Product Description
"As autobiography (this book) is enthralling, as history indispensable, as a manual on government and diplomacy invaluable."--Wallace Carroll, New York Times Book Review. Photographs.Amazon.com Review
Dean Acheson joined the U.S. Department of State in 1941 as anassistant secretary for economic affairs. Shortly after the end ofWorld War II, he attempted to resign, but was persuaded to come backas under secretary of state; Harry Truman eventually rewardedAcheson's loyalty by picking him to run the State Department duringhis second term (1949 to 1953).

"The period covered in this book was one of great obscurity to thosewho lived through it," Acheson wrote at the beginning of his memoirs,first published in 1969. "The period was marked by the disappearanceof world powers and empires ... and from this wreckage emerged amultiplicity of states, most of them new, all of them largelyunderdeveloped politically and economically. Overshadowing all loomedtwo dangers to all--the Soviet Union's new-found power and expansiveimperialism, and the development of nuclear weapons." Present atthe Creation is a densely detailed account of Acheson's diplomaticcareer, delineated in intricately eloquent prose. Going over theorigins of the cold war--the drawing of lines among the superpowers inEurope, the conflict in Korea--Acheson discusses how he and hiscolleagues came to realize "that the whole world structure and orderthat we had inherited from the nineteenth century was gone," and thatthe old methods of foreign policy would no longer apply. Among theaccolades Acheson garnered for his candid self-assessment was the 1970PulitzerPrize for history. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (13)

Superb autobiography of a major American hero
Dean Acheson became a personal hero during my high school years (1951-55) when I first learned about politics, especially the Red Baiting years; I was an active participant in the "Joe Must Go" campaign to unseat Joe McCarthy, for example. When I first read this book in 1971 it was if a childhood hero had come alive, still admirable in many ways, but with faults that I had not recognized as well.

Acheson dedicated his book to Truman, the "captain with the mighty heart." Nonetheless he describes his major disagreement with President Truman over establishing Israel and his problems with implementing the policy despite his misgivings.

"I did not share the President's views on the Palestine solution to the pressing and desperate plight of great numbers of displaced Jews in Eastern Europe. The number that could be absorbed by Arab Palestine without creating a grave political problem would be inadequate, and to transform the country into a Jewish state capable of receiving a million or more immigrants would vastly exacerbate the political problem and imperil not only American but all Western interests in the Near East. From Justice Brandeis, whom I revered, and Felix Frankfurter, my intimate friend, I had learned to understand, but not to share, the mystical emotion of the Jews to return to Palestine and end the Diaspora. In urging Zionism as an American Government policy, they had allowed, so I thought, their emotion to obscure the totality of American interest."

I was totally entranced with his description offiring General MacArthur. As a Wisconsin farm boy, the passages were eye opening; I had been deeply moved by MacArthur's "old soldiers" speech in Milwaukee.

"It seems impossible to overestimate the damage that General MacArthur's willful insubordination and incredibly bad judgment did to the United States. The general was surely bright enough to understand what his Government wanted him to do. General Ridgway, who succeeded him, understood perfectly and achieved the desired ends. MacArthur disagreed with the desired ends . . . he pressed his will and his luck to a shattering defeat."

Two other passages found their way into my copy book:

"I believe that it must be the policy of the United States to support free peoples who are resisting attempted subjugation by armed minorities or by outside pressures. I believe that we must assist free peoples to work out their own destinies in their own way."

"The doctrine of the separation of powers was adopted by the Convention of 1787, not to promote efficiency but to preclude the exercise of arbitrary power. The purpose was, not to avoid friction, but, by means of the inevitable friction incident to the distribution of the governmental powers among three departments, to save the people from autocracy."

If nothing else, Acheson convinced me that the Founders had created a structure of government that not only creates friction, but often creates deadlock. This is a book that repays careful reading and re-reading; there are lessons here that ring true over the decades since I first read Acheson's superb autobiography.

