The End of the Myth: From the Frontier to the Border Wall in the Mind of America
by Greg Grandin
Greg Grandin's argument is sweeping: the frontier wasn't just geography, it was an organizing idea that shaped American politics and identity. He traces how expansion offered a narrative of endless possibility while enabling violence and dispossession. The book connects westward conquest to overseas empire, showing continuity in the logic of "openness" enforced by force. When expansion ends, Grandin argues, the nation turns inward, channeling anxiety into exclusion and militarized borders. The writing is brisk and accessible for a big-idea history, with sharp synthesis across eras. Grandin is attentive to the stories Americans tell themselves—and what those stories obscure. The border wall appears not as a sudden rupture but as culmination. The book reframes current debates as the closing chapter of a long myth. It's provocative and clarifying, especially for readers trying to connect past and present. You may not agree with every emphasis, but the framework is hard to shake. It's a major contribution to understanding American nationalism.
