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America Alone: The End of the World As We Know It | 
 enlarge | Author: Mark Steyn
Publisher: Regnery Publishing
Category: Book
List Price: $16.95
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Avg. Customer Rating:  502 reviews
Sales Rank: 1069
Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 224
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.5
Dimensions (in): 8.9 x 5.8 x 0.5
ISBN: 1596985275
Dewey Decimal Number: 320
EAN: 9781596985278
Publication Date: April 7, 2008
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Product Description
This title is the "New York Times" bestseller - now in paperback. In "America Alone", Mark Steyn uses his trademark wit, clarity of thought and flair for the apocalyptic, Mark Steyn to argue that America is the only hope against Islamic Terrorism. Steyn addresses the singular position in which America finds itself, surrounded by anti-Americanism on all sides. He gives us the brutal facts on these threats and why there is no choice but for America to fight for the cause of freedom - alone.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 497 more reviews...
 "Some light reading for the new Dark Ages" September 25, 2006
994 out of 1057 found this review helpful
At least, that's how he signed my copy. I'd call Mark Steyn's essay the single best distillation of the challenge posed to the West by radical Islam that I have ever read.
Regular readers of Mr. Steyn will not be unfamiliar with his central points:
1) In the ongoing conflict between the West and Islam, both the demographics and the will to power favor the Islamists. That a country like Spain, with a birth rate of 1.15 children per adult women, will extinguish itself in a few generations, while immigrants from countries such as Pakistan (birth rate 4.53) will move in to fill the vacuum.
2) That as an aggressive, unassimilated minority edges closer to a majority (as in France, with an estimated 30% Muslim population in the under 20 age group), the character of the democratic institutions will become more closely aligned with Islamic law and culture.
3) That the post-Christian welfare state is largely to blame for the pessimism and failures of will demonstrated by Europe.
4) That America represents the primary exception to this trend, if only by degree, and that only a concerted effort to save our society stands a chance of reversing these trends.
That's a reasonable prcis of Steyn's book, and he is certainly not unique in either his diagnosis or his prescription for the West. What sets this apart is his writing. The argument is made in a way that is the most engrossing and entertaining presentation of these ideas I've ever read. Steyn, as part of his superhuman writing regimen, is the obituarist for The Atlantic Monthly, and he puts that talent on display. This is not just a description of a set of demographic realities, but a loving, if premature (he hopes), obituary to a dying great culture. It's Steyn's ability to blend humor with the terminal diagnosis that sets him apart.
Take the following, from letting the book fall open at random (pages 60-61), where Steyn weaves together these seemingly disparate ideas: a photo of Lincoln with his future assassin in near proximity, the globalization at the root of a bird flu scare ("Any minute now there would be toxic cockatoos over the white cliffs of Dover, and the East End would be reeling under a blitzkrieg of sneezing parakeets"), the Black Death in Europe in the 1340s, the exportation of radical Islam from the Bedouin to the West, and finally a quote for Dean Martin's old nightclub act. I can't even describe it adequately; Steyn actually pulls it off, brilliantly.
Finally, I'd like to try to approach the book from the opposite direction. Invariably, political book reviews become contentious. It may be apparent that I came to this book predisposed to agree with the thesis, and I would not argue. That said, I think this is one of the rare political books that could be read and enjoyed regardless of personal politics. Dare I say it, but Steyn might even change some minds. Between his inventive turns of phrase, his references to pop culture and classic Americana, and his interesting digressions on topics as diverse as the heyday of French television and European history in the Middle Ages, Steyn offers something for everyone. And that's appropriate. Unlike many political books, this does not seem written to say "I'm right and you're wrong", but rather "we're all in this together".
Important and timely October 18, 2006
252 out of 273 found this review helpful
Mark Steyn, like P.J. O'Rourke, is an extraordinarily insightful and witty communicator who is not only an artist in the tapestry he weaves with words, but who has keen and piercing discernment into one of the most pressing issues of our time: the shockingly rapid and rabid advance of virulent violence in the name of religion.
Thankfully, unlike many lily-livered and wrong-headed authors of today, Steyn does not grant moral equivalency between faiths that promote peace and love, with faiths that promote hatred and terror. Steyn tells it like it is, and focuses on the real, specific threat to us all: the spread of Islamist extremism (differentiated from peace-loving Muslims). This aggressive terror movement quite literally threatens the very existence of Western Civilization and the freedoms of every single person reading this review.
Having been to Europe on several occasions, including recently, I can say that Steyn's observations about the encroaching threat are right on. Recently, French law enforcement officials have gone so far as to call for help, noting that what Islamist extremists and hoodlums are waging against them in France is an actual intifada. The Netherlands, also overwhelmed with angry immigrants who refuse to assimilate, is likewise facing an epic clash of cultures. In the UK, key cities are on the brink of becoming majority Muslim--a frightening percentage of whom believe that terrorism is a viable, moral option.
Could this happen in America? In fact, the seeds have already been planted. If you have been unaware or dismissive of this fact, then you absolutely must get Steyn's book and read it immediately.
This is not a book about partisanship. Whether one is a "conservative" or a "liberal," if you love America; if you love your family; if you love freedom...you owe it to yourself and your loved ones to get informed and get involved.
This is not a book of racism or bigotry. Steyn does not attack an ethnic group or, specifically, those who practice the Muslim faith. In fact, he sheds light on why Islamist extremism is the greatest danger to Muslims in the world today. (It should be noted that more Muslims and Arabs have been killed and persecuted and enslaved by Islamofacism than any other force.)
Some commentators and comedians casually dismiss or minimize the threat that we all face. For those of us who are Baby Boomers and Xers, it is perhaps deeply ingrained into our nature to pooh-pooh any talk of menace or serious threats to our way of life; this faulty mindset is born out of decades of complacency and relative peace. What is looming on the horizon is simply inconceivable to many. But then again, so was Pearl Harbor. And so was 9/11.
