James Bradley is the son of one of the Marines who raised the flag on Iwo Jima during World War II and his interest in that war and that area of the world is intense. In this examination of U.S. relations with Asia in the early 20th century, Bradley uses a diplomatic mission sent by Theodore Roosevelt as his springboard. In 1905, President Roosevelt sent Secretary of War William Howard Taft on a diplomatic mission that would take him to Hawaii, Japan, the Philippines, Korea, and China. Joining Taft on this mission were Alice Roosevelt, the president's 21 year old daughter, Representative Nicholas Longworth, the man she would marry within the year, and a number of Senators and members of the House of Representatives. Following the route of this "imperial cruise" allowed Bradley to discuss the background of the developing U.S. policy toward each of these countries and to build a case that the United States was negatively viewed in most of Asia because of brutal interactions in the past. Bradley also examined the racial attitudes of white Americans and especially Theodore Roosevelt toward non-white peoples. Bradley is highly critical of Roosevelt and other imperialists and described U.S. misdeeds in the Pacific in great detail. Bradley concluded that this imperial cruise and the secret agreements that were negotiated led to policies and attitudes that culminated in World War II 35 years later. A very interesting book for students of history and international politics.