by Evan Thomas
First published 2018
Ambassador David Abshire reflects on a lifetime of service that took him from West Point through the Korean War to the highest levels of Washington power. A Georgetown-trained historian who advised multiple presidents and co-founded the Center for Strategic and International Studies, Abshire witnessed America navigate the Great Depression, World War II, and the Cold War. Now, writing in his final years, he delivers an urgent assessment of his country's current state. America has lost its strategic compass and sense of shared purpose, he argues. Hyper-partisanship has paralyzed domestic politics while international threats multiply. The root cause lies in the breakdown of civil discourse between political opponents. This erosion of mutual respect has destroyed trust in both leaders and fellow citizens. Abshire prescribes a return to vigorous but respectful political debate as the path forward. His memoir serves as both a love letter to America and a roadmap for reclaiming the nation's exceptional character before the damage becomes irreversible.
Genres: biography, history, 20th-century, american, political-science, memoir, 21st-century, american-history
Vibes: intimate, thought-provoking, urgent
Tropes: expert-witness, memoir
Setting: America, Washington, West Point, Georgetown
Period: Great Depression, World War II, Cold War
220 pages · Hardcover · Rowman & Littlefield