Present at the Creation: My Years in the State Department

by Dean Acheson

Acheson (1893–1971) was not only present at the creation of the postwar world, he was one of its chief architects. He joined the Department of State in 1941 as Assistant Secretary of State for Economic Affairs and, with brief intermissions, was continuously involved until 1953, when he left office as Secretary of State at the end of the Truman years.

Throughout that time Acheson's was one of the most influential minds and strongest wills at work. It was a period that included World War II, the reconstruction of Europe, the Korean War, the development of nuclear power, the formation of the United Nations and NATO. It involved him at close quarters with a cast that starred Truman, Roosevelt, Churchill, de Gaulle, Marshall, MacArthur, Eisenhower, Attlee, Eden Bevin, Schuman, Dulles, de Gasperi, Adenauer, Yoshida, Vishinsky, and Molotov.

Genres: History, Biography, Politics, Nonfiction, American History, Memoir, World History

842 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1969

About the author

American statesman Dean Gooderham Acheson promoted the plan of George Catlett Marshall and helped to establish north Atlantic treaty organization.

This lawyer as secretary of state of United States in the Administration of Harry S. Truman, president, from 1949 to 1953 played a central role in defining American foreign policy during the Cold War. Acheson helped to design the Marshall plan and played a central role in the development of the Truman doctrine and creation of the north Atlantic treaty organization.

In 1964, he received the presidential Medal of Freedom, a decoration that the United States awards to civilians for outstanding achievement in various fields of endeavor. In 1970, he won the Pulitzer Prize for history for Present at the Creation: My Years in the State Department , his memoirs of his tenure. The modern library placed the book at number 47 on its top hundred nonfiction books of the 20th century.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dean_Ac...

Reviews

[Aaron Million · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you wonder how highly Dean Acheson thinks of himself, look no further than the title of his very good (and quite lengthy) memoir. What he is specifically referring to here is the beginning of the postwar world following the end of WWII. Written almost two decades after he left office in January 1953, Acheson benefits from the distance of some time to see how many of the policies that he helped to implement turned out (as well as other peoples' memoirs), and to also observe any failings of subsequent administrations (although that is not the purpose of the book and he seldom makes reference to his successors except towards the end as one would expect).

Acheson writes in a highly detailed and personalized manner. You can tell this is his voice, his opinions. No team-written book project here. He is candid (probably not about everything, but who is?), being both charitable and critical of people, oftentimes both for the same person. He does not shy away from blunt assessments of people and events, and there is no shortage of either. I have a feeling that Acheson was like this as a boss too: demanding and critical, but also full of praise for jobs well done, and loyal to those who served him.

Acheson begins the book with his return to Franklin Roosevelt's sub-Cabinet by becoming an Assistant Secretary of State shortly before WWII began. This for me was the most difficult part of the book. His portfolio at this time involves financial matters as it relates to the State Department. Acheson is far too detailed here about complex financial policies. Honestly, he lost me in several places. The subject matter was too dense, and the level of detail too much, for these pages to feel like anything other than a slog. That is one negative about the book as a whole: Acheson is incredibly too detailed as far as writing about, again in detail, just about every meeting in relation to whatever subject he is covering at the moment. One thing is certain: the man was in and interminable number of meetings.

Following FDR's death, he stays in his post, eventually moving up to Under Secretary of State. He also becomes acquainted with the new President, Harry Truman. They hit it off immediately and form an extremely close working relationship up until the end of Truman's time in office, and continuing for the rest of Acheson's life in a personal realm. Acheson writes of his admiration for Truman as a person and as President, and carefully differentiates that from his view of FDR as someone whom he held in high regard as President but disliked quite a bit personally. He only returned to serve FDR because of the impending crisis of war.

In some respects, this is a difficult book to read. Partially that is due to what I mentioned above about the excessive detail, and some of the subject matter. It is also a large book, clocking in at 737 pages with many pages of excellent and - once again - detailed endnotes. In addition to the length, the print is fairly small. So, this is not one that a reader can breeze through quickly. But many things make the effort worthwhile, one of which is Acheson's wonderful prose. Here is one example, from page 451 as he is writing about formulating Korean War policy: "I have long noticed that military recommendations are usually premised upon the meticulous statement of assumptions that as often as not are quite contrary to the facts and yet control the conclusions." I enjoyed Acheson's dry sense of humor.

