Short Synopsis
In The Retreat of Western Liberalism, Edward Luce makes a larger statement about the weakening of western hegemony and the crisis of liberal democracy—of which Donald Trump and his European counterparts are not the cause, but a terrifying symptom.

Full Synopsis
In his widely acclaimed book Time to Start Thinking, Financial Times chief U.S. columnist and commentator Edward Luce charted the course of America's relative decline, proving to be a prescient voice on our current social and political turmoil.

In The Retreat of Western Liberalism, Luce makes a larger statement about the weakening of western hegemony and the crisis of liberal democracy—of which Donald Trump and his European counterparts are not the cause, but a terrifying symptom. Luce argues that we are on a menacing trajectory brought about by ignorance of what it took to build the West, arrogance towards society's economic losers, and complacency about our system's durability—attitudes that have been emerging since the fall of the Berlin Wall. We cannot move forward without a clear diagnosis of what has gone wrong.

Combining on-the-ground reporting with intelligent synthesis of the literature and economic analysis, Luce offers a detailed projection of the consequences of the Trump administration, the rise of European populism, and a forward-thinking analysis of what those who believe in enlightenment values must do to defend them from the multiple onslaughts they face in the coming years.

"[Julian Elfer] doesn't miss a vowel and knows to emphasize the key words and phrases that underlie the audiobook's main themes." ---AudioFile

“Edward Luce provides a terrifying view of the challenges facing the West. We have to hope that his prophecies are self denying—something that is more likely if his penetrating analysis gets the wide attention it richly deserves.” ---Lawrence Summers

“The faith in the West collapsed from within. It’s amazing how slow people have been to rise to defend it . . . There have been a few lonely voices . . . Edward Luce offers a response in his forthcoming book The Retreat of Western Liberalism.” ---David Brooks, New York Times

“The stakes of this anti-democratic wave cannot be overestimated . . . As Edward Luce writes, in The Retreat of Western Liberalism, ‘What we do not yet know is whether the world’s democratic recession will turn into a global depression.’” ---David Remnick, New Yorker

"Luce is one of the smartest journalists working today, and his perceptions are priceless.” ---Jane Mayer, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Dark Money

"A must read for anyone trying to make sense of the waves of populism and nationalism we face today." ---Liaquat Ahamed, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Lords of Finance

"Luce writes in fluid prose, moving from a telling statistic to a striking quotation. Throughout, one is struck by his command of the material and the acuity of his prose." ---New York Times

Amazon Bestseller

Washington Post Notable Book