2008 Addendum:

Robert L. Beisner's Dean Acheson: A Life in the Cold War is the best biography of Acheson I've read, and it was fascinating to re-read Acheson's autobiography side by side with Beisner's book. Acheson played a central role in the creation of many important institutions, -- Lend Lease, the Truman Doctrine, the Marshall Plan, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, the European Union and the World Trade Organization. According to Beisner, "Dean Acheson was more than 'present at the creation' of the Cold War; he was a primary architect." I also found it interesting to reread parts of Present at the Creation to add depth to The Wise Men: Six Friends and the World They Made by Walter Isaacson.

Robert C. Ross1970 2008

Note: One of twelve NY Times "Editors' Choice" books for 1969; see first Comment.

Long, superb as a primary source, but has problems..
I respect that this book has a Pulitzer for History, and it has a wealth of information for scholars, but for the lay reader, it is too long by 100 pages or so and goes into minute governmental procedures and such, obscuring the good parts of the book. Acheson manages to be hawkish, critical of both parties, but makes a lot of sense too about containment, and realistically looking at the Soviets.I take his comments with a grain of salt, as this is part memoir and apologia.I would have liked to see more of his take on the years after Truman's presidency.And yes, this book did help me appriciate Truman's character more.

It's Amazing That Governments Can Accomplish Anything
A generally enjoyable and interesting book.I hold Dean Acheson in very high regard along with Harry Truman and George Marshall.As other reviewers have stated, those three men (and several others) initiated policies that shaped world history for the next 50 years.

That said, the most fascinating aspect of the book for me was the back-stabbing, political posturing, stonewalling, and unresponsiveness that Acheson described throughout all the various government bureaucracies (both foreign and domestic) - Congress, the Defense Department, Foreign Ministries, Treasury, etc.It drives home to the reader just how difficult it is to get ANYTHING done in government!And it also reminds the reader that the political animosity and disfunction we see in modern government isn't a new phenomenon at all...

Great Story from a Great Man!
Dean Acheson, one of "The Wise Men" who crafted foreign policy from Truman to Johnson, was a great American. I assume it could be debated just how correct our Cold War policy was, but we're all still here to debate the point so that in itself says volumes. President Truman was wise indeed for the trust and extreme confidence that he placed in Dean Acheson. Great reading!

the best book ive ever read
I'm a 16 year old sophmore in high school and have an interest in all history, especially history that took place during the 1930's to around 1965. this book gave very deep and detailed insight into the inerworkings of the stae department after world war 2, and displayed the type of men it took to rebuild governments around the world into well oiled democratic machines.i would HIGHLY reccomend this book to anyone interested in learning a great deal about the state department under truman and acheson, as well as a person just interested in a good read. ... Read more

Product Description
Shaping Foreign Policy in Times of Crisis grew out of a series of meetings that the authors convened with all ten of the living former U.S. State Department legal advisers (from the Carter administration to that of George W. Bush). Based on their insider accounts of the role that international law actually played during the major crises on their watch, the book explores whether international law is real law or just a form of politics that policymakers are free to ignore whenever they perceive it to be in their interest to do so.Written in a style that will appeal to the casual reader and serious scholar alike, the book includes a foreword by the Obama administration's State Department legal adviser, Harold Koh; background on the theoretical underpinnings of the compliance debate; an in-depth case study of the treatment of detainees in the war on terror; and a comprehensive glossary of the terms, names, places, and events that are discussed in the book. Visit http://www.booktv.org/Program/11239/Shaping+Foreign+Policy+in+Times+of+Crisis+The+Role+of+International+Law+and+the+State+Department+Legal+Adviser.aspx to watch a video of the authors talking about their book on C-SPAN Book TV on Saturday, February 6, 2010. ... Read more

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A fascinating history of how policy-makers have created US foreign policy since the days of the early Republic, filled with portraits of the personalities who have held high decision-making posts, and with accounts of battles pitting agencies, individuals, and ideologies against one another. The author traces the development of the State Department, the National Security Council, and the White House staff, and shows how each president has organised the foreign policy system in his own way, and how powerful figures such as Franklin D. Roosevelt and Henry Kissinger have moulded policy for particular periods of history. Included are detailed analyses of US foreign policy during the Carter and Reagan administrations and indications of where our current structure and policy is leading. Students of American history and politics, and of international relations. ... Read more

