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A Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and the author of 17 books, David Halberstam has a gift for bringing current events alive and putting them into historical perspective in an engaging way. In many respects, War in a Time of Peace serves as a sequel to his classic The Best and the Brightest in its examination of how the lessons of Vietnam have influenced American foreign policy in the post-Cold War era. Beginning with the Persian Gulf War, Halberstam discusses the political shift in emphasis from foreign to domestic issues that ushered in the first Clinton administration. Despite the fact that Clinton, along with much of the country, preferred to focus on the home front, the U.S. nonetheless found itself drawn into conflicts in Haiti, Somalia, and the Balkans--events that reflected American discomfort with the use of its military forces abroad while at the same time acknowledging that much of the world is dependent upon the U.S. for both guidance and support. The book also highlights the many nonpolitical factors that have influenced these political changes, including a generational shift in national leadership, the modern media's emphasis on entertainment over foreign news, a leap in military technology, and American economic prosperity that has rendered foreign policy largely irrelevant to many citizens.
Halberstam is a master at presenting well-rounded portraits and telling anecdotes of the personalities that have created U.S. policy, casting new light on well-known figures such as Clinton, Colin Powell, and George H.W. Bush, as well as supporting players such as Anthony Lake, Richard Holbrooke, James Baker, Madeleine Albright, General Wesley Clark, Al Gore, and many other influential American leaders of the past decade. Having covered many aspects of American history and foreign policy since the early 1960s, Halberstam is uniquely qualified to report on an era in which the U.S., and the world, has changed so dramatically. --Shawn Carkonen --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From Publishers Weekly
War in a Time of Peace: Bush, Clinton, and the Generals by David Halberstam. The Pulitzer Prize-winning historian looks at events that have shaped contemporary politics and political leaders in Washington.
Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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For a brief, glorious, almost Olympian moment it appeared that the presidency itself could serve as the campaign. Read the first page
For a brief, glorious, almost Olympian moment it appeared that the presidency itself could serve as the campaign. Read the first page
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Most helpful customer reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Impressive account of foreign policy in the 90's,
By A Customer
This review is from: War in a Time of Peace: Bush, Clinton, and the Generals (Hardcover)
I've read many books on foreign policy and politics, but few have delved so deep into the minds of our nation's leaders in the White House and the Pentagon. Halberstam paints a cohesive portrait as to what shaped their beliefs and how this affected foreign policy decisions in the 90's. These individuals each have their own motives, shaped beliefs and aspirations which often conflict with one another. This explains a great deal to those on the outside looking in regarding the complexity of shaping policies. You can watch and read the news all you want, but Halberstam provides what you don't get in the mass media, and that's an in-depth and personal look at the dynamics within two presidential administrations.
3.0 out of 5 stars
Oddly Even-Handed,
By "librarian-in-training" (MN, United States) - See all my reviews
This review is from: War in a Time of Peace: Bush, Clinton, and the Generals (Hardcover)
I found this book oddly even-handed. Halberstam deftly showcases the intricacies surrounding military operations and the steps to launch them along with their potential consequences. The author also shows how the Clinton administration ( actually Clinton himself) drug his feet. As an admitted moderate Republican, I thought at first glance that this book would be the ultimate trashing of the party (based on your average everyday journalistic bias), but Halberstam explains the positions of both parties, along with naming the good and bad guys in the Republican and Democratic camps. I was especially fascinated with the portraits given of Tony Lake and former Def. Sec. Bill Perry and will be checking out their books to read more about American defense issues. All in all, not a bad book. Could have been much shorter, so I can only give 3 stars overall.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Brilliant Review of American Foreign Policy in the 90s,
By
This review is from: War in a Time of Peace: Bush, Clinton, and the Generals (Paperback)
Every American should read this book to understand the agonizing complexities that face the President of the United States, no matter who holds the office. Halberstam, without taking sides, leads us from Bush Sr. to the end of the Clinton presidency brilliantly, painting perceptive and memorable portraits of not only the events, the debates that went into the big decisions, but also of the cast of 20+ characters that made up the key personnel in these administrations. An irreplacable book.
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