What Good Is Grand Strategy?

Power and Purpose in American Statecraft from Harry S. Truman to George W. Bush

De: Hal Brands

Narrado por: Todd Belcher

"Grand strategy" is one of the most widely used and abused concepts in the foreign policy lexicon. In this important book, Hal Brands explains why grand strategy is a concept that is so alluring - and so elusive - to those who make American statecraft. He explores what grand strategy is, why it is so essential, and why it is so hard to get right amid the turbulence of global affairs and the chaos of domestic politics. At a time when "grand strategy" is very much in vogue, Brands critically appraises just how feasible that endeavor really is.

Brands takes a historical approach to this subject, examining how four presidential administrations, from that of Harry S. Truman to that of George W. Bush, sought to "do" grand strategy at key inflection points in the history of modern U.S. foreign policy. As examples ranging from the early Cold War to the Reagan years to the War on Terror demonstrate, grand strategy can be an immensely rewarding undertaking - but also one that is full of potential pitfalls on the long road between conception and implementation. Brands concludes by offering valuable suggestions for how American leaders might approach the challenges of grand strategy in the years to come.

The book is published by Cornell University Press.

©2014 Cornell University (P)2015 Redwood Audiobooks

Reseñas de la Crítica

"Overall, this is simply one of the best and most useful books on grand strategy that I have seen." (Colin Dueck, George Mason University)

"This compelling book fills an important niche; it should become a core text in the study of grand strategy and foreign policy." (Francis J. Gavin, Tom Slick Professor of International Affairs and Director of the Robert S. Strauss Center for International Security and Law, University of Texas at Austin)