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This book was converted from its physical edition to the digital format by a community of volunteers. You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Manual for Noncomissioned Officers and Privates of Infantry of the Army of the U.S., 1917
This small book with 350 pages, including the index is something else for a military collector. Its chapters include, 1)Military Discipline and Courtesy; 2)Arms, Uniforms, and Equipment; 3)Rations and Forage; 4)Personal Hygiene and Care of the Feet; 5) Extracts from Infantry Drill Regulations; 6)Field Service; 7)Marching and Camping; 8)Target Practice; 9)Extracts from Manual of Interior Guard Duty, 1914; 10)Map Reading and Sketching; 11)Message Blanks; 12)Signals and Codes; 13)First Aid Rules; 14)Laws and Regulations; and 15)English-French Vocabulary, as well as a form for Last Will and Testament.

The book has every little detail that one can think of for being a soldier back in the early 1900s. Certainly not today in modern warfare. ... Read more

Product Description
Originally published in 1916.This volume from the Cornell University Library's print collections was scanned on an APT BookScan and converted to JPG 2000 format by Kirtas Technologies.All titles scanned cover to cover and pages may include marks notations and other marginalia present in the original volume. ... Read more

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This work is a complete history of the partnership between the Department of State and the United States Marine Corps. From its formation in 1775, the Corps developed a close working relationship with the diplomatic service of the Continental Congress and later, in 1798, with the newly created United States Department of State. The Marines accompanied U.S. diplomats to France in 1778 and worked closely with the State Department during the Barbary Wars and the opening of China. In 1905, an executive order by Theodore Roosevelt established a Marine Legation Guard, and the Corps played an increasingly important role in embassies across the globe. Today, the war on terrorism highlights this important relationship as Marines guard some of the most dangerous embassies in the world. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

The Marine Corps and the State Department
Covers a great deal of history between the Marine Corps and The State Department.Many of the more recent events you more than likely would never have seen on TV or read in the newspaper.A long proud tradition. ... Read more

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Practically focused, easily accessible, this book is directly relevant to the academic environment in which department chairs operate. The authors—internationally known experts in academic administration—conducted interviews with department chairs and heads at 38 academic institutions from across the U.S. and Canada, public and private, two-year and four-year.

The extensive interviews resulted in four thematic patterns that covered the overarching issues department chairs face: quality, change, culture, and leadership. Each chapter is packed with practical advice and concludes with questions and resources to help chairs develop constructive responses to the myriad issues facing them. ... Read more

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Even before the American Revolution, the artists and craftsmen of our young country were forging a distinguished American identity through beautiful examples of fine and decorative arts. Many of the finest examples of the work created during the earliest years of the country's history--from 1730 to 1840--were collected by the U.S. Department of State to decorate the reception rooms where important statesmen and diplomats are greeted. Highlights from this prestigious collection of American art and craft will tour in a nationwide exhibition for the first time.

Becoming a Nation features more than 100 objects from the exhibition, each accompanied by detailed essays. The book includes paintings by such notable American masters as John Singleton Copley, Gilbert Stuart, and Fitz Hugh Lane; exceptional works of silver by Paul Revere and Myer Myers; and exquisite baroque, rococo, and neoclasssical furntiure crafted in Portsmouth, Boston, Newport, Philadelphia, and New York. A definitive study, Becoming a Nation recommends itself to experts and amateurs alike.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Top Reference Book for this Librarian
This is my favorite reference book as a librarian. I've used it to help patrons answer countless reference questions in a variety of jobs, including as a psychology reference librarian, a newspaper librarian, and a journalism / advertising / PR librarian. Questions I have answered include: how many motorcycles are registered in the US., what kind of money is spent on advertising, in addition to questions about the population of the US.Data in the charts includes the original source of the data, so that you can track down additional data if necessary. Many charts include prior year's data, and libraries usually have prior editions so that you can obtain prior data as well. The US government makes this available online for free, but the print edition is easier to use. Highly recommended for libraries!

