American Presidents in Diplomacy and War

Thomas R. Parker is a professorial lecturer at George Washington University and author of The Road to Camp David. He worked for thirty years in diplomatic and military affairs for the White House, U.S. Defense Department, State Department, and the intelligence community.

Preface Introduction 1. What Makes for Successful Statecraft 2. Washington, Hamilton, Jefferson and Madison: The Diplomacy of Realism versus the Diplomacy of Ideology and Uncertainty 3. Abraham Lincoln: The Diplomacy of Prudence 4. Theodore Roosevelt: From Nationalist to Realist 5. Franklin Roosevelt: The Diplomacy of Guile 6. Truman and Acheson in the Korean War: When Reasonable Leaders Stumble into Disasters 7. Nixon and Kissinger in the 1973 Arab-Israeli War: The Ability to Adapt and to Anticipate, and the Mastery of Complex Negotiations 8. Carter and Brzezinski and the Fall of the Shah of Iran: Values and Interests 9. George Herbert Bush and the First Gulf War: The Diplomacy of Determination 10. Obama: The Reluctant Foreign Policy President Conclusion

"Parker has an excellent feel for the policy-making process, which is combined with a deep understanding of history. Whether or not one fully agrees with the book's clear and vigorously stated point of view, I believe many readers will find it provocative, engaging, and well worth their time." -David Paull Nickles, author of Under the Wire: How the Telegraph Changed Diplomacy "This book by a well-known American defense expert and former Pentagon official emphasizes the importance of understanding the possibilities and limits of American power and military force for conducting the nation's foreign policy in a wise and balanced way. It is very well written and argued and deals with some of the most important and pressing issues in U.S. foreign policy from George Washington to the present." -Klaus Larres, author of Uncertain Allies "An enlightening and insightful assessment of the foreign policy statecraft of several American presidents." -New York Journal of Books "This is an interesting read, packed with insight. Students at all levels and general readers will find it a useful counter to the simplistic soundbite pontifications of many contemporary aspirants for political leadership." -Choice "American Presidents in Diplomacy and War: Statecraft, Foreign Policy, and Leadership serves up a set of case studies in the exercise of American power by US presidents, offering food for thought to students, scholars, and policymakers about the psychological dynamics of foreign policy decisions by presidents from Washington to Obama." -H-Diplo