Includes bibliographical references (pages 382-420) and index.

This work chronicles America's drive for empire at the dawn of the twentieth-century, culminating in the conquest of a fledging Asian republic. At the center of the story stands the dynamic Theodore Roosevelt, who pressures a reluctant President McKinley into war against Spain. The clash vaults America to world power and thrusts the nation into a war in the Philippines. On the eve of a new century, an up-and-coming Theodore Roosevelt set out to transform the U.S. into a major world power. The Spanish-American War would forever change America's standing in global affairs, and drive the young nation into its own imperial showdown in the Philippines. From Admiral George Dewey's legendary naval victory in Manila Bay to the Rough Riders' heroic charge up San Juan Hill, from Roosevelt's rise to the presidency amid national tragedy, to charges of U.S. military misconduct and torture in the Philippines, this work captures America's exuberant and at times painful coming of age in an era brimming with American optimism and confidence as the nation expanded its influence abroad.

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