misleading
yes,there are some 1400 tables and a lot of data.
But the entry like homeless population or gay population
are not here.
and if you want to find out from this volume who we are
as a country it is wrong book.

great research material
If you are a student and research papers are due, this is a great book to look at. All of the small print, big numbers, and several pages seems intimidating, but the index is very easy to use allowing you to find the information you need quickly.This is a good find for anyone looking forstatistical information. ... Read more

Product Description
Did the Bush Administration Err In Shutting Down “Brand America” Ad Campaign? The Bush Administration missed an opportunity to improve America’s image in the Arab and Muslim world when it shut down the controversial 2002 “Brand America” public diplomacy television advertising campaign, according to a new book written by two U.S. advertising professors. Contrary to reports from the news media and from government at the time, the Shared Values Initiative (SVI)—the official name for the advertising campaign at the State Department—improved America’s image in Indonesia and possibly throughout the Middle East, according to Jami Fullerton of Oklahoma State University and Alice Kendrick of Southern Methodist University. “So, did SVI work?” the professors write in Advertising’s War on Terrorism: The Story of the U.S. State Department’s Shared Values Initiative.“According to internal State Department documents about SVI in Indonesia, the campaign achieved its objectives. It not only got people talking about Muslim life in America, it also produced more positive perceptions of America.”This finding also is backed up by experimental research the professors conducted in London, Cairo and Singapore. After viewing the five television advertisements, international students were more likely to believe Muslims are fairly treated in the United States and the students had more positive attitudes toward the “United States government” and “U.S. people.” The research also found that attitudes toward the United States improved more among Muslim students than among Christians and other students. The goal of SVI was to convince the Muslim and Arab world that America wasn’t waging war on Islam. The Madison Avenue-produced ads depicted the happy lives of Muslims in America, including Dr. Elias Zerhouni, director of the National Institutes of Health, who is shown on the cover of the book shaking hands with President George W. Bush. The commercials aired in Indonesia and other Middle Eastern and Asian countries over a month-long period between late October and early December! 2002. About 300 million Arabs and Muslims saw them. “Public diplomacy practitioners and scholars continue to lambaste SVI and the idea of using advertising as a weapon in the war on terrorism,” they write in the final chapter to their book. “The official account is that SVI failed. ... However, research presented in ... this book suggests that SVI may have worked. ... So the question becomes: If communication campaigns like SVI have the potential to be effective, what went wrong in 2002 and what can be done in the future to make similar public diplomacy programs work better?” The authors place much of the blame on State Department bureaucrats and on journalists, who at the time of the campaign denounced SVI, saying it didn’t work. The bureaucrats and journalists also criticized SVI’s creator, Charlotte Beers, a former advertising executive who created and directed the SVI campaign when she was under secretary of public diplomacy and public affairs at the State Department. However, the critics had no scientific evidence to back up their criticism, the authors point out.Instead, they suggest that Bush Administration officials acted more upon ideological and parochial prejudices rather than upon scientific evidence. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Missed Opportunities to Sell Brand America
This is a thought-provoking book that takes us inside the U.S. State Department in the months and year after September 11. Secretary of State Colin Powell was fighting against the war machine at the Defense Department and within the White House to help improve America's image in the Muslim world. With great detail, the authors show us the plan and how it was dismantled by turf-hogging bureaucrats and simple-minded diplomats. This book promotes the idea of taking advantage of the great wealth of creativity America has and putting it to work to promote this country to the uneducated and downtrodden in foreign countries whose leaders inculcate them with anti-American rhetoric. This is a must-read for anyone interested in America's place in the world. ... Read more

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This important new work will help department chairs, faculty, and administrators understand and address the increasing complexity of relationships within higher education, as well as the growing influence of external factors. The Department Chair as Academic Leader is a completely updated revision of Allan Tucker's seminal contribution, Chairing the Academic Department, last published in 1992. This work reflects the approach used in the ACE Workshops for Division and Department Chairs and Deans. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

excellent
Great transaction. I highly recommend this text for anyone who is in a leadership position (or wants to be) in academia. ... Read more

Product Description
It's ironic to think that one of the most subversive, anti-American forces in the war on terrorism is the institution that is the mastermind of much of America's foreign policy and strategy, the State Department.In Dangerous Diplomacy Joel Mowbray shows exactly how this is the case, revealing shocking information on State's shortsightedness, poor judgment, and resistance to change and how these shortcomings have compromised national security and American lives time and time again.

