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The Wise Men: Six Friends and the World They Made Audiobook
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(4.00) - 463 listener ratings
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Six close friends shaped the role their country would play in the dangerous years following World War II. They were the original best and brightest, whose towering intellects, outsize personalities, and dramatic actions would bring order to the postwar chaos, and whose strong response to Soviet expansionism would leave a legacy that dominates American policy to this day. In April 1945, they converged to advise an untutored new president, Harry Truman. They were Averell Harriman, the freewheeling diplomat and Roosevelt’s special envoy to Churchill and Stalin; Dean Acheson, the secretary of state who was more responsible for the Truman Doctrine than Truman and for the Marshall Plan than General Marshall; George Kennan, selfcast outsider and intellectual darling of the Washington elite; Robert Lovett, assistant secretary of war, undersecretary of state, and secretary of defense throughout the formative years of the Cold War; John McCloy, one of the nation’s most influential private citizens; and Charles Bohlen, adroit diplomat and ambassador to the Soviet Union. Together they formulated a doctrine of Communist containment that was to be the foundation of American policy, and years later, when much of what they stood for appeared to be sinking in the mire of Vietnam, they were summoned for their steady counsel. It was then that they were dubbed “the Wise Men.” Working in an atmosphere of trust that in today’s Washington would seem quaint, they shaped a new world order that committed a once-reticent nation to defending freedom wherever it sought to flourish.
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"This might have rated five stars, but there are a dozen or so anecdotes about the protagonists that seem pat, contrived, or apocryphal. The great Walter Isaacson had a co-writer on this one - I'm going to guess that these lame jokes are the fault of the co-writer."
— Grindy (4 out of 5 stars)
The Wise Men Listener Reviews
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" it is okay if you are a hardcore political maniac. most of details of this 600 plus pages book are not relevant any more. "
— Ali, 9/19/2013 -
" it shows how can success people manage they work and their life to reach their aims . "
— behrooz, 9/9/2013 -
" Given to me by Jenny Laws (she bought it at Truman's Little White House in Key West). Tale of six men that formulated foreign policy during the Cold War. Very insightful. "
— Andrew, 6/10/2013 -
" True statesmen who served in both Democratic and Republican administrations. We need people like this in government today. "
— Jana, 5/6/2013 -
" Excellent Reading and for research for comparative History for first half of 20th century. "
— Jonnie, 4/12/2013 -
" yang sudah nonton "band of brothers" ini buku versi kalemnya, intinya ikatan persaudaraan yang dibuat untuk membangun suatu bangsa. "
— Kandres, 4/3/2013 -
" Ponderous, but enlightening in depicting the hierarchy that developed amongst the Blue Bloods in the 40's and 50's. "
— Dev, 4/1/2013 -
" Definitely worth reading. Authors take a rather unsympathetic view of the sensitive George Kennan but otherwise do a masterful job of history thru the lives of exceptional men. "
— Prudy, 2/23/2013
About the Authors
Walter Isaacson is the author of highly acclaimed works of nonfiction, including several biographies that have made the #1 spot on the New York Times bestsellers list. A professor of history at Tulane University, he has been CEO of the Aspen Institute, chair of CNN, and editor of Time. Visit him at Isaacson.Tulane.edu.
Evan Thomas is the author of numerous nonfiction books, including Ike’s Bluff: President Eisenhower’s Secret Battle to Save the World; The Very Best Men: Four Who Dared: The Early Years of the C.I.A.; Robert Kennedy: His Life; The War Lovers: Roosevelt, Lodge, Hearst and the Rush to Empire, 1989; Sea of Thunder: The Last Great Naval Command, 1941-1945; and John Paul Jones.
About Jonathan Reese
Jonathan Reese was trained from an early age in music and theater. Of his many credits he was proudest of being a founding member of Berkeley’s Straw Hat review. Formidably intelligent, deeply sympathetic, and highly sensitive to his material, he was perfectly suited for literary narration.