Acheson's time as Secretary of State (Truman's entire second term) is a long litany of meetings, Congressional testimony, fighting with the Soviets, trying to get the United Nations and NATO off the ground, working on creating the European Defense Community, traveling to foreign conferences, and dealing with McCarthyism. The Korean War takes up a significant chunk of this, as one would expect. Acheson writes that the Administration contemplated pulling out of Korea if the Soviets had massed troops and sent them there. Apparently there were limits to how far he and Truman were willing to go to try to save Korea from becoming completely Communist. Acheson also believes that Truman's decision not to ask Congress for a declaration of war was the right thing to do. I wonder if he would still feel that way today, being able to see how Vietnam ended (Acheson died in 1971) and then the mess in Iraq. I think this was one of the few serious errors that Truman made, and it opened the door for later dubious activities by presidents.

Acheson structures the book chronologically, but manages to keep the chapters short, which helps to compensate for the overall length. The chapters are also usually topical in nature. Somehow, Acheson is able to make it work being both chronological and topic-oriented at the same time. Most authors choose one route or the other. Acheson does both, and it works. When reaching the point where Truman decides not to seek re-election in 1952, Acheson writes: "To leave positions of great responsibility and authority is to die a little, but the time comes when that must be faced." (Page 633). This to me captures the both the allure and the curse of holding high office, and also the self-awareness to know that it must come to an end at some point.

Despite this being a struggle to read at times, Acheson's personal observations are worth getting past the endless meetings. This is a really well-written book, with Acheson's bluntness keeping it entertaining despite some serious subject matter. Even with that said though, I would not recommend this for the general reader. This is for someone interested in foreign policy in Acheson's era (domestic matters aside from Loyalty Review Boards and McCarthyism are not touched upon), Acheson himself, or Truman and/or his Administration. If you were going to write about one of those subjects, this book would be indispensable. If not, it may not be worth your trouble - not because it is not good (it is) but because the level of detail requires the reader to be both interested and familiar with the overall subject matter. Nonetheless, I can see why Acheson won the Pulitzer Prize for his effort here. A solid piece of work, done with care.

Grade: B+

[Christopher · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was thrilled to receive this book from the collection of one of my favorite history professors who was retiring at the time he gave it to me. Now, having finished reading this incredible memoir, I now realize what a wonderful gift this was to receive at all. Mr. Acheson's recollection of his years in the State Department from 1941 to 1953 is incredibly concise, but hardly ever boring. There are a few key aspects of this book that make it so wonderful to read: first, since Mr. Acheson chose to focus on his years in the State Department rather than on a general autobiography, there is more room to focus on all aspects of the diplomacy he dealt with during this period. In fact, if had added personal details about his life, it would have defeated the whole purpose of the book. The second key is his focus on personal diplomacy. In a book devoted solely to U.S. foreign policy, it can be very easy to get bogged down in minutiae. But by focusing on the personal diplomacy he conducted with his counterparts and other governmental figures (foreign and domestic) around the world, the reader gets a truer picture of how diplomacy is conducted than any other book on foreign policy that I have read. Plus, you have the added bonus of Mr. Acheson's short vignettes of important public figures provides a key source of information on the important movers at the beginning of the Cold War. And finally, nearly every topic is covered meticulously, leaving a key record for Cold War historians to pore over in the future. I will say that the first 100 or so pages, when Mr. Acheson was Assistant Secretary of State during World War II, is a little dull as it appears that Mr. Acheson's duties only dealt with economic diplomacy, a relatively dull subject even in war. But once he becomes Congressional liaison, then Under Secretary, and finally Secretary of State, then it becomes hard to put down. I highly recommend this to anyone interested in Cold War diplomacy.