Using in-depth, comprehensive interviews with State Department personnel and looking closely at State's recent history and publications, Mowbray reveals:1. State's Herculean efforts to cover up the lax visa policies that allowed the September 11 hijackers to enter the US legally-while keeping these policies in place as long as possible.2. State's arms-for-tyrants program-and how it very nearly succeeded in providing Saddam Hussein's Iraq with nuclear capability3. The State/Saudi alliance: Why State bends over backwards to keep the Saudis happy despite the kingdom's clear support for global terrorism4. How American parents whose children have been kidnapped by foreign nationals have been ignored, deserted, and betrayed by the embassies and officials who are supposed to protect Americans5. State's strange but long-standing fondness for brutal, radical Islamic regimes6. How State's entrenched culture makes reform of the organization virtually impossible7. How State concealed information about North Korea's nuclear program8. The Iranian democracy movement: Why it soldiers on with no help from the State Department9. The sorry record of how State not only has declined to discipline incompetent and corrupt immigration officials who let terrorists and other criminalsinto the US, but rewarded them10. How State has actually fought against families victimized by evil regimes who are trying to recover damages

Mowbray documents a State Department in dire need of reform-revealing here for the first time just how far State has strayed from its intended role as the primary agent of US interests abroad. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (22)

Job well done
Joel Mowbray comes out in a tour de force with "Dangerous Diplomacy."I have worked with the State Department in the context of international child abduction cases, an issue that State takes the lead on within the US government, and his description of their handling of the phenomenon in the chapter "Cold Shoulder: State's Smallest Victim's" is excellent. Likewise his treatment of many of our FSO's (Foreign Service Officers) and their prioritizing of their own interests in foreign countries above that of America's interests abroad and the general "culture of State" is excellent.Don't be fooled by the anonymous one star reviews that are probably attempts by one of America's biggest and most well-funded and powerful bureaucracies to defend itself from one of its most vocal and articulate critics.

Mowbray ran afoul of State in the context of the Visa Express scandal where State expedited the visas of most of the 9/11 terrorists as part of their program to appease our "strategic ally" of Saudi Arabia.Mowbray rightfully deserves credit for exposing that scandal and goes on to detail how many of State's FSO's dedicated to Saudi Arabia take lucrative "consulting" positions once they retire from US "service."

If you're an American dealing with the State Department and trying to understand why they seem to have their collective head up the proverbial backside of foreign governments (because a kiss is never enough) this is the book for you.

Shocking, informative, but getting a bit dated...
Disclosure:I am and have been a big fan of Joel Mowbray's reporting.I had known of some of the things that Mowbray writes about, but there were, nevertheless, many new revelations and anecdotes that were fascinating and quite shocking.If you think you know anything about the State Department, you need to read this book.I do wish Mowbray had spent more time on former State employees that find well-paid jobs with foreign governments immediately after leaving their State Department jobs.In my opinion, the promise of a big paycheck from a foreign government as a show of appreciation for services rendered while employed by State is a key factor in what makes State tick.I was especially dissappointed that Mowbray did not quote Prince Bandar of Saudi Arabia, who once said something to the effect that "we know how to reward those who are helpful to us at State, and they are aware of our willingness to show gratitude," (I am just paraphrasing, but the actual quote was along those lines).

Although Mowbray attempts to recommend some fixes toward the end of the book, the hopelessness of the situation becomes apparent.Also, being four years old now, it is in need of a revised edition covering Condolesa Rice's tenure at State, which, as Mowbray would no doubt have expected, has been no better than most of her predecessors.

