5. Acheson: The Secretary of State Who Created the American World by James Chance

Dean Acheson was born in 1893 and died in 1971, this book, however, pays little attention to his life other than between about 1939 and 1953 when he served either as the Secretary of State (1949 to 1953) or as a member of the Secretary of State's staff. Acheson served President Roosevelt for a few years until he died and then served President Truman. He was an exceptional man presiding over foreign policy in an exceptional time. During his tenure he contributed to the development of the U.S. policy towards the Soviet Union, the Marshall Plan, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Bay of Pigs, the formation of NATO, and the development of post-war Western Europe. Not bad for a little more than a decade in government! Whether you like the outcome or not, Acheson was responsible for the world in which we all grew up.

This was a fascinating book covering a period that I don't know a lot about. A few things struck me as I read: first, the caliber of people that served in the government at that time is much greater than the caliber of people who are serving today. Hilary Clinton is no Dean Acheson. Second, people in the 50s were so flowery in their language and vocabulary. Third, after World War II it is clear that the US did not really have a great idea about what it was doing, what its foreign policies should be, and how it should go about implementing them. It seems that the US was just as close to trying to befriend Stalin's Soviet Union as it was to trying to take a forceful stand and the decision to be forceful seemed quite accidental.

I would highly recommend this book.