In 1905 President Teddy Roosevelt dispatched Secretary of War William Taft, his gun-toting daughter Alice and a gaggle of congressmen on a mission to Japan, the Philippines, China, and Korea. There, they would quietly forge a series of agreements that divided up Asia. At the time, Roosevelt was bully-confident about America's future on the continent. But these secret pacts lit the fuse that would--decades later--result in a number of devastating wars: WWII, the Korean War, the communist revolution in China. One hundred years later, James Bradley retraces that epic voyage and discovers the remarkable truth about America's vast imperial past--and its world-shaking consequences. Full of fascinating characters and brilliantly told, The Imperial Cruise will forever reshape the way we understand U.S. history.

Contents:
History repeating --
Civilization follows the Sun --
Benevolent intentions --
Pacific Negroes --
Haoles --
Honorary Aryans --
Playing Roosevelt's game --
The Japanese Monroe Doctrine for Asia --
The imperial cruise --
Roosevelt's open and closed doors --
Incognito in Japan --
Sellout in Seoul --
Following the Sun --