The art of diplomacy How American negotiators reached historic agreements that changed the world

Eizenstat, an international lawyer who has served in numerous governmental positions in several recent administrations, has written a compelling and impressively analytical work covering a multitude of security issues, mediations, wars, civil wars, trade controversies, the Holocaust, and climate issues, as well as the individuals who have played central roles in them. His observations are concise and objective, sparing neither individuals nor administrations. His reflections on the ambitious diplomacy of the late Henry Kissinger exemplifies the detail and stringent analysis that are hallmarks of this work, though Eizenstat omits any discussion of Kissinger's role in the covert American effort to subvert the Allende regime in Chile and his frequent recommendations for intensely destructive actions in Southeast Asia. He concisely examines the harrowing 1990s conflicts in the Balkans and the diplomatic and military policies that were at play. Eizenstat is unsparing in his criticism of America's disastrous policies in Iraq and is equally critical of the policies of the Bush, Obama, and Trump administrations toward Afghanistan, though he argues that the Trump administration's policies were especially poorly conceived and hastily enacted. Highly recommended for general and academic readers, this book should be required reading for every course on modern American diplomacy. Summing Up: Highly recommended. General readers through faculty. --Blaine T. Browne, emeritus, Broward College

A former U.S. ambassador to the European Union lays out a useful roadmap to successful international negotiations. Negotiations are a crucial part of statecraft, writes Eizenstat, author of Imperfect Justice and The Future of the Jews. In his latest book, the author aims to distill key events in U.S. negotiations into lessons for the next generation of diplomats and students. In some of the cases, Eizenstat had direct involvement; regarding others, he studied the records closely and interviewed the participants. As any diplomat will tell you, an essential ingredient in a successful negotiation is preparation. You must understand what the other side wants and how far they will go to get it. In the case of American negotiators, they must be clear about their own objectives while also maintaining the support of the Oval Office. Both sides have to be willing to give something, but they must also be able to walk away with something they can claim as a victory, if only a partial one. The point is not defeating an opponent but finding a workable consensus. Eizenstat identifies a failure to follow through on agreements as a recurring weakness of U.S. diplomacy over the decades. Sometimes, the failure arises due to domestic political circumstances; sometimes, it involves the mistaken view that adding signatures to a piece of paper is an end in itself and will solve all problems. Eizenstat hopes that future negotiators will address these shortcomings. "Successful international negotiations require putting aside historic enmities, hatreds, and prejudices, and reasoning together to reach durable, if painful, compromises," he writes. The author does not always delve as deeply as some readers may wish, but he provides a valuable primer for those with an interest in this field. Eizenstat covers a lot of ground, writing with the authority and clarity of experience. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.