War in Peaceful Times: Bush, Clinton, and Their Generals

Author: (American) David Halberstam, translated by Wang Zhenling, Jia Lingyi
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-08-01
Features: This book is another significant work by Halberstam following his bestseller The Best and the Brightest. We have long awaited its publication. In the book, Halberstam provides an astonishingly detailed account of the lingering shadow of the Cold War in U.S. foreign policy and explains how domestic politics in the United States determines the role of this superpower in global affairs. Twenty-five years ago, Halberstam once told us the story of the leaders who orchestrated and initiated the Vietnam War. Today, this Pulitzer Prize-winning author once again chronicles another unforgettable chapter in Washington politics, exploring the complex factors that influenced foreign policy in the post-Cold War era. With vivid prose, 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 U.S. politics and decision-making: one group had participated in the Vietnam War, such as Powell, President Holbrooke, and Lake; the other group had not, and were also slightly younger. Halberstam, with his extraordinary ability to uncover real stories behind the headlines, explains how the situations in the Balkans, Somalia, and Haiti reflected U.S. politics and foreign policy. He delves into the impact of these events on the decision-makers of two administrations in Washington, the U.S. military's caution against again falling into a quagmire like Vietnam, the frustration of civilian advisors who had not personally experienced war, and the influence of these conflicting forces on General Clark, the U.S. commander in Kosovo. War in a Time of Peace is comprehensive and analytically profound, vividly depicting the personalities of figures like Clark, George Bush, Reagan, Kissinger, Baker, Cheney, and Albright, and revealing the intricate realities within modern American politics.