Imperfect Partners: The United States and Southeast Asia

by Scot Marciel

Imperfect Partners is a unique hybrid – part memoir, part foreign policy study of U.S. relations with Southeast Asia, a critically important region that has become the central arena in the global U.S.-China competition. From the People Power revolt in the Philippines to the opening of diplomatic relations with Vietnam, from building a partnership with newly democratic Indonesia to responding to genocide in Myanmar and coups in Thailand, Scot Marciel was present and involved. His direct involvement and deep knowledge of the region, along with his extensive policymaking work in Washington, allows him to bring to life the complexities and realities of key events and U.S. responses, along with rare insights into U.S. foreign policy decisionmaking and the work of American diplomats in the field.

Genres: Asia

560 pages, Paperback

Published March 15, 2023

Reviews

[Anthony Nelson · Rating 5 out of 5]

There have been a surge of books recently looking at Southeast Asia in the context of its relationship with China, but this extremely valuable volume focuses on how U.S. policy has been developed and executed, all through the prism of one of its foremost practitioners. Scot Marciel has been personally involved in many of the most consequential events of the last 30 years of the region's history, so he has fascinating and well-told personal anecodtes to offer, but students of the region will find most valuable his account of WHY the U.S. government acted how it did from a State department perspective, what kind of discussions were being had around key issues, and, most crucially, his own personal accounting of choices he might have made if given complete control as well as areas where he feels he could or should have made a better choice. One of, if not the most, useful books for young americans interested in Southeast Asia in years.

(full disclosure- I have known the author for many years and interacted professionally with him during many of the events described in the book)

[Hunter Marston · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review forthcoming