From writer and political analyst Jared Yates Sexton comes a journey through the history of the United States, from the nation's founding to the twenty-first century, which examines and debunks the American myths we've always told ourselves. In recent years, Americans have faced a deluge of horrifying developments in politics and culture: stolen elections, fascist rallies, families torn apart and locked away. A common refrain erupts at each new atrocity: This isn't who we are. In American Rule, Jared Yates Sexton upends those convenient fictions by laying bare the foundational myths at the heart of our collective American imagination. From the very origins of this nation, Americans in power have abused and subjugated others; enabling that corruption are the many myths of American exceptionalism and steadfast values, which are fed to the public and repeated across generations. Working through each era of American growth and change, Sexton weaves together the origins and perpetuation of these narratives still in the public memory, and the acts we have chosen to forget. Stirring, deeply researched, and disturbingly familiar, American Rule is a call to examine our own misconceptions of what it means, and has always meant, to be an American.

WRITTEN FOR THE PEOPLE: Jared Yates Sexton tackles American history here, but his two previous nonfiction books chronicle the rise of the alt-right and his own upbringing steeped in toxic masculinity. His background feeds the urgency and fast pace of American Rule, making it perfect for readers curious about our history but intimidated by historians like Ron Chernow and Jill Lepore.THE RIGHT MOMENT: No matter the outcome in the 2020 election, Americans will continue to wrestle with the conflict of American identity made explicit by the Trump administration. An accessible look at how lies have shaped the nation from the start will be invaluable for readers hoping to push forward.LONG-TERM POTENTIAL: While the market is currently flooded with books specific to the Trump administration, American Rule's focus on history makes it an evergreen read, with opportunities for a longer tail as history continues to repeat itself.WELL-REVIEWED, WELL-CONNECTED AUTHOR: Jared's previous books garnered praise from outlets including NPR, the New York Times Book Review, and The Washington Post; and he has received starred reviews from Publishers Weekly, Booklist, and Shelf Awareness. He boasts more than 175,000 Twitter followers who are eagerly awaiting his next long-form work.