A Game as Old as Empire: The Secret World of Economic Hit Men

In this review of A Game as Old as Empire, the reviewer recommends the book for readers interested in global political economy and investigative accounts of power. The author connects firsthand experience and new revelations to illuminate how economic structures and so-called foreign aid can be manipulated to build influence. This review finds the work valuable for those seeking a detailed, insider perspective on the network of consultants, corporations, and institutions that shape globalization and explains why the subject matters beyond academic circles.

Key Features

• Insider perspective: The book links the author's personal encounters to broader patterns of influence, making complex geopolitical maneuvers easier to grasp.
• Exposes financial mechanisms: It explains how loans and aid from institutions like the World Bank and USAID can be redirected to benefit corporations and elites.
• Contemporary relevance: The narrative situates economic hit men within modern globalization, showing how old practices adapt to new international systems.
• Concrete methods revealed: Readers learn about tools used to influence nations, including fraudulent reports, rigged elections, and payoffs.
• Accessible tone: The writing presents complicated schemes in a way that is readable for informed general audiences, not only specialists.

Who It's For

The book is best for readers of political economy, investigative journalism, and modern history who want a narrative that ties individual actions to systemic outcomes. Scholars, policymakers, and activists will find the case studies and descriptions of institutional channels useful for understanding how resources and influence move internationally.

Those seeking a neutral, purely academic survey should look elsewhere; readers expecting a dry textbook or balanced policy manual may find the tone more polemical and perspective-driven. The book is strongest as a critical, experience-based account rather than an objective statistical treatise.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Provides a clear, firsthand account that makes the mechanics of global influence tangible.
• Connects micro-level stories to macro-level trends in globalization.
• Breaks down complex uses of financial institutions into understandable examples.

Cons

• The narrative is perspective-driven and may read as partisan rather than strictly neutral.

Specifications

Title	A Game as Old as Empire: The Secret World of Economic Hit Men
Author	Steven Hiatt
Subject	Economic hit men, globalization, international corruption
Focus	How aid, loans, and institutions are used to funnel wealth to corporations and elites
Methods described	Fraudulent reports, rigged elections, payoffs, extortion, and other coercive tactics
Perspective	Insider accounts linked to broader revelations about empire and influence

Our Verdict

For readers who want a compelling, insider-driven critique of how globalization can mask extractive practices, this book is a strong value. It turns abstract policy channels into concrete stories, making it a useful resource for those studying or challenging global economic influence, even if its tone is more argumentative than neutral.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does this book explain how international aid is misused?
The book outlines mechanisms by which loans and aid can be redirected to benefit corporations and elites, using specific examples and insider accounts.

Who wrote the book and what perspective does it take?
The author presents firsthand experiences and revelations, offering a critical, perspective-driven view of the networks behind economic influence.

Is this suitable for academic research?
It is useful as a primary narrative account and critique, but readers seeking a neutral, data-heavy academic text should supplement it with scholarly studies.