March 3, 2026Open Access

Stuart Rollo, Terminus: Westward Expansion, China, and the End of American Empire

Key Points

The book focuses on American ideas of imperialism and expansion rather than detailed historical accounts.
Key intellectual figures like Alfred Thayer Mahan are emphasized more than political leaders in this exploration.
Rollo's conceptual approach highlights broader historical processes rather than specific events during expansion.
The analysis suggests a long-duration perspective on American aspirations and transformations in empire.

Abstract

This book is not a detailed history of American imperialist expansion into China, nor was it intended so. Rather, it is a study in history of American ideas about expansion and empire, a book where intellectual leaders, such as Alfred Thayer Mahan and Brooks Adams, are mentioned more often than political and military leaders. Rollo’s approach to history can be described as conceptual, and also very general, so that specific events are only mentioned as indications of long-duration processes ...

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Stuart Rollo, Terminus: Westward Expansion, China, and the End of American Empire

Key Points

Abstract

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