In this controversial critique of American political culture and its historical roots, Anatol Lieven contends that U.S. foreign policy since 9/11 has been shaped by the special character of our nationalism. Within that nationalism, Lieven analyses two very different traditions. One is the "American thesis," a civic nationalism based on the democratic values of what has been called the "American Creed." These values are held to be universal, and anyone can become an American by adopting them. The other tradition, the "American antithesis" is a populist and often chauvinist nationalism, which tends to see America as a closed national culture and civilization threatened by a hostile and barbarous outside world.

With America Right or Wrong, Lieven examines how these two antithetical impulses have played out in U.S. responses to the terrorist attacks of 9/11, and in the nature of U.S. support for Israel. This hard-hitting critique directs a spotlight on the American political soul and on the curious mixture of chauvinism and idealism that has driven the Bush administration.

美國喬治城大學卡塔爾分校的國際政治學教授、“新美國基金會”高級研究員，研究領域為美國全球戰略和反恐戰爭。他在劍橋大學獲得曆史學學士學位和政治科學博士學位。在大學任教之前，利文是英國《金融時報》、《泰晤士報》和英國廣播公司的著名駐外記者，“歐威爾奬”獲得者。2000—2005年，利文在華盛頓卡耐基和平基金會擔任高級研究員。2007—2014年，利文任倫敦大學戰爭學院戰爭學教授。利文教授著述頗豐，主要著作有：《巴基斯坦：苦難國傢》、《車臣：俄羅斯帝國的墓碑》、《烏剋蘭與俄羅斯：競爭的兄弟》和《巴爾乾革命》。