[Brad B · Rating 5 out of 5]

On the one hand, I’m forced to agree with other reviewers frustrated by the amount of gossipy details in Mr. Acheson’s book. Still, this was Dean Acheson, who had a hand in development of the Marshall Plan, NATO, the United Nations, forming productive relationships with Germany and Japan after WW II, and many other organizations and policies that continue to shape our world (he wisely opposed the CIA for fear it would become corrupt without proper oversight). Acheson’s loyalty to President Truman is admirable, and contemporary politicians would be well to study his insights into Truman’s strengths as a leader. And if the minutiae of conversations and conferences with international politicians and diplomats seems considerable, it’s an effective reminder that this is how decisions were made: not according to partisan agenda, but by conversations among individuals that dug deep into the human components of a challenge, toward a macro-level solution allowing everyone to walk away from the table with their dignity intact. That required tact, tolerance, and persistence, qualities that we sorely need more of today. Highly recommended for anyone interested in politics or foreign policy.

[Don · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excruciating details and long descriptions almost prevent this book from rating five stars. The details and care are so rich, and the events described so important to understanding the development of the US foreign policy in the post-world-war II era, that they outweigh the heft of this book.

Occasionally, Acheson's wry observations of personality conflicts, bureaucratic infighting, diplomatic negotiations, and executive branch engagement with congressional leaders delightfully entertain and educate. One quote from the book mirrors my own experience in bureaucracy well: "I have long been the advocate of the heretical view that, whatever political scientists might say, policy in this country is made, as often as not, by the necessity of finding something to say for an important figure committed to speak without a prearranged subject." They provide a nice balance to the historical details that can sometimes weigh down the book.

This is an historical record of one of the major players of the cold war. I highly recommend the book for anyone interested in this time period.

[Tommy Powell · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well written and thoroughly enjoyable look inside the machinery of U.S. Government monetary policy coming out of WW II -and the birth of the IMF, World Bank and the WTO.

[Julio The Fox · Rating 3 out of 5]

In this case, the title is not hyperbole. Dean Acheson, U.S. Secretary of State under Truman, historian and racist, see his musings in this memoir on India and Rhodesia, he was a paid P.R. man for the white minority regime, sat in retirement and pondered the world he, Truman, General George Marshall, with an assist from Churchill, made after World War II. Acheson was the coldest of cold warriors but not stupid. He knew Douglas MacArthur's lone ranger tactics in Korea would spark a war with the Soviet Union the U.S. could not win, and at home Joseph McCarthy was doing the Communists a favor by targeting liberal supporters of the U.S. containment policy as Communists. The only moving moment of this memoir is Acheson's defense of his old friend Alger Hiss, "I do not intend to turn my back on him", without weighing in on the question of his guilt. His venom is reserved for Eisenhower, who "grossly misrepresented my position on Korea in 1950 and called the foreign policy of the Truman administration a series of improvisations". PRESENT AT THE CREATION combines political analysis with insider gossip and nineteenth-century British fictional prose. Gore Vidal once called Acheson "evil". Henry Kissinger named him "my favorite Secretary of State". The reader will have to decide.

[Bill Manzi · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Dean Acheson memoir, published in 1969, has a title that is actually very appropriate. Acheson was a State Department official serving under FDR, and later under Harry Truman, eventually rising to the position of Secretary of State. This memoir takes us on a tour of some of the most difficult, and momentous, times in American diplomatic history.

Acheson covers the critical post war period, offering first hand insights even for the period that he was out of government. That time presented truly difficult choices for the United States, with the decisions made delivering the post war system and consensus that we are all so familiar with. What were the issues, and how did the Post World War II world order come into being? Acheson covers the tough challenge that Stalin gave to the West immediately after the war, with a strong focus on the German question. The status of Germany post war, accepted and known now by our generation as western in outlook and governance, was not something that just happened. Josef Stalin put enormous political and psychological pressure on the West, including blockading Berlin, offering political inducements to the West Germans (potential re-unification under a “neutral” political framework) and creating major political obstacles to successful four power governance and occupation of defeated Germany. As the Germans moved to rebuild and become part of the European and world community the diplomatic challenges were stark. Acheson covers them in detail, with a quick look at the Marshall Plan. As Europe rebuilt after the war the seedlings of the Common Market, and the E.U. were planted. That diplomacy required substantial balancing between French fears of German industrial and military resurgence, and the German desire to shed the occupation and become re-integrated into the European community. Acheson spends much time on how this progressed, and all of the problems that needed to be overcome. The long and expensive cold war between East and West grew out of this dispute, and Acheson gives us a great viewpoint on Soviet Russia and the inherent difficulty of negotiating with Stalin. The fiscal difficulty of picking up the West, economically and militarily, is also looked at, with some discussion of getting the “allies” to pick up a greater share of the military burden, and the diplomatic and domestic issues surrounding that question. Fortunately Acheson and President Truman recognized the realities and made the necessary investment that enabled the U.S. to “contain” the Soviet threat. Acheson covers how the U.S. picked up the burden in Greece as the British were leaving, holding off the threat of “losing” Greece to Soviet influence.

