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The Politics of Diplomacy Hardcover – September 26, 1995

by James A. Baker III (Author)
4.3 out of 5 stars 14 customer reviews
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Product Details

  • Hardcover: 687 pages
  • Publisher: Putnam Adult; First Edition edition (September 26, 1995)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0399140875
  • ISBN-13: 978-0399140877
  • Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 2.2 x 6.4 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 2.6 pounds
  • Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #265,005 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Top Customer Reviews

3.0 out of 5 starsGood biography, ok for history
By Amazon Customer on February 27, 2001
Format: Audio Cassette
This book is a fascinating look at James Baker's tenure as Secretary of State. Baker writes a massive book seperated by area of work; ie one chapter on Eastern Europe, one on the Persian Gulf War, etc.; which causes a little confusion in terms of the timeline, but it is easily sorted out. The one massive flaw is that he makes virtually no mention of Vice President Quayle and some others in the foreign policy process and absolutely lionizes himself. While I realize that this is a memoir, and as such is meant to build up the author, but this seems to go a bit over the edge. IF you want to find out how Baker thought and worked, this is an incredible book. If you are looking for history, read this with many other books.
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5.0 out of 5 starsOutstanding practitioner of diplomacy in our times
By joe L. White on May 17, 2014
Format: Hardcover Verified Purchase
The Politics of Diplomacy is an outstanding contribution to the study of American foreign policy and the art of diplomacy as practiced by one of the best practitioners in the 20th-21st centuries.

Great insight into the workings of the world!
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5.0 out of 5 starsAlthough quite detailed for most readers, I found the ...
By Lyall Hartley on June 21, 2015
Format: Hardcover Verified Purchase
Although quite detailed for most readers, I found the contextual information as valuable and the policy positions of the Bush I administration. He assisted the reader with the intricacies of foreign diplomacy that one cannot pick up in local news reports about positions taken by any presidential administration. I personally appreciate his insight into the psyche of foreign leaders as we continue to work out some the same policy problems still facing our country. Kudos!
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5.0 out of 5 starsA Unique and Valuable Memoir
By Grateful for the U.K as well on February 16, 2016
Format: Hardcover Verified Purchase
This book should be required reading in every college-level class in International Relations. The author gives lesson after lesson in the complexities and frustrations of diplomacy and the level of leadership and teamwork necessary to achieve any favorable result. I could not help but admire Mr. Baker's tenacity and dedication. It's my opinion that, if our Country were so fortunate as to have more officials in high office like Mr. Baker, we would have far fewer problems in the World. That said, this is not a book for the casual reader. It is not an "easy read". Almost every page demands critical evaluation and attention to detail.
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2.0 out of 5 starsDisappointing ...
By David Dutch on February 20, 2007
Format: Hardcover
I guess I am the scrooge of the reviewers of The Politics of Diplomacy by James A. Baker III.

Given the positive things I have read about Secretary James Baker, I expected this book to be interesting, insightful and educational. I found the book to be as interesting as reading a phone book, with sentences aggrandizing Secretary Baker thrown in along the way.

I can't believe that in his 12 years of high-level public service for Presidents Reagan and Bush, that Mr. James Baker was consistently the most crafty, astute, worldly and knowledgeable of the leaders of the world, which is the impression I was left with after reading this book.

I did find one interesting tidbit in the book, however, which was that from the time George H. W. Bush was President Reagan's Vice President, Vice President Bush wanted to overthrow President Noriega of Panama.

After he was elected President in 1988, President Bush had the opportunity to overthrow President Noriega, which he appeared to do by mishandling negotiations with President Noriega and provoking President Noriega into a belligerent state. This example of toppling a sovereign state for personal, rather than national interest, reasons was copied by President George H. W. Bush's son, the current President Bush, who seemed to follow the same playbook with Iraq with different results, sadly.

I haven't yet given up on Secretary James Baker; I plan to read his new book, Work Hard, Study...and Keep Out of Politics! Adventures and Lessons from an Unexpected Public Life. I hope the book contains some insights about Mr. Baker's decision-making as well as insights about other personalities he met along the way. If the book is 480 pages of self-aggrandizement, I may have to reach for the Alka-Seltzer to keep my dinner from spilling out onto the floor.
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3.0 out of 5 starsPolitics of Diplomacy: Revolution, War and Peace, 1989-1992
By Daniel Pipes, Middle East Forum, Philadelphia on July 26, 2001
Format: Hardcover
Soon after becoming secretary of state, George P. Shultz noted that � unless you do something about it, in the job of secretary of state you will spend 100 percent of your time on the Middle East. � �Every Secretary of State becomes a Middle East expert very rapidly, whether he wants to or not,� he also stated. . These observations remain valid today, when Warren Christopher has virtually become Secretary of State for the Middle East. Baker had a similar experience. Page one of his memoirs tells of Saddam Husayn�s invasion of Kuwait, the single most dangerous moment of Baker�s three-years-plus as secretary of state. Of the book�s thirty-four chapters, fully fifteen concentrate on the Middle East, primarily the Kuwait war and the Arab-Israeli peace process.
Famously discreet when in office, Baker unbuttons a bit in the retelling. He captures the atmosphere of his endless travels (he went to sleep on the eve of his Geneva meeting with Tariq �Aziz, just before the outbreak of hostilities, as the �chants from antiwar protesters echoed quietly up to our block of rooms�) and the vagaries of dealing with Middle Eastern leaders (Asad treated his complaints about Syrian terrorism �the way one might react to an eccentric uncle at family gatherings�as an unavoidable nuisance to be endured politely�). Baker also provides some new information; for example, in March 1991, he raised to Yitzhak Shamir the possibility of stationing U.S. troops on the Golan Heights.
Middle East Quarterly, June 1996
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 starsFive Stars

Great history from a great man!

Published 8 months ago by Robert E. Russell
5.0 out of 5 starsFive Stars

Excellent read for those that care about the intersection of policy and politics.

Published 10 months ago by W2
5.0 out of 5 starsFive Stars

great history, done in fine detail, telling the facets of all the players .. enjoyed very much

Published 13 months ago by James T. Lechner
4.0 out of 5 starsThe book was great. Even better was having him sign the book

James Baker has been very influential in the U.S. diplomacy efforts. The book was great. Even better was having him sign the book.

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Published on July 17, 2010 by Gene Pisasale
5.0 out of 5 starsValue of Media over Spies for Diplomats

The book is great, but this one line is worth its weight in gold for those who wonder why we spend $30 billion a yeear on diplomacy, $900 billion a year waging war, $60 billion a... Read more

Published on November 30, 2007 by Robert David STEELE Vivas
5.0 out of 5 starsMake Rapport a Priority

Though I read this book in 1995, after reading Colin Powell's "My American Journey," and Storming Norman's memoir, it was nice to pick it up again, eleven years later. Read more

Published on December 5, 2002 by Carmen Matthews
4.0 out of 5 starsOpen memoir

Baker's memoir is open and honest. He has put together an excellent narrative analysis of the foreign policy of the Bush administration. Read more

Published on July 6, 2002 by Glenn McDorman

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