. >> and you're working on a new book, leviathan. what is that about? >> i am. it follows the story in this book, so this book is part of a trilogy effect. on the legitimation of big government, its rise during world war ii, its reconfiguration during the high cold war from 1941 to '61 which is what the second book is on, the new leviathan, and then it's collapse inside the 1960s and the 1970s. so the second book is on that second period when the united states exerted unprecedented extraterritorial sovereignty through the reconstruction of germany and japan, through the reconstruction of the european economy with a marshall plan to the occupation of hundreds of bases around the world, the occupation of south korea. the united states found itself ruling other people for the first time on such an extraordinary scale. and it was a role to which americans were unaccusme

trilogy in fact, of the legitimate of big government the reconfiguration and then focusing on the new leviathan then the collapse from the '60s and '70s of that is on the second period ran the united states exerted unprecedented sovereignty through the reconstruction of germany and japan to the reconstruction of the european economy and then the occupation of south to reinvent then they find themselves for the first time on such the extraordinary scale. and then national political life it was not an easy sell especially coming so soon from the 30's but but then found itself abroad to rule others abroad but yet to it is thought to do so often by attacking who are challenging or otherwise dismantling colonial structures getting in the way of american interest with the events unfold paying at the moment but it looks at the changing role in the world. >> host: 60 million americans were in uniform during world war ii what kind of a political power do they come home with a 1945? did they wield the power? >> they came home with an extraordinary presence remember the veterans of the first world war wer