Acheson was the face of U.S. foreign policy, along with George Marshall, during the Truman years, and he took plenty of heat from a GOP controlled Senate. His views on China, and on the issue of “who lost China” to the communists, brought much criticism from the Acheson described “primitives” of the Senate. Acheson is quite emphatic that the serious errors of Chiang caused the loss of the Nationalists to Mao, (even producing an extensive China White Paper) and I do believe that history has vindicated that judgement. But that political argument, in my view, had negative consequences for the U.S. for years to come, impacting the major policy makers as they considered U.S. options in Vietnam, giving them a political fear of “losing” Vietnam and being subjected to the same type of political attacks launched on Truman and Acheson on the China issue, in my view making decisions based on that political fear, rather than on a pragmatic policy basis. Despite his characterization by the GOP as soft on Chinese communism Acheson continued to be a staunch opponent of recognizing the Mao regime in Peking.

Acheson took major heat after the Korean War broke out, with critics citing his speech that outlined the “defensive perimeter” of the U.S. that omitted Korea. The critics, upon the North Korean invasion, cited the Acheson speech as an “invitation” to the Soviets and North Koreans to launch the military action. Acheson was highly sensitive to this charge, and took great pains to rebut it in the book. He gives us a good view of the action in Korea, with a very strong, negative view of the actions of General Douglas MacArthur, and strong support for President Truman’s eventual sacking of MacArthur. The diplomacy involved in the Korean conflict, the Soviet error of leaving the U.N. in advance of the vote to oppose the North Koreans by the international community, and the connection of the Korean and Taiwan (Formosa) issues are covered extensively.

No Acheson book can be complete without mentioning that he operated in the period that spawned Joseph McCarthy. McCarthy, and the Acheson described “primitives,” are covered extensively, and the damages done by them were felt for years. Hyper-partisanship, and party hatred, did not start in 2016. As GOP Senator McCarthy and his minions terrorized the U.S. government, and the State Department especially, some in Congress spoke out against the madness. Republican Senator Margaret Chase Smith, in her Declaration of Conscience, issued in 1950, (joined by 16 colleagues) said: ‘The nation sorely needs a Republican victory. But I do not want to see the Republican Party ride to political victory on the Four Horseman of Calumny-fear, ignorance, bigotry, and smear.” (Acheson, Dean Present at the Creation page 365) Of course Acheson was the subject of many of these attacks, and the back and forth with the Senate, and how this dynamic impacted foreign policy, is covered extensively.

Finally Acheson covers the policy adopted by the U.S. with regards to Indochina. Acheson exhibits a dim view of French policy, but concedes that U.S. policy makers, himself included, felt constrained by the need to counter the Soviets in Europe, and feared French backlash if the U.S. were to become too critical of the failed French policy in Indochina. He exhibits, at this early date, some of the same failures of thought that characterized U.S. policy makers in the decades to come, especially with regards to Ho Chi Minh. Acheson tacitly admits the failure, but confesses that even as he wrote the memoir he could not justify the policies, but could not think of a workable alternative. For those that think the study of history is a waste of time look at the early development of U.S. Indochina policy, and how ignorance of history helped to foster one of the greatest foreign policy disasters in U.S. history.

Acheson truly was “present at the creation,” being the State Department (not as Secretary) representative to the Bretton Woods Conference that established the post war financial system, including the IMF and the World Bank, working on the creation of NATO, as well as the economic agreements that started the European Common Market, and the E.U., and was one of the key architects of the “containment” policy designed to limit Soviet influence and expansion at a time of great strategic danger for the U.S. He was not the Secretary, but the U.S. recognition of the State of Israel in 1948 by President Truman was one of the major post war foreign policy decisions that helped to shape the new world order. (Both Acheson and General Marshall were opposed) Managing the British retrenchment world wide, especially in the Middle East, started with Truman and Acheson. He managed the German question, but was also responsible for concluding the peace treaty with Japan, helping to craft the post war order in that vital part of the world. Acheson designed the process that effectively prevented the Soviets from derailing the treaty, or making changes that would have been inimical to U.S. interests. His work there was outstanding, and is still being felt in a positive way today.

