America in the world A definitive history of U.S. diplomacy and foreign policy

Robert B. Zoellick

Book - 2020

"In addition to presenting the compelling and influential stories of statesmen and diplomats from Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson, to Henry Kissinger and James Baker, America in the World also lays out Zoellick's critical framework, the "five traditions" of American diplomacy. These traditions include a focus on the home continent, the role of trade relations, changing attitudes towards alliances, the bonds between countries across the Americas, and the belief in the exceptionalism of the United States"--

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Subjects
Published
New York, NY : Twelve, Hachette Book Group 2020.
Language
English
Main Author
Robert B. Zoellick (author)
Edition
First edition
Physical Description
viii, 548 pages, 16 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations (some color), maps ; 25 cm
Bibliography
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN
9781538761304
  • Introduction: America's First Diplomat
  • Part I. A New American Era: Continental Territory, Financial Power, Neutral Independence, and a Republican Union
  • Chapter 1. Alexander Hamilton: Architect of American Power
  • Chapter 2. Thomas Jefferson: The Futurist
  • Chapter 3. John Quincy Adams and Henry Clay: American Realism and the American System
  • Chapter 4. Abraham Lincoln and William Seward: Pragmatic Unionists
  • Part II. The United States and the Global Order
  • Chapter 5. John Hay: The Open Door
  • Chapter 6. Theodore Roosevelt: Balancer of Power
  • Chapter 7. Woodrow Wilson: The Political Scientist Abroad
  • Part III. Interwar Internationalists
  • Chapter 8. Charles Evans Hughes: Arms Control and the Washington Conference
  • Chapter 9. Elihu Root: International Law
  • Chapter 10. Cordell Hull: Reciprocal Trade
  • Part IV. A New Order of American Alliances
  • Chapter 11. Architects of the American Alliance System
  • Chapter 12. Vannevar Bush: Inventor of the Future
  • Chapter 13. John F. Kennedy: The Crisis Manager
  • Chapter 14. Lyndon Johnson: Learning from Defeat
  • Chapter 15. Richard Nixon and Henry Kissinger: American Realpolitik
  • Chapter 16. Ronald Reagan: The Revivalist
  • Part V. An End and a Beginning
  • Chapter 17. George H. W. Bush: Alliance Leader
  • Chapter 18. Five Traditions of American Diplomacy
  • Afterword: From Traditions to Today
  • Acknowledgments
  • Notes
  • Index
  • About the Author
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review

Former World Bank president Zoellick, who served in the State Department during both Bush administrations, debuts with a richly detailed and centrist-minded history of American diplomacy, from Benjamin Franklin's signing of the first two U.S. treaties in 1778 to President Trump's trade war with China. Contending that "U.S. diplomacy has sought out what works, even if practitioners stumbled while discovering what they could accomplish," Zoellick identifies five traditions that have guided America's foreign policy, including a focus on exerting control over North America; a prioritization of "trade, technology, and finance" in international relations; and a belief in American exceptionalism. In the book's strongest sections, Zoellick spotlights these traditions in more obscure episodes from U.S. diplomatic history, including Michigan senator Arthur Vandenberg's essential role in post-WWII alliance building, and Theodore Roosevelt's mediation of the Russo-Japanese War and a 1905 clash between France and Germany over Morocco. Readers hoping for substantial insights into more recent events will be disappointed; in a brief afterword, Zoellick sketches the foreign policies of the Clinton, (George W.) Bush, Obama, and Trump presidencies, and leaves Russia's 2016 electoral interference unmentioned. Still, this is a cogent, fine-grained assessment of the value of pragmatism in foreign affairs. Agent: Andrew Wylie, the Wylie Agency. (Aug.)

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Review by Library Journal Review

Zoellick (Harvard Kennedy Sch. of Government) served as White House Deputy Chief of Staff for George H. W. Bush, Deputy Secretary of State for George W. Bush and, later, President of the World Bank. This experience contributes to his insightful survey of U.S. diplomatic history. Here, he focuses on his choice of five diplomatic traditions: the geopolitical importance of North America; trade, transnationalism, and technology; alliances and international order; public and congressional support; and the purpose of the United States in the world. Zoellick uses these themes to assess the foreign policy approaches of Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama, and Donald Trump. He finds them insufficient compared with 19th and 20th century politicians, such as John Hay and George Marshall, and especially compared with Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush. Zoellick thoroughly critiques diplomatic successes and failures, and one of the great values of his work is the rediscovery of underestimated presidents (e.g., John Quincy Adams, Harry Truman), underappreciated diplomats (Henry Clay, Cordell Hull), and unsung heroes (William L. Clayton, Lucius Clay). VERDICT Through this comprehensive book, readers will gain a deeper understanding of the United States and its place in the world.--Thomas Karel, Franklin & Marshall Coll. Lib., Lancaster, PA

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Review by Kirkus Book Review

A history of American foreign policy from a veteran in the field of "pragmatic diplomacy." Zoellick, now a senior fellow at Harvard's Belfer Center, has vast experience in the diplomatic realm: Since the early 1990s, he has served in a wide variety of relevant roles, including deputy secretary of state, deputy chief of staff at the White House, and president of the World Bank. As such, the author has a unique perspective, and the narrative is "rich with tales of human endeavor, problem solving, and political insights." Unfortunately, women are absent, as Zoellick fails to note the stellar diplomatic contributions of Madeleine Albright, Hillary Clinton, and others. The author delineates five diplomatic traditions that have been crucial to U.S. foreign policy: a strong sense of the geostrategic potential of North America; trade, transnationalism, and technology; the alliance system, which helps maintain international order; garnering Congressional and public support; and recognizing "America's purpose" in the world, whether that be advancement of democracy or the power of the U.S. financial system. Benjamin Franklin, America's "first diplomat," knew expertly how to play the Old World rivalries off each other, didn't mind using deceit, and "put practice before theory," as Stacy Schiff wrote in A Great Improvisation. Alexander Hamilton, writes Zoellick, "employed financial means to attain political, economic, and social ends." Woodrow Wilson underscored the ideological justification for war--"the world must be made safe for democracy"--yet ultimately lacked the diplomatic team to employ the leverage to pass his peace proposals. From John F. Kennedy, the "crisis manager," to Lyndon Johnson, a brilliant congressional operator who learned bitterly from the defeat in Vietnam, to Henry Kissinger, the master of realpolitik, to George H.W. Bush, the "alliance leader," Zoellick accessibly demonstrates how they plied their diplomatic methods. However, the failure to acknowledge women diplomats is a sizable flaw. A useful, knowledgeable history that is missing a major piece of the puzzle. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.