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A review by alexfromatlanta
War on Peace: The End of Diplomacy and the Decline of American Influence by Ronan Farrow
5.0
Let's begin by noting that this book wasn't what I thought it was going to be. While promoting the release, Mr. Farrow made a point of mentioning that he'd interviewed every living Sec. of State. Somehow that translated in my head to mean that the book would be a series of pontifications from elder statesmen about the state of the world. I read this immediately following Madeleine Albright's new book, Fascism, expecting more of the same
I was very wrong. Instead, Mr. Farrow pulls the curtain back on several of the most prominent Foreign Policy battlegrounds of the last 30 years. In compelling narrative detail, you get to see the power struggles between diplomats, military leaders, warlords and heads of state.
Given the time span, Mr. Farrow deals with several Presidential administrations (and deals with them fairly in my opinion). The overarching theme is that, regardless of who is in power, US diplomatic power has been on the wane for a while now. By investing more heavily in military solutions and the arming of foreign actors, we've not only made many situations worse but actually planted the seeds of our struggles down the line.
I found it interesting that Mr. Farrow calls out several events in the book that have been depicted in major Hollywood films (e.g. Black Hawk Down & Charlie Wilson's War). In every case, Mr. Farrow mentions the films to say that they didn't give the full account, and in fact, real life was much more complicated than Hollywood would have us believe. Those moments really drive home the importance of books like this. They provide us opportunities dig deeper and understand the world better.
The book ends in the present, at a time when the State Department has undergone significant budget cuts and been largely sidelined by the Trump administration. Couple this with a purge of career Foreign Service offices and declining recruitment opportunities, and our diplomatic strength is at a historic low.
The book rings of slight Doomsdayism, but with solid examples from the recent past, it's an easy sell. American interest must be guarded by both our might and our influence. When our influence is gone, we're only left with our guns. Here's hoping that Mr. Farrow inspires a generation of future diplomats, and that we, the voting public, can demand that our government lead with handshakes before fists.
I was very wrong. Instead, Mr. Farrow pulls the curtain back on several of the most prominent Foreign Policy battlegrounds of the last 30 years. In compelling narrative detail, you get to see the power struggles between diplomats, military leaders, warlords and heads of state.
Given the time span, Mr. Farrow deals with several Presidential administrations (and deals with them fairly in my opinion). The overarching theme is that, regardless of who is in power, US diplomatic power has been on the wane for a while now. By investing more heavily in military solutions and the arming of foreign actors, we've not only made many situations worse but actually planted the seeds of our struggles down the line.
I found it interesting that Mr. Farrow calls out several events in the book that have been depicted in major Hollywood films (e.g. Black Hawk Down & Charlie Wilson's War). In every case, Mr. Farrow mentions the films to say that they didn't give the full account, and in fact, real life was much more complicated than Hollywood would have us believe. Those moments really drive home the importance of books like this. They provide us opportunities dig deeper and understand the world better.
The book ends in the present, at a time when the State Department has undergone significant budget cuts and been largely sidelined by the Trump administration. Couple this with a purge of career Foreign Service offices and declining recruitment opportunities, and our diplomatic strength is at a historic low.
The book rings of slight Doomsdayism, but with solid examples from the recent past, it's an easy sell. American interest must be guarded by both our might and our influence. When our influence is gone, we're only left with our guns. Here's hoping that Mr. Farrow inspires a generation of future diplomats, and that we, the voting public, can demand that our government lead with handshakes before fists.