The Imperial Cruise Audiobook By James Bradley cover art

The Imperial Cruise

A Secret History of Empire and War

Preview
Try for $0.00
Prime logo Prime members: New to Audible?
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

The Imperial Cruise

By: James Bradley
Narrated by: Richard Poe
Try for $0.00

$14.95/month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $21.83

Buy for $21.83

Confirm purchase
Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use, License, and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.
Cancel

About this listen

In 1905 President Teddy Roosevelt dispatched Secretary of War William Howard Taft on the largest U.S. diplomatic mission in history to Hawaii, Japan, the Philippines, China, and Korea. Roosevelt's glamorous 21-year-old daughter, Alice, served as mistress of the cruise, which included senators and congressmen.

On this trip, Taft concluded secret agreements in Roosevelt's name. In 2005, a century later, James Bradley traveled in the wake of Roosevelt's mission and discovered what had transpired in Honolulu, Tokyo, Manila, Beijing, and Seoul.

Download the accompanying reference guide.©2009 James Bradley (P)2009 Hachette
20th Century Americas Armed Forces Asia China Diplomacy Hawaii International Relations Military Modern Naval Forces Politics & Government United States War Imperialism Roosevelt Family
adbl_web_global_use_to_activate_T1_webcro805_stickypopup
Revealing History • Untold Stories • Thought-provoking Book • Enlightening Book • Original Perspective
Highly rated for:
All stars
Most relevant  
This is at times very sad as an American to hear however it is very accurate and very well written. Anyone wanting an honest view of Roosevelt and the United States at the time this book is an excellent choice. The dark history of American imperialism is well covered in this book.

Fantastic Book

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

This book starts out and shocks the reader as Bradley details aspects of Theodore Roosevelt's character and opinions that the American populace at large doesn't know today. He was a racist, Aryan supremacist, lying, no-good, bad-father politician. Then Bradley keeps trying and trying to continue the shock, shoving every last speck of his research onto the page (he repeats himself and even verbatim quotes several times) until it's reeeeeeally old at hour 9. I get it. Roosevelt was not who he seems to have been.

Having had no particular adoration for TR, I didn't need 9 hours of proof handed to me to convince me. I thought this was a bigger story, but it's literally just a TR hate-fest with lots of quotes from speeches and letters that I actually think is inappropriately intrusive (particularly of Alice's writings... she was barely 20 during these events, writing letters in confidence), at the end of which Bradley pretty much blames TR for the Russo-Japanese War, WWII, China's communist revolution and everything that has followed.

All in all, if you're interested in TR and / or history between the US and the Philippines and East Asian nations, you will find this subject matter fascinating because it is a largely-untold story. It's just so TEDIOUS... and also the narrator sounds like a parody of a dramatic movie trailer voice-over.

Insightful but talk about beating a dead horse

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

As a American, I can't believe how sheltered we are from the truth. We Americans, broke our word and for that started WWII.

Will make you blood boil!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

who buried this history...this tell of history not part of my history lessons. I wish it had been

this changed me in its focus...

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

An interesting and unvarnished look at the times.

Interesting

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

Loved it? No. But reading this book helps in understanding the mindset of those leaders and opportunists who would drag us, through lies, misdirecton and propoganda into conflicts on the far side of the world.

understanding our relationship to the Asian world.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

I loved this book. I learned so much lost or covered up untold U.S. history. It really sheds a new light on U.S involvement in the Asiatic peninsula more especially in the Indian and Pacific Ocean. It explains the foundation and groundwork of pearl harbor and the events that happened that lead to that day and America's involvement in WWII. It shows the hateful racist nature of American history as well as compares our current political (45) environmental in a new light. Showing the close nature of Trump, Taft and Roosevelt. It completely shows that there is nothing new under the sun.

Great book

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

After reading “The Imperial Cruise”, Americans can only be shocked and feel guilty by the immoral diplomacy of forefathers. These actions were administered by politicians who were thought to be American Heroes and creative leaders of our Country.

SHOCKING REVELATIONS !!!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

A great 'listen' full of amazing aspects I was unaware of. I gave it to my wife I liked it so much.

A masterfull history

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

Well written, fascinating and informative. Provides a perspective on American history not found elsewhere. Very surprising and interesting.

Great book!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

See more reviews