Peace-time war

Author: (American) David Halberstam
Publisher:
Publication Date: 2005-08-01
Features: "This is Halberstam's most important work, more revealing than The Best and the Brightest. The book tells the story of American politics and decision-making in the 1990s. Just as the Vietnam War was a test for our generation, the tragedies and conflicts in the Balkans and other regions were a proving ground for the Bush and Clinton administrations. Halberstam's work is nothing less than War and Peace for our generation." — Ray Glauben, President of the Council on Foreign Relations "This book is perceptive, detailed, and rich in anecdotes, and it may become the authoritative record of America's use of force in the 1990s." — Richard Bernstein, Pulitzer Prize-winning author David Halberstam is a journalist who chronicles the politics and foreign policy of the United States in the post-Cold War era in chronological order. Halberstam describes the domestic conflicts, the arrogance and power struggles within the White House, State Department, and military in the book, which will undoubtedly pique readers' interest. He shows how decision-makers who had participated in the Vietnam War and those who had not shaped America's image in international events. He lifts the veil on the powerful figures, introducing Clinton, Bush, Reagan, Kissinger, James Baker, Dick Cheney, Madeleine Albright, and others, unveiling a shocking panorama of modern American politics. "No book has so thoroughly analyzed how core figures in power formulate national security policy." — Ryan A. Hendrikson, Chicago Tribune "This is a detailed, comprehensive, and thorough picture." — The New York Times Book Review, Jane Perlez "Halberstam is a contemporary of the greatest war correspondents and a great witness to modern American history." — The Washington Post Book World, Mark Bowden "David Halberstam's The Wars of Peace records a lesson: that American presidents have neglected foreign policy during crises. Halberstam's important historical account is a masterpiece of journalism." — The San Francisco Chronicle, Louis Friedberg David Halberstam is one of America's most distinguished journalists and historians. His early reporting from Vietnam earned him national acclaim, and by the age of 30, he had received all the highest honors a journalist could achieve. His previous 12 books were all national bestsellers, including The Best and the Brightest, High Power, The Punishment, and The Fifties. Halberstam won the Pulitzer Prize for his reporting from Vietnam, and 38 years later, The Wars of Peace has the potential to win another Pulitzer Prize. This book is another important work by Halberstam following his national bestseller The Best and the Brightest, and we have waited a long time for it. In the book, Halberstam describes in astonishing detail how the shadow of the Cold War still lingers in U.S. foreign policy and explains how domestic politics in the United States determines the role of this superpower in world affairs. Twenty-five years ago, Halberstam told us the story of the leaders who instigated and launched the Vietnam War. Today, this Pulitzer Prize-winning author has written another unforgettable chapter in Washington politics to explore the complex factors that influenced foreign policy in the post-Cold War era. Halberstam brings to life the inner struggles and power struggles of key figures in the White House, State Department, and Pentagon. He shows us how two different types of people influenced and shaped American politics and decision-making: one group had participated in the Vietnam War, such as Powell, President's advisor Holbrooke, and Lake; the other group had not participated in the war, and they were also slightly younger. Halberstam uses his extraordinary ability to uncover the truth behind the headlines to explain how the situations in the Balkans, Somalia, and Haiti reflected U.S. foreign policy. He delves into how these events affected the decision-makers in two administrations in Washington, the U.S. military's caution about again falling into a quagmire like Vietnam, the frustration of civilian advisors who had not personally experienced the war, and the influence of these conflicting forces on General Clark, the U.S. commander in Kosovo. The Wars of Peace is comprehensive, deeply analyzed, and vividly portrays the characters of Clinton, George Bush, Reagan, Kissinger, Baker, Cheney, Albright, and others, revealing the intricate realities within modern American politics.