Transnationalism means many things to many people, from crossing physical borders to crossing intellectual ones. The Limits of Transnationalism reassesses the overly optimistic narratives often associated with this malleable term, revealing both the metaphorical and very real obstacles for transnational mobility. Nancy L. Green begins her wide-ranging examination with the story of Frank Gueydan, an early twentieth-century American convicted of manufacturing fake wine in France who complained bitterly that he was neither able to get a fair trial there nor to enlist the help of US officials. Gueydan’s predicament opens the door for a series of inquiries into the past twenty-five years of transnational scholarship, raising questions about the weaknesses of global networks and the slippery nature of citizenship ties for those who try to live transnational lives. The Limits of Transnationalism serves as a cogent reminder of this topic’s complexity, calling for greater attention to be paid to the many bumps in the road.
 

Nancy L. Green is professor of history at the École des hautes études en sciences sociales in Paris, as well as the author of The Other Americans in Paris, also published by the University of Chicago Press.

— Linda K. Kerber, University of Iowa

— Donna Gabaccia, University of Toronto

— Roger Waldinger, University of California, Los Angeles

— Choice

— Caroline Waldron, Journal of American Ethnic History

— Journal of Modern History