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bhgold1711's review against another edition
3.0
Overall this book was a good insight into the hollowing out of the State Department and diplomatic corps. And from that perspective, it was useful. Unfortunately, it felt that half of the book was more about documenting the failed attempts of the late Richard Holbrooke, for whom Ronan Farrow worked, and solidifying his legacy, rather than merely telling the story of the failures of government. While the book recognizes Holbrooke's flaws, it also treats him with a seeming level of reverence few others get, which tinges that first half.
nickyg123's review against another edition
5.0
Just really freaking good. So well-structured (I often think non-fiction isn't structured well and redundant, but that could be a personal thing with non-fiction) and well-written - no surprise coming from this pulitzer winner but seriously, this book reads like a spy novel. The combination of high-level explanations paired with interviews and first-hand accounts worked really well. I particularly liked part 2, exploring the US's failures due to lack of diplomacy in Syria, Afghanistan, the Horn of Africa, Egypt and Colombia. Just the right thing for a foreign policy nerd. It took me a while, but non-fiction usually does. I'm glad I took the time though.
__karen__'s review against another edition
4.0
Very interesting book about U.S. diplomacy in recent history. Farrow pulls no punches and although he was employed by the State Department in the Obama administration, has plenty of criticism for recent administrations. He shares insider perspective that I found fascinating, especially stories about his time at foreign posts. The book sometimes got a bit bogged down in detail (thus subtracted a star), however, still a good read.
bookgoonie's review against another edition
5.0
Unfortunately my desire to learn more about the State Department & diplomacy is wrapped up in the shortfalls of this current administration. I’m sure if I’d had been more diligent. educated & interested over the years I probably would have taken away even more from this book full of people & places I don’t have a face for. But I was definitely enlightened to multi-president falling away of diplomacy and movement toward military options. It makes me wonder if this trend is related to those presidents that didn’t serve themselves & their need to beef up their administration with the sexier-testosterone military. As disappointed as I was to see past presidents’ tenure in my mind dim a little or a lot, the current administration blinks loudly “ALERT‼️”. Ronan did a great job narrating his book & one of the reasons I chose the audio.
sonni89's review against another edition
5.0
Ronan Farrow is a genius and US foreign policy is generally horrifying.
That's it, that's the review.
No, in all seriousness, this was a super fascinating read and definitely gave me more of an understanding of the ever-growing decline in diplomacy and increase in military use in US foreign policy. Ronan Farrow does an incredible job with this seriously well-sourced book. He got so, so many people on the record, not just every living US Secretary of State, a plethora of diplomats, and a couple of warlords (truly, the chapter on his interview with the Afghan warlord was probably the most fascinating one in the book), it shows the depressing dismantling of the State Department in 2017 and just overall does a really good job covering the negotiation parts of US foreign policy. And yeah, a lot of it is horrifying to read (particularly what kind of foreign regimes US governments end up propping up for their own interests), but it was such a good book.
That's it, that's the review.
No, in all seriousness, this was a super fascinating read and definitely gave me more of an understanding of the ever-growing decline in diplomacy and increase in military use in US foreign policy. Ronan Farrow does an incredible job with this seriously well-sourced book. He got so, so many people on the record, not just every living US Secretary of State, a plethora of diplomats, and a couple of warlords (truly, the chapter on his interview with the Afghan warlord was probably the most fascinating one in the book), it shows the depressing dismantling of the State Department in 2017 and just overall does a really good job covering the negotiation parts of US foreign policy. And yeah, a lot of it is horrifying to read (particularly what kind of foreign regimes US governments end up propping up for their own interests), but it was such a good book.
hilarydot's review against another edition
Published in 2017, but a timely read as the U.S. pulls out of Afghanistan. I learned a lot from this book. Farrow inserts just enough of himself into the story to make it personal and interesting without being a distraction.
kamagates4's review against another edition
4.0
War on Peace by Ronan Farrow examines the fall of the United States Department of State and the rise of the military machine. With firsthand examples from countless people around the world, Farrow dives into how this subtle and poorly understood change has affected not only the United States but countries around the world.
I read this book right after the United States withdrew from Afghanistan, hoping, though written prior to this event, could maybe help shed some light on US diplomacy and I was not let down. Farrow is incredibly detail oriented with facts in just about every statement. Not only did he take the time to interview everyone from policy makers to warlords, he also provided his first hand experience as a civil servant and representative of various NGOs. However, the book's structure was a bit hard to follow. It seemed to bounce around in time frame which made it difficult to track when and where the author was at any given point. Also, this is Ronan Farrow and if you've watched any interview or read anything about him prior, his writing style would not be a shock to you but if this is your first, there are some off hand comments about fashion or style that are not necessary to the story but did make me chuckle but I could see might be off-putting to others. Lastly, I am abundantly left on the political spectrum and this book was even a bit much for me in some areas, especially the ongoing note about Richard Holbrooke. I'd give this book a solid 3.5 out of five (4 because GoodReads). Audio book.
I read this book right after the United States withdrew from Afghanistan, hoping, though written prior to this event, could maybe help shed some light on US diplomacy and I was not let down. Farrow is incredibly detail oriented with facts in just about every statement. Not only did he take the time to interview everyone from policy makers to warlords, he also provided his first hand experience as a civil servant and representative of various NGOs. However, the book's structure was a bit hard to follow. It seemed to bounce around in time frame which made it difficult to track when and where the author was at any given point. Also, this is Ronan Farrow and if you've watched any interview or read anything about him prior, his writing style would not be a shock to you but if this is your first, there are some off hand comments about fashion or style that are not necessary to the story but did make me chuckle but I could see might be off-putting to others. Lastly, I am abundantly left on the political spectrum and this book was even a bit much for me in some areas, especially the ongoing note about Richard Holbrooke. I'd give this book a solid 3.5 out of five (4 because GoodReads). Audio book.
greatlibraryofalexandra's review against another edition
3.0
I’m giving this three stars, and it’s not really for content, but more for organization. I think Farrow is an excellent, engaging writer and his work here is phenomenal. As someone who spends a majority of my time working on “mahogany row,” I appreciated the familiarity of the book and the accuracy of State Department “feel” that was throughout it. Having just finished Madeleine Albright’s memoirs, it was particularly moving to read the Holbrooke-focused chapter.
However, I thought the book was formatted very poorly. Chronologically, it jumped all over the place. It often got very confusing, and I just felt there could have been a more linear process to the point Farrow was trying to make. Instead it came across as a collection of loosely related essays, which softened what should have been a scathing indictment of a diplomatic corps that is increasingly being militarized. As an afterthought, despite my many political agreements with Farrow, I’d say this book suffers from serious selection bias.
However, I thought the book was formatted very poorly. Chronologically, it jumped all over the place. It often got very confusing, and I just felt there could have been a more linear process to the point Farrow was trying to make. Instead it came across as a collection of loosely related essays, which softened what should have been a scathing indictment of a diplomatic corps that is increasingly being militarized. As an afterthought, despite my many political agreements with Farrow, I’d say this book suffers from serious selection bias.