‘A well argued and elegant answer to the question, how did America get to this place? … The ideal antidote to the coarseness of the times.’ Justin Webb, presenter of Americast

‘Pithy, entertaining and informative . . . Stourton makes a persuasive case that Trump is a logical outcome of American history’ Guardian

Much of what Donald Trump does seems maverick and even mad. His actions and policy pronouncements are a stark rupture from the American style of leadership that we have lived with all our lives. But whether we like them or not, his trade tariffs, his determination to deport tens of thousands of people, and his apparent contempt for the rule of law are deeply rooted in American history.

Since Donald Trump took office plenty of people – on both sides of the Atlantic – have argued that he will destroy his country’s democracy. Made in America shows how the ideal of liberty has been tested in past generations, from the first intolerant Pilgrims to the brutal invasion of Mexico, revealing the dark side of the American Dream in order to offer urgent lessons to our turbulent present.

‘If you value the perspective and judgment of one who has covered, often from the frontline, the major events of the past four decades, then snap up a copy.’ Mail on Sunday

‘A book brimming with surprises and insight.’ – Nicholas Coleridge

*Updated for paperback to include new ‘postscript’ chapter from the author*

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Edward Stourton was born into a life of privilege.

The son of expat parents in colonial Nigeria, Ed was sent back to Britain to be educated by Benedictine monks at Ampleforth, at the time when, it was latter revealed, the school and monastery were the setting for serial abuse cases. He then went up to Cambridge, where his life as an undergraduate gave him access to a network of future ministers, judges and newspaper editors. As a young journalist, he reported first from party conferences and picket lines and then from war zones, witnessing the events making international headlines, from Haiti to Hong Kong, before returning home to join the infighting on BBC Radio 4’s Today.

During this time, the Empire has given way to the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement, men-only clubs have been replaced by Me Too, and instead of a choice selection of voices on a handful of radio and television channels, we have millions of voices on YouTube, Instagram, TikTok.

The world has changed, and so has Ed. Brought face to face with the author of his obituary and his own inevitable mortality, Ed is prompted to reflect on the life he has led and the events that have shaped him.

In Confessions, he describes this remarkable journey with candour, humour and the insight that only forty years’ experience of writing and reporting can provide.

‘A searingly honest insight into the life of one of our great journalists. Hugely entertaining too.’ John Humphrys

‘If you value the perspective and judgment of one who has covered, often from the frontline, the major events of the past four decades, then snap up a copy.’ Mail on Sunday

‘A book brimming with surprises and insight.’ – Nicholas Coleridge

——————————————————————-

Edward Stourton was born into a life of privilege.

The son of expat parents in colonial Nigeria, Ed was sent back to Britain to be educated by Benedictine monks at Ampleforth, at the time when, it was latter revealed, the school and monastery were the setting for serial abuse cases. He then went up to Cambridge, where his life as an undergraduate gave him access to a network of future ministers, judges and newspaper editors. As a young journalist, he reported first from party conferences and picket lines and then from war zones, witnessing the events making international headlines, from Haiti to Hong Kong, before returning home to join the infighting on BBC Radio 4’s Today.

During this time, the Empire has given way to the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement, men-only clubs have been replaced by Me Too, and instead of a choice selection of voices on a handful of radio and television channels, we have millions of voices on YouTube, Instagram, TikTok.
The world has changed, and so has Ed. Brought face to face with the author of his obituary and his own inevitable mortality, Ed is prompted to reflect on the life he has led and the events that have shaped him.
In Confessions, he describes this remarkable journey with candour, humour and the insight that only forty years’ experience of writing and reporting can provide.

‘A searingly honest insight into the life of one of our great journalists. Hugely entertaining too.’ John Humphrys