This book is very long, and could have benefitted from the omission of many minor details. Acheson is exceedingly deferential to President Truman but is not afraid to highlight areas of disagreement with his boss. He is less deferential to FDR, with whom he had some major areas of disagreement. I read this book the old fashioned way as it was not available on Kindle. Despite the length I am happy to have read it, and recommend it to those interested in how the post World War II world order was established. Acheson was a major intellectual force in the development of that order, and certainly one of the most impactful Secretaries in U.S. history.

[Paula · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had expected so much more from this book. Dean Acheson was such a pivotal part of this historic period, I expected real insight into the thoughts and reasons for the policies and actions of the presidential administrations of his time. Instead, it read like a gossip columnist's diatribe. It was long on this person's petty behaviors and that person's partisan words. I wanted reasoned explanation, but got personality conflicts. Even at that it was not insightful. There was no explanation of why the personalities had differences of opinion. It was just a he said, she said. Since I had no idea who most of those people were, it was meaningless to me. I'm not altogether certain that I would have enjoyed this book even if I did have the faintest idea of who all of those people were. The book just reads like someone's diary entries. Acheson does not even represent the reasons for his own point of view, yet that of anyone else around him. The only reason I gave it two stars instead of one is that there were occasional, albeit very brief stories upon occasion. But even these stories were mere glimpses into some quirky action on someone's part, rather than real insight into personality or policy. I wanted to love this, but it was just boring.

[Liam · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very, very boring for the most part, but highly detailed. My primary interest in reading this book was Acheson's "insider" account of U.S. policy toward France and the so-called Associated States (Viet Nam, Cambodia & Laos) during the First Indochina War. The majority of this memoir dealt with other matters in great and lengthy detail, which I found difficult to struggle through even though Acheson's extremely clear writing style made the task easier than it might have been. I have to say, though, that "Present At The Creation" is not only indispensable for the study of the U.N., but also for the study of U.S. politico-military policy during WWII, Korea, and the early years of the Indochina conflict as well. I am glad that I managed to get a copy of this book, but I am just as glad that I got this copy gratis! (Thanx again to John King Books, Detroit)

[Michael Ting · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having first read the wise men & Dean Acheson: life in the Cold War, I was delighted to pickup a copy of Present at the Creation. One of the best memoirs I’ve read, certainly deserving of the Pulitzer Prize it bagged in 1970. Acheson is a cheeky cynic and at some points, comical.

Acheson remarks are very memorable & colorful- I particularly liked the ones on hurricane Vandenberg where he referred to former senate majority leader as a cyclone full of hot air spinning counter clockwise who would set progress back a few months.

[Mel [profile closed] · Rating 5 out of 5]

You need to know your American History for this one, but if you do, it's a truly fascinating read. Acheson was the Secretary of State in the late 40s and early 50s and was indeed "present at the creation" of every major U.S. Policy of the time, from the Marshall Plan to the policy of containment used for the Soviet Union. This is an "in the beginning" book, that let's you understand how things got this way.

[Rick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Former Secretary of State, in a detailed fashion, writes of his 12 years in the State Department. I learned a lot from reading this book. He has points of view, so those come through clearly; but his specific recollections of events and discussions are very helpful.

[Peter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Why do I read Cold War memoirs? Well, they wrote better than political types nowadays. Dean Acheson’s Present at the Creation couldn’t be written and, likely, would not be published in its current state by any politician or bureaucrat today. Acheson served as Secretary of State during a crucial period of Harry Truman’s presidency, and worked at various other State Department roles for most of the FDR-Truman period. He was one of the architects of American Cold War strategy and an avatar of the “best and the brightest” Ivy League WASP elite, right down to the Mid-Atlantic accent, menswear choices, and concomitant borderline-queer-baiting at the hands of Joe McCarthy.