For the sake of the world--including moderate Muslims--it is vital that America (and all of the virtues for which it stands) wins in this struggle. It's high time to refute all of the self-loathing America-hating, traitorous professors and pundits here in this country, and the Euro-weenie hand-wringers on foreign shores, who blame the USA for all of the ills on the planet. Say it loud and clear: the USA has been an overwhelmingly postive force for good in this world, and it's survival is crucial for the prosperity of many nations and peoples.
War has been declared and waged against us; we ignore it at our own peril.
Serious, Sober & Funny September 23, 2006
471 out of 531 found this review helpful
Mark Steyn is an astute observer of today's geopolitical scene, especially the rising tide of Muslim fundamentalism in Europe. This is a sober subject with ominous implications for the free world. Yet Steyn consistently leavens his commentaries with razor-sharp wit and trenchant one-liners.
On Russia's abominable 70% abortion rate: "Russian women are voting with their fetuses."
On opinion polls showing 49% of Egyptians believe the Mossad is responsible for a recent terrorist resort-hotel bombing: "Denial is more than a river in Egypt."
How about this anecdote (my favorite): In the fall of 2003, a mass panic swept Sudan. Foreigners were shaking hands with Sudanese men, causing them to lose their masculinity. One merchant reported that a west African entered his store and shook his hand powerfully until he felt his [male organ] melt into his body. "I know the feeling," Steyn writes. "The same thing happened to me when I shook hands with Senator Clinton."
Humor aside, Steyn raises serious questions about the West's willingness to confront virulent Muslim fundamentalism (on display once again with the reaction to Pope Benedict's recent comments) and capacity to prevail in the "long war."
Best Read in Years June 5, 2007
31 out of 31 found this review helpful
This book is not only informative, but as entertaining a read as I've seen in quite some time. You will laugh out loud -- right before you mourn what's happening to our beloved country. For example, he points out how we demand total choice on our cable and satellite dish offerings, but are willing to let the government make our choices for us on far more critical issues such as on raising our children (Connecticut is proposing taxpayer supported universal pre-school -- get 'em while they're young), caring for our inconvenient elderly parents so we won't need to, and soon to assume decisions affecting our very life, should we go to a single payer health care system. If you listened to the last Democratic Presidential debate, we aren't far from that. I can hardly wait until we, too, will be able to wait 6 months for an MRI? Won't it be cool when everyone has affordable medical coverage, but when we need bypass surgery, the government will say to us, "Geez, you're 65. We can't do bypass surgery on old geezers like you, but we'll pay to plop your sorry butt in a nursing home until you do us the favor of expiring." That's no joke -- it happened to my business partner's Canadian father several years back. He has done the system the favor of expiring. Now, that's progress!
Steyn provocatively addresses the issue of political correctness, as it relates to a number of societal issues. He demonstrates how the press has become a tool in keeping us useful idiots "informed." Manipulated would be a better word, in my opinion.
I can only hope we wake up before our very way of life is no longer an option. We are not far from it with Medicare and Social Security on the brink of bankrupting the country, even as politicians devise new ways to spend our hard-earned money to buy votes.
This book should be required reading for every politician, teacher, preacher, and citizen. Steyn is a demographer extraordinaire, and gives us the big picture on precisely how unsustainable social programs, low birth rates, and "feel good" political correctness combine to destroy societies and the common values that bind us together as a nation.
Read it -- you'll love it!
Phenomenal. Buy it right now. October 11, 2006
87 out of 96 found this review helpful
Steyn's latest book is one of about 15 or 20 in the new genre I'll call "WTF Is Happening To The World". Many of the books in this genre (Londonistan, While Europe Slept, Eurabia, all of the Spencer books, etc.) are extremely well written and well researched. Having read all of them, I was kind of wondering what was left to say.
Steyn's book does not present brand-new groundbreaking material, insofar as other authors in the genre discuss similar themes. The world is in serious trouble. Europe is toast. Islam is on the march, energized and confident. Etc. However, Steyn's book is unique in pulling it ALL together. This would be the one to read if you have time (or patience) for just one book on the Islamic threat. Steyn presents a well-reasoned argument that America is basically the last holdout or redoubt of the West, with Europe having basically been taken over, demographically if not yet militarily.
Steyn is, as others have noted here, humorous and witty. However, I find all the reviews of the book as "hilarious" (here and elsewhere) a bit odd, as if we're discussing the new season of South Park. There's nothing hillarious about Steyn's focus, which is, to put it simply, that Islam is conquering the western world by immigrating in, then procreating like rabbits, while entirely failing to integrate and living in separate ghettos, insisting that their new home countries adopt to their religious demands and intolerance, and recently, exerting the influence that comes from having 20-30-40 % of the under-25 population. What is hillarious about that? It's a poor choice of words. Steyn is extremely witty, clever and insightful - that's more than enough without having to present him as the new act on Comedy Central.
There are a lot of people in deep denial about the nature of the Islamic challenge across the world - from the 9/11 Truth morons to the many, many, many people, particularly in Europe but here too, who just want to cave and basically sue for peace rather than engage in this tiring fight for our survival as a culture. Unfortunately, no one book is going to wake these people up from their moral comas. However, Steyn usefully contributes to a body of knowledge and argument that, hopefully, over time will exert some influence and help people wake up.
In sum, I found this book not "hilarious" and rip roaringly funny, but rather, intelligent, witty, insightful, and important. It is currently the best book out there in explaining the complex, global nature of what is euphamistically called "The War On Terror" but is really a war for our survival against motivated, confident, and aggressive Islamists.
5 stars. Best-in-class book.
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