Well worth reading
Joel Mowbray clearly has a point of view, but his reporting is solid. He exposed how our embassy in Riyadh had such a lax visa issuance policy that 15 of the 19 9-11 hijackers were able to gain entry into our country by clearly lying on their visa forms. That'sa public service. At times, Mowbray is too monolithic in his conclusions about the foreign service, which has many well intentioned members, but this is an important book to understand how our diplomacy often veers from the best intentions of our political leadership. I say this as a former member of the State Department press corps.

Rather silly and petulant from a discredited "reporter"
Mr. Mowbray, who was something of a running joke among the State Department press corps, became quasi-famous in DC political circles for being regularly embarrassed in on the record briefings at State for getting basic facts wrong and displaying an inability to understand the subtlety and nuance of foreign affairs.

Once prominent in National Review, he now plies his trade on rather obscure right-wing web sites.

The book is a cross between a screed and a tantrum, and pulls out of context anecdotes to create a world in which all Foreign Service officers and State employees in general are dedicated to undermining not only America, but our values, Israel, freedom, etc.If only they were more like the senior officials at DOD, all would be well.It is written with the style, tone and professionalism of the first draft of an undergraduate op-ed piece written on the down-slide from a three-day coke binge.

On and on, for quite a while.It's amusing at times, if for nothing else that its own sort of bold incompetence and conspiratorial ramblings.

It would have benefited from an editor.Preferably a grown up.

Dangerous Omissions
Most of the facts Mr. Mowbray mentions about treasonous acts committed byState Department officials are true. No doubts about that. Now, by failing to mention that the U.S. State Department has been for the last 50 years a tool of the Council on Foreign Relations, his book becomes pure and simple disinformation.
For example, his depiction of how "State Department bureaucrats"mislead Colin Powell about the need to give Scudmissiles to Yemen is pure hogwash. Both the "State Department bureaucras" and Mr. Powell get their orders from the same source: the CFR.
Mowbray is a typical example of the "ritghtist" counterpart to "leftists" like Noam Chomski, whose criticism of things bad in America stops in the CIA and the Pentagon -- organizations also penetrated and controlled by the CFR.
Both these "leftist" and "rightist" critics apparently share the stochastic view of history, by which things just happen by chance. This is the view advanced by the mainstream media and hammered to the children in the government's schools.
These are the ones who have brainwashing the American people for so many years to believe that the Republican and Democratic parties are different entities, and that just by changing the faction of the Repucratic party in power things will change for the better.
But lately, more and more people are realizing, thanks maily to the information appearing in the Internet, that only the conspiratory view of history can satisfactorily explain the unexplainable -- including the September 11th events. ... Read more

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Hemp Hurds as Paper-Making Material - United States Department of Agriculture, Bulletin No. 404 is presented here in a high quality paperback edition. This popular classic work by Lyster H. (Lyster Hoxie) Dewey is in the English language. If you enjoy the works of Lyster H. (Lyster Hoxie) Dewey then we highly recommend this publication for your book collection. ... Read more

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From a staff of three, a Secretary and two clerks, to the almost six thousand employees of today - such is the growth of the Department of State. Beginning with the days when Thomas Jefferson made a salary of $3,500 and quarreled with Alexander Hamilton, this fascinating book tells the history of that growth. It discusses the Louisiana Purchase, the War of 1812, the first census-taking, the setting up of the Consular, Diplomatic, and Passport bureaus; it describes the role of the State Department in war and peace, through the manifold and exciting events of our more recent history. It relates such intimate details as the case of the Secretary who was accused of receiving money to help overthrow the government of the United States; Webster's delicate negotiations with England over the Caroline affair; the incident in which a Secretary was attacked by an assailant with a bowie knife, and so on. This book analyzes the structure of the Department of State at every stage of our national growth. It tells what duties the officers perform; it includes a critical comment on each of the Secretaries, describing his personality, relating his principal acts, and evaluating his relations with the President. Finally it gives a brief summary of the contribution made by various Secretaries to the development of international law. ... Read more

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This is an EXACT reproduction of a book published before 1923. This IS NOT an OCR'd book with strange characters, introduced typographical errors, and jumbled words.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more