[2] The book asserts that Roosevelt's diplomatic mistakes encouraged Japanese imperialism and indirectly led to the war in the Pacific.[3]
Contents |
The book centers on the diplomatic mission of the SS Manchuria sent by President Theodore Roosevelt in the summer of 1905. On board were some of the highest profile political figures of the time, including William Howard Taft and Alice Roosevelt. After the initial introduction of this voyage, the author explores brief excerpts of history behind American domestic and foreign policy, elaborating on their influence, motivation, and consequences, specifically in regard to American-Japanese, Sino-Japanese, and Russo-Japanese relations.[2]
The Imperial Cruise has received conflicted reviews since its release, enjoying mixed praise from The New York Times,[3] while USA Today calls it useful, but "a bitter pill," expressing disappointment with the "relentlessly sarcastic" tone and lack of ambiguity.[4] Currently, it holds a 2.96/5[5] rating on LibraryThing.