Clarence Streit and Twentieth-Century American Internationalism

'More than a biography of Clarence Streit, Imlay's book tells a fascinating history of internationalist thought, politics, and possibilities. Revealing how foreign policy ideas take shape in the public sphere, it also recovers vibrant debates over the postwar international order and competing visions of an imagined transatlantic community.' Julia F. Irwin, author of Making the World Safe: The American Red Cross and a Nation's Humanitarian Awakening 'This book provides an excellent assessment of the life of Clarence Streit. Talbot Imlay shows not only Streit's political significance, which was particularly notable in the years surrounding World War II, but he uses Streit to examine broader debates regarding America's place in the world in the mid-twentieth century.' Andrew Johnstone, author of Against Immediate Evil: American Internationalists and the Four Freedoms on the Eve of World War II 'A fascinating and impeccably researched portrait of Clarence Streit, which reveals that federal union was far more than an outlandish idea that captured the minds of many during democracy's darkest hour. Shepherded by Streit, a gifted publicist, this idea took on a life of its own and fueled debates about international organization and an 'Atlantic community'. Often blinkered when it came to democracy's flaws, racism and empire, Streit nonetheless formulated an original and genuinely American contribution to international thought, a contribution that Imlay has recovered with admirable clarity and flair.' Katharina Rietzler, co-editor of Women's International Thought: A New History