For many years, the United States has been considered the most powerful and influential power in the entire history of the world. Participation in World War II, the invention of the atomic bomb, industrial successes, the creation of the Internet — the idea of American exceptionalism goes back to the past. The twentieth century has truly become the "century of America." However, any story of ups is impossible without crushing falls. The book is based on the cult documentary series directed by Oliver Stone and historian Peter Kuznik. The authors debunk idealized ideas about the United States and shed light on the mistakes made by American figures. Using archival materials and declassified materials, Stone and Kuznik carefully reconstruct the history of the United States in the 20th and early 21st centuries, from the First World War to President Obama's policies and the country's imperial status. Who really won the Second World War? What were the consequences of the Manhattan Project and the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki? Could humanity have avoided the Cold War? What caused the September 11 terrorist attack? And most importantly, is it too late for the United States to draw conclusions from the dark events of its past, which only at first glance seems brilliant?