Politicians of every stripe frequently invoke the Marshall Plan in support of programs aimed at using American wealth to extend the nation's power and influence, solve intractable third-world economic problems, and combat world hunger and disease. Do any of these impassioned advocates understand why the Marshall Plan succeeded where so many subsequent aid plans have not? Historian Nicolaus Mills explores the Marshall Plan in all its dimensions to provide valuable lessons from the past about what America can and cannot do as a superpower.

Author Biography

Nicolaus Mills is a professor of American Studies at Sarah Lawrence College, an editorial board member of Dissent, and a contributor to the American Prospect, the New York Times, and the Los Angeles Times.