A surprisingly gripping account of the foreign policy crises and
triumphs of the Bush years. The surprise lies not in the inherent
drama of the events - the disintegration of the Soviet Union, the
fall of the Berlin Wall, and Operation Desert Storm - but in the
tension that the usually low-key Bush conveys. Bush and Brent
Scowcroft, his national security advisor, contribute their own
perspectives at different stages of the crises, with a more general
narrative to complement their individual views. It's an unusual
format that works well in conveying the pressures and the variety
of opinions Bush had to take into account. The authors avoid too
heavy a reliance on hindsight, and thus capture the tension and
uncertainty of the moment, There is too much discretion in the
analyses of most of those with whom the administration worked but
great precision in dealing with their political needs: King Fahd of
Saudi Arabia, for example, fearful of giving the US military bases
because of concerns that the US might leave as it did from Lebanon
after the attack on the Marine base. One is left with great
admiration for both Bush and Scowcroft. The president understood
the importance of consultation and personal contact with allies and
adversaries, and carried out that mission with a diligence and
delicacy that may be unique in presidential annals. His stroking of
difficult allies like Mitterand, including an invitation to stay at
Kennebunkport, paid huge dividends. On the advice of Egyptian
president Mubarak, he made contact with the rulers of even obscure
Middle Eastern principalities, which was to pay off handsomely
during Desert Storm. He conveys memorably just how difficult it was
to assemble and keep together that coalition, while Mikhail
Gorbachev looked desperately for some diplomatic stroke to restore
his prestige, Saddam Hussein tried to use Israel to split the
Arabs, and opponents argued that sanctions should be given more
time. A nuanced and subtle evocation of the presidency in the
middle of some of the greatest foreign policy crises of our time.
(Kirkus Reviews)
"The most important book yet written about the end of the Cold War."
-The New York Tmes Book Review
"Among the finest expositions of modern American foreign policy. . . . An excellent book."
-Eugene V. Rostow, The Wall Street Journal
It was a pivotal administration in the history of American foreign policy--for during George Bush's presidency a series of international events took place that had a profound impact on the course of America and on the future of world diplomacy.
In A World Transformed, Mr. Bush and his national security advisor, Brent Scowcroft, provide a fascinating account of a president and an administration faced with unprecedented obstacles and unrivaled opportunities as they forged a foreign policy at the end of the Cold War. Solidarity comes to power in Poland. East and West Germans dance on the wall that separated them for half a century. And on Christmas Day, 1991, the hammer-and-sickle flag descends from the Kremlin for the last time.
It is also a candid analysis of a new chapter in foreign affairs, when the United States led an international alliance to confront the threat presented by Saddam Hussein and presented a dynamic response to the Tiananmen crisis. Balanced and intelligent, A World Transformed offers a landmark treatise on American foreign policy and international diplomacy from two of its principal architects.
"Reveals not only a wealth of detail about the main lines of foreign policy at the highest level during a most portentous period of our history, but also of the truly admirable characters of the men who made it."
-The Philadelphia Inquirer
"In a strong new book, the ex-president recalls
dangerous days. . . . It should leave little doubt how lucky we were that we had such a seasoned hand on the tiller at a time when foreign policy really counted."
-Michael R. Beschloss, Newsweek
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