Richard Haass
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 Opportunity: America’s Moment to Alter History’s Course
official site
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.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
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.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
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.
The Spy Who Came in From the Cold
-
Selfies ban in art galleries: a sign of the times?
Talking Point Priceless art has been damaged by visitors desperate to take a snap with star attractions, leading some galleries and museums to start fighting back
-
Quiz of The Week: 21 – 27 June
Have you been paying attention to The Week's news?
-
The Week Unwrapped: How do you turn plastics into paracetamol?
Podcast Plus, what is the Wagner Group doing now? And why is it so hard to find a job after university?
-
Anne Hillerman's 6 favorite books with Native characters
Feature The author recommends works by Ramona Emerson, Craig Johnson, and more
-
John Kenney's 6 favorite books that will break your heart softly
Feature The novelist recommends works by John le Carré, John Kennedy Toole, and more
-
Andrea Long Chu's 6 favorite books for people who crave new ideas
Feature The book critic recommends works by Rachel Cusk, Sigmund Freud, and more