First Among Equals cover art

First Among Equals

U.S. Foreign Policy in a Multipolar World

Pre-order free with Premium Plus
1 credit a month to buy any audiobook in our entire collection.
Access to thousands of additional audiobooks and Originals from the Plus Catalogue.
Member-only deals & discounts.
Auto-renews at $16.45/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

First Among Equals

By: Emma Ashford
Narrated by: Shannon McDermott
Pre-order free with Premium Plus

Auto-renews at $16.45/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Pre-order for $24.37

Pre-order for $24.37

About this listen

A fresh, concise roadmap for United States grand strategy in a multipolar world

For the past thirty years, post-Cold War triumphalism and a desire to reshape the world have defined United States foreign policy. But the failures of the global war on terror, the return of conflict to Europe, and growing tensions with China all suggest that this approach to the world is flawed. For the United States—the country that has ruled the international system largely alone since 1991—this moment is particularly perilous. Can policymakers adapt American foreign policy to better fit the twenty-first century, and in doing so avoid the pitfalls and excesses of the past three decades?

In this book, Emma Ashford proposes a return to a more pragmatic, realist set of strategic principles, ones better suited for the emerging multipolar world, that would pursue narrower United States interests, cultivate the capabilities of friendly states, and emphasize room for maneuver over rigid alliances. In this she provides a valuable counterpoint to today's liberal internationalist consensus, as well as a road map for policymakers who seek to change the course of United States foreign policy.

©2025 Emma Ashford (P)2026 Tantor Media
Politics & Government
No reviews yet
In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.