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War in a Time of Peace (Abridged): Bush, Clinton, and the Generals Audiobook
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(3.04) - 394 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
In this long awaited successor to his national bestseller The Best and the Brightest, David Halberstam describes in fascinating human detail how the shadow of Cold War Vietnam still hangs over American foreign policy, and how domestic politics have determined our role as a world power.
Halberstam brilliantly evokes the internecine conflicts, the untrammeled egos, and the struggles for dominance among the key figures in the White House, the State department, and the military. He shows how the Vietnam war has shaped American politics and policy makers. Perhaps most notable is what happened under Clinton when, for the first time in fifty years, a president placed domestic issues over foreign policy.
With his uncanny ability to find the real story behind the headlines, Halberstam shows how current events in the Balkans and Somalia act as a fascinating mirror to American politics and foreign policy. Sweeping in scope and impressive in its depth, War in a Time of Peace provides fascinating portraits of Clinton, Bush, Reagan, Kissinger, James Baker, Dick Cheney, Madeleine Albright, and others to reveal a stunning view of modern political America.
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"David Halberstam delivers another masterpiece in his book on how the Balkan crisis came about. This book is very fair condemning Bush Sr, Clinton and all of the generals including Colin Powell for their actions in this area. The United States dropped the ball in stabilizing this region leaving it to the European Union to debate about. Our unwillingness to commit troops has led to more than a decade of crisis and Halberstam delivers the story in great detail. Highly recommend if you are just starting to learn about the crisis as it is a very fair and well written account."
— Brian (5 out of 5 stars)
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“Vintage Halberstam, clarifying the hows and whys of foreign policy over the past decade.”
— Booklist -
“This is vintage Halberstam, combining sharp portraits of the political players—Bush, Clinton, Powell, Madeleine Albright, and so many others—with nuanced reportage of the events they shape and are shaped by.”
— Publishers Weekly -
“James Naughton is a veteran reader of audiobooks. He has a deep, rich voice that never falters in its delivery, and he clearly communicates the intentions of the author. Halberstam, best known as the author of The Best and the Brightest, gives us a serious text about a serious subject.”
— AudioFile -
“Well-written and lucid, [Halberstam’s] narrative reveals a military that continues to be ill-coordinated to meet—and sometimes opposed to—the political ends of its civilian overseers—Excellent, as is Halberstam’s custom.”
— Kirkus Reviews
Awards
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A New York Times bestseller
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A 2002 Pulitzer Prize Finalist for General Nonfiction
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An ALA Notable Book Finalist for Nonfiction
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On of the 2001 New York Times Book Review 100 Notable Books for Nonfiction
War in a Time of Peace Listener Reviews
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" I'm actually really enjoying this book. It's interesting to hear a unbiased view of the politics of the eighties and nineties. I only have vague memories of when most of this stuff happened. "
— Bridget, 2/11/2014 -
" vicious partisan masquerading as a reporter. interesting look, however, at another one of the world's longtime and seemingly intractable problems. "
— M, 1/19/2014 -
" All the U.S. players in the world of Geo-Politics during the 1990s. Terrific short biographies of many members of the war machine that AmeriKKKa depended upon to feed its banks with dough and its fightin' men with arms. Depressing but well worth the read because it demonstrates how disgusting the system of perpetual war has become. "
— Larry, 1/4/2014 -
" It's hard to believe that it was by the real David Halberstam. A terrible disappointment. "
— Robert, 1/2/2014 -
" Really helped me understand some of the dynamics happening during the Clinton years "
— Steve, 11/5/2013 -
" Part history and part current affairs. Halberstam examines how the Vietnam War experience has shaped and influenced US foreign policy...especially after the Cold War. Really interesting. "
— Rae, 9/2/2013 -
" still reading from time to time "
— Seve, 5/19/2013 -
" If you read this, you'll know more about foreign relations than Sarah Palin. Maybe just if you read two or three pages... "
— Lindsay, 5/14/2013 -
" A thorough behind the scenes explanation of America's role in the Balkans War and terrific inside information on how Presidents Bush and Clinton approached the conflicts in Bosnia and Kosovo. A great read if you have a couple of months to dwell into the book. "
— Hasan, 4/3/2013 -
" Heavy on the Clinton, light on the Bush. Heavy on Bosnia, way too light on Rwanda. "
— Heather, 11/27/2012 -
" Foreign policy account of the post-Cold War 1990s. "
— Corey, 5/8/2012 -
" America's world conflicts of the 90's. Mainly anchored around the conflicts of the Balkans and the key political and military figures of this era. "
— Joe, 5/1/2012 -
" Really good explanation of the relationships between the presidents and military for the time period between Iraq War I and Sept 11 - basically covering the entire Balkans crisis. I have a lot more respect for Geo H W Bush and less for Clinton now, believe it or not. "
— Dave, 3/20/2012 -
" No substitute for good scholarship when it comes to examining political epochs and transitions in world-order. I remember it being a very good read, but I was 18 or so at the time. "
— Sam, 2/17/2012 -
" Very depressing...again where was the press "
— Monte, 7/30/2011 -
" Only for foreign policy junkies. Even then, be prepared to be overloaded on facts and details of those who shaped American foreign policy in the years before 9/11. "
— Michael, 3/20/2011 -
" An interesting read that mostly focuses on the conflict in the former Yugoslavia. There are a lot of names to keep up with though. "
— Rebecca, 11/5/2010 -
" Inferior to his The Best and the Brightest. Reminiscent of Woodward's instant histories, but not quite as "you are there" chatty as those. "
— Erik, 7/14/2010 -
" Very depressing...again where was the press "
— Monte, 2/9/2009 -
" Heavy on the Clinton, light on the Bush. Heavy on Bosnia, way too light on Rwanda. "
— Heather, 2/5/2009 -
" Excellent details and research. Sort of blah in regards to insights. And, boy oh boy, does Halberstam like the sound of his words. A casual reader should not be subconsciously editing every third page. "
— Christopher, 1/26/2009 -
" If you read this, you'll know more about foreign relations than Sarah Palin. Maybe just if you read two or three pages... "
— Lindsay, 9/10/2008 -
" It's hard to believe that it was by the real David Halberstam. A terrible disappointment. "
— Robert, 5/6/2008 -
" Really helped me understand some of the dynamics happening during the Clinton years "
— Steve, 3/22/2008 -
" still reading from time to time "
— Seve, 3/20/2008
About David Halberstam
David Halberstam graduated from Harvard, where he had served as managing editor of the daily Harvard Crimson. It was 1955, a year after the Supreme Court outlawed segregation in public schools. Halberstam went south and began his career as the one reporter on the West Point, Mississippi, Daily Times Leader. He was fired after ten months there and went to work for the Nashville Tennessean. When the sit-ins broke out in Nashville in February 1960, he was assigned to the story as principal reporter. He joined the New York Times later that year, winning the Pulitzer Prize in 1964 for his early reports from Vietnam. He has received every other major journalistic award, and is a member of the Society of American Historians.