In The Shadows Of History

Chester L. Cooper (Washington, DC) is now Deputy Director Emeritus at the University of Maryland-Pacific Northwest National Laboratory Joint Global Change Research Institute. He is the author or editor of four books and has contributed articles, op-ed pieces, and book reviews to the "New York Times, Washington Post, The New Republic, Foreign Affairs," and "Foreign Policy," among other publications.

""There's [a] book that reflects the nation's history since World War II that is simply a gem...it is the rare memoir that is so fascinating, so informative, and written with such a light hand that one is both eager and reluctant to finish it. Such is In the Shadows of History: 50 Years Behind the Scenes of Cold War Diplomacy...[Cooper] takes the reader behind the scenes as he deals with prime ministers, premiers, and presidents as he quietly and effectively served his nation. Cooper was a witness to and participant in the great events of the last half-century. This book is a gem for anyone interested in those turbulent years." - Bookviews.com "Cooper's memorable memoir is replete with pungent observations of CIA chiefs, cabinet secretaries, and British prime ministers. - Booklist "Chester Cooper's vivid memoir should rightly be titled 'In the Forefront of History.' An account of his own experiences at the upper echelons of government, it is a valuable contribution to our knowledge and understanding of some of the crucial events of the past century." Stanley Karnow, Pulitzer Prize winning author of Vietnam: A History