He tells the story of his time at State in excruciating detail, seemingly down to the smallest bureaucratic battles, but it’s made bearable, fun even, by his beautiful prose style and bitchy little asides. Of course, he uses this to make himself out as the reasonable man in a world full of political hacks, ideologues left and right, and time-servers, and beyond directing his choice of digs his self-depiction also shapes the structure of the book and its argument. I’m reasonably sympathetic to the argument, in one of the perennial debates in American diplomatic history (my old stomping ground!) that Acheson made Truman out to be the great American leader in this memoirs precisely because Acheson could order Truman around when it came to foreign policy. He couldn’t do that with FDR, and Acheson seldom misses a chance to make FDR out to be be something between a force of nature and a spoiled dilettante child meddling where he shouldn’t. Acheson might very well have genuinely believed that the sine qua non of responsible statesmanship was listening to him, and therefore, Truman was the greater man.

As he himself was well aware, Dean Acheson did not lack self-regard: “Present at the Creation” is a reference to a story that some Spanish King said if he had been present at the creation of the world, he’d have some choice suggestions for God. Moreover, Acheson published this in 1971, after his last major statement on American diplomacy: telling JFK that he should get out of Vietnam. Sure, Acheson was a Cold Warrior, is how he positions himself, but not a dummy. He was a tragically noble holder of the line, not some psycho hawk. You might be surprised how many of the old school Cold Warriors at or around State thought that way- I actually have met a few in my travels, or their epigones. Well, that’s as may be. A lot went into the decisions to get into Vietnam and stay there. A major part of Kennedy’s strategic calculus was seeing what happened to the likes of Acheson after his generation of Cold Warriors “lost China,” stalemated in Korea, and never rolled anything back in Europe. The Republicans ate their lunch and, very relevant to the image-conscious Kennedys, humiliated them, emasculated them. With Goldwater waiting in the wings… Acheson, old-school Wilsonian progressive Democrat, didn’t think such concerns should apply. Well, they do, especially to a massive generational ideological warfare project like the Cold War. Acheson, like the best of his WASP-y generation, is equal measures frustrating and fascinating. Let me break the Yalie mood and say this gigantic book almost works best as a bathroom read- short, pithy chapters, often ending on an ironic note, with discrete boundaries.

[David Hill · Rating 3 out of 5]

More like 3.5 stars, rounded down.

Looking at the title of this book, a prospective reader might wonder "at the creation of what?"

The list is long. The Second World War changed everything. We're talking about the start of the Cold War, obviously. But also the beginning of the United Nations, NATO, the Marshall Plan, the Israeli state, and the decolonization of the European powers, to name just a few. The world of 1953, at the end of Acheson's term as Secretary of State, looked almost nothing like the world of ten or fifteen years prior.

The book is Acheson's version of events from his personal point of view, over his seven or eight years in the State Department. I've read quite a bit of the history of the period and I find his account is not overly slanted in his favor.

I would have given a fourth star, but I always try to be careful with these reviews. This review is of the book itself, not of the events described therein. I rate Acheson's achievements quite highly, particularly in comparison to those who followed him. But I struggled at times wading through the text. Acheson is a bit prolix. In spite of his wit, it often reads like meeting minutes ("The meeting began at 9:30. In attendance were A, B, C, and D. We discussed X, Y, and Z."). Given a good editor, I think the book could have been a couple of hundred pages shorter and not lost anything.

[Larkin H · Rating 4 out of 5]

Acheson kept, perhaps, the most detailed notes of any civil servant, as evident through out his memoir. Long, detailed, sometimes dragging, however it is undeniable that Dean Acheson lived through and was present in dealing with some of the major events of the 20th century and the creation of the post-war world. From the creation of the Marshall Plan to the founding of the United Nations and NATO to the Korean War and formulating policy towards the Soviet Union and the newly created communist state in China, Acheson was present. The title might seem self serving but in many ways it is accurate.

It is a very long read. I took my time and felt that was best...spacing out a few chapters from time to time while reading many other books in between. But Acheson's work is a must-read for anyone interested in the post-war era politics and for anyone (which should be everyone but sadly is not) who holds those in leadership at that time in high regards. They did not do a perfect job but they damn well got as close as they could. The memoir is filled with examples of leadership and policy direction for which American politics would only be so lucky to enjoy today.

