In The Shadows Of History: Fifty Years Behind The Scenes Of Cold War Diplomacy [Hardcover]

Chester L Cooper (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 3, 2005

During his long, distinguished career, Chester L Cooper has served in the White House, State Department, and CIA, often as a deputy to such high-profile statesman as John Foster Dulles and Averell Harriman. He has been near the centre of power during many of the crises of our nation's recent history. In this engrossing memoir, he offers an insider's glimpse into the memorable events and important decisions in which he personally participated - from the conflict over the Suez Canal in 1956 and the Cuban missile crisis of 1962 to the difficult peace negotiations of the Viet Nam War, dealing with Soviet officials during the Reagan years, and today addressing the problems of global climate change. As one of those over-stressed civil servants, Cooper has unique, behind-the-scenes insights into the personalities of many now historic individuals, including Presidents John F Kennedy and Lyndon Johnson, Robert Kennedy, Robert McNamara, Dean Rusk, Allen Dulles, John Foster Dulles, Averell Harriman, Anthony Eden, Harold Wilson, Nikita Khrushchev, and Ho Chi Minh. Cooper's reflections on the friendships, animosities, and enduring relationships within the network of government insiders reveal the human side of policy-making and offer important lessons for the future course of international relations.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Footnoted in various cold war-related histories and memoirs, Cooper worked for the OSS, CIA, NSC, and Department of State until exiting government in 1969. This memoir traces his role in such cold war milestones as the 1954 Geneva conference on Indochina, the Cuban missile crisis of 1962, and Vietnam. Fine material for historians, but will such an obscure figure interest the recreational history buff? Happily, yes, for Cooper's ironic sensibility endows his account--at least of his formative years--with readably breezy self-deprecation. This tone never vanishes from the narrative of his advancing career, and indeed inures him from undue awe toward the powerful figures he worked for (Robert McNamara contributes a foreword). He turns serious, however, when he discusses Vietnam and details how he assisted Averell Harriman during futile peace overtures to the Communist North. Cooper's memorable memoir is replete with pungent observations of CIA chiefs, cabinet secretaries, and British prime ministers. Gilbert Taylor
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Review

"...a valuable contribution to our knowledge and understanding of some of the crucial events of the past century." -- Stanley Karnow, Pulitzer Prize winning author of Vietnam: A History

"...actually shines a bright light on America's role in the world....with lessons so relevant to today." -- Daniel Yergin, Pulitizer Prize winning author of The Prize: the Epic Quest for Oil, Money, and Power and Commanding Heights: the Battle for the World Economy

"When...stakes could not have been higher, he was near the center of the historic events that shaped our lives." -- Richard Holbrooke, former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations (1999-2001) and the author of

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 359 pages
• Publisher: Prometheus Books (June 3, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1591022940
• ISBN-13: 978-1591022947
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,832,237 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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