The Back Channel: A Memoir of American Diplomacy and the Case for Its Renewal
by William J. Burns
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Description
"Ambassador William J. Burns is the most distinguished and admired American diplomat of the last half century. Over the course of four decades, he played a central role in the most consequential diplomatic episodes of his time--from the bloodless end of the Cold War to post-Cold War relations with Putin's Russia, from post-9/11 tumult in the Middle East to the secret nuclear talks with Iran. Upon his retirement, Secretary John Kerry said Burns belonged on "the short list of American show more diplomatic legends, alongside George Kennan." In The Back Channel, Burns recounts with vivid detail and incisive analysis some of the seminal moments of his career. He draws on a trove of newly declassified cables and memos to give readers a rare, inside look at American diplomacy in action, and of the people who worked with him. His dispatches from war-torn Chechnya and Qadhafi's camp in the deserts of Libya and his searing memos warning of the "Perfect Storm" unleashed by the Iraq War will reshape our understanding of history and the policy debates of the future. Burns sketches the contours of effective American leadership in a world that resembles neither the zero-sum Cold War contest of his early years as a diplomat, nor the "unipolar moment" of American primacy that followed. Ultimately, The Back Channel is an eloquent, deeply informed, and timely story of a life spent in service of American interests abroad, as well as a powerful reminder, in a time of great turmoil, of the importance of diplomacy"-- show lessTags
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Member Reviews
I picked up this book to understand the machinery of American diplomacy as I’ve been fascinated by the reach and influence of the State Department since I was a kid watching the news on CRT screens.
On that front, I was left wanting more. While Burns recounted in his book high-level meetings with colleagues, superiors, counterparts and even heads of state, the narrative often feels anecdotal rather than procedural. I was looking for the "logistics" of the craft: the gritty details of how backchannels are built and the daily friction of embassy life. Instead, these elements are mostly mentioned in passing.
However, the book is still an essential read for its "backstage tour" of modern history. Burns provides an incredible vantage point show more on the tectonic shifts in global power, specifically the rise of Putin in Russia and the cascading turmoil across the Middle East. show less
On that front, I was left wanting more. While Burns recounted in his book high-level meetings with colleagues, superiors, counterparts and even heads of state, the narrative often feels anecdotal rather than procedural. I was looking for the "logistics" of the craft: the gritty details of how backchannels are built and the daily friction of embassy life. Instead, these elements are mostly mentioned in passing.
However, the book is still an essential read for its "backstage tour" of modern history. Burns provides an incredible vantage point show more on the tectonic shifts in global power, specifically the rise of Putin in Russia and the cascading turmoil across the Middle East. show less
Excellent advocacy and insight to the USA dilema in diplomatic intervention .... or not! a good case for removal and/or sustenance. well worth the read
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Author Information
5 Works 173 Members
William J. Burns is president of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. He retired from the U.S. Foreign Service in 2014 after a thirty-three-year diplomatic career. He is only the second serving career diplomat in history to become deputy secretary of state. Ambassador Burns also served as undersecretary for political affairs, as show more assistant secretary of state for near eastern affairs, and as ambassador to Russia and Jordan, among other senior assignments at the State Department and White House. show less
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Common Knowledge
- Canonical title
- The Back Channel: A Memoir of American Diplomacy and the Case for Its Renewal
Classifications
- Genres
- Nonfiction, Politics and Government, History, Biography & Memoir, General Nonfiction
- DDC/MDS
- 327.2092 — Society, government, & culture Political science International Relations: Spies Diplomacy Biography And History Biography
- LCC
- E840.8 .B857 .A3 — History of the United States United States Later twentieth century, 1961-2000 Biography (General)
- BISAC
Statistics
- Members
- 170
- Popularity
- 193,170
- Reviews
- 2
- Rating
- (4.33)
- Languages
- English
- Media
- Paper, Audiobook, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 8
- ASINs
- 2