[Joseph Millo · Rating 5 out of 5]

In 1969 Dean Acheson published this book as memoirs of his tenure in the State Department from 1941 to the end of the Truman presidency in 1953. My original intent in reading this 800 page tome was to become better informed about a man whose name constantly pops up when reading about the first post-WWII decade of world affairs. While the book will give you a detailed understandingly Acheson’s personality and character, it is more a history of international affairs from 1941 through 1952. One of the things I learned is the incredible amount of behind-the-scenes work that goes into negotiating international agreements – and the statesmanship required to win congressional approval. After reading the book, I was surprised (and not surprised) to discover it was awarded the 1970 Pulitzer Prize for History.

[Luana · Rating 5 out of 5]

A comprehensive review of US foreign policy strategy in the wake of WWII into 1952, as written by then Secretary of State Dean Acheson. This book includes an astounding amount of detail and play-by-play accounts of events from forming the Bretton Woods institutions, to crafting of the Marshall Plan, to laying the building blocks of the European Economic Area (then EU). This memoir sets a high standard for inclusion of texture (who, when, where, impressions, letters, perceptions, reporting, etc.) in an autobiography. At 737 pages, this book is a comprehensive account of the events of the day. You can read it as you would a historic account, with more humor and charm than a history book.

[James Thompson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I learned a ton about the history of the post-WWII era in the world and in the U.S. Acheson was a key player during this era. His account is fascinating. He gets too much down in the weeds for my tastes but nevertheless an excellent read.

[David Celley · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very interesting narrative about the changes taking place in world politics from 1939 to 1953, from the man who was deeply involved from our standpoint serving in various foreign service capacities including Secretary of State during the Truman Administration.

[Will · Rating 4 out of 5]

Acheson was such a pretentious spoon at times but in this book I find that almost endearing. At the very least he was better than the homophobic morons who filled the Senate during the Truman era.

[Daniel Posthumus · Rating 5 out of 5]

Touching exchange of letters between two giant statesmen and, more humbly, two great friends.

[Brian · Rating 4 out of 5]

An incredible book filled with amazing insights, but I am absolutely glad to be done with that 800 page beast.

[Ray · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredibly detailed (almost to a fault at points lol), but fascinating inside look at the creation of the post-war world

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Often I couldn't put this down. Working in a fortune 500 fabless semiconductor company in 2013, I could identify with the wrangling to garner support, countering opposition without alienating, clarifying policy and all the beaurocratic wrangling. This book provided a foundation in understanding Russian diplomacy (and how even to this day they negotiate like 3 year olds who must check with Moscow before every little decision), the formation of the EU (NATO) and the seeds of middle east insanity. And it was published a year before I was born. Many hate Dean Acheson for the Korean war. This is a useful history lesson as we are poised to drop bombs in Syria. If Mr. Acheson were alive today and asked what to do, I imagine he'd advise, "just don't put anyone like Douglas MacArthur in charge!"

[Erika RS]

Those of you who know me, know that I am not much of a history person, and this book contains some quite heavy history (~740 pages of it). Despite my general aversion to history, I found the book quite interesting. This was aided, in part, by the engaging material. It was further aided by Acheson's writing style. The book was peppered with amusing anecdotes that made historical figures seem like real live people (wax earplugs are not to be eaten). The book was also very well organized. My favorite touch was that the year in which the action on a page takes place was printed on the inner section of the header of that page. Very nice.

[Matt Simmons · Rating 3 out of 5]

I started this book while on a trip to China. It has some of the best descriptions of how U.S. foreign policy and government function, but parts of it are pretty dated. Definitely more fun to read when you're traveling the world than when you're sitting at home.

[Curtis Bentley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Full of information and insight. An absolute chore to get through. I made it most of the way through, but I had to come back to it 3 times over the course of two years. Tough even for one accustomed to pushing through dry nonfiction.

[Kip · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well, an amazing book, about the bureaucracy and workings of the state department. Yes, those two word, "amazing" and 'bureaucracy" are not too often found together in the same sentence, and if one does not like reading about a bureaucracy, then one will

[Brian · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've been halfway through this book for the last two years. Still, that's halfway farther than most people get, right?

[Miriam · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dean Acheson's voice in this book is salty in the way you might enjoy reading but it's clear he was a real dick IRL. (The book begins with an Apologia Pro Libro Hoc. I mean.)