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Richard Haass is the president of the Council on Foreign Relations and the author of The Opportunity. Here, he offers a reading list for a do-it-yourself version of Foreign Policy 101.
The Anarchical Society by Hedley Bull (Columbia, $27). What determines history is the never-ending struggle between forces of society (order) and those of anarchy. This book, written by a former professor of mine at Oxford, has influenced me more than any other book in the field.
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Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.
Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.
Politics Among Nations by Hans Morgenthau (McGraw-Hill, $58). This is the classic statement of realism. It is not easy. Like fudge, you have to take it in small pieces, because it is so rich. Unlike fudge, though, it won’t make you fat.
American Diplomacy 1900–1950 by George Kennan (Chicago, $10). This slim book includes the famous article, by “X,” which laid out the containment doctrine that guided U.S. foreign policy throughout 40 years of Cold War. It began as a cable to the State Department from a young foreign service officer serving in Moscow, and it appeared in Foreign Affairs in 1947. The prose is clear and the thinking still valuable, in this case as a guide for what the United States should do now regarding Iran and North Korea.
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A World Restored by Henry Kissinger (Weidenfeld & Nicholson, $29). Based on what is quite possibly the best doctoral dissertation ever, Kissinger’s study of the Congress of Vienna is a powerful mix of history, portraits, and statecraft. I first read this as a graduate student. It inspired me at the same time that it intimidated me because I knew I could never write anything nearly as good.
Just and Unjust Wars by Michael Walzer (Basic, $22.50). A thoughtful introduction to the morality and legality of using military force. Essential reading if you want to appreciate the arguments behind the decision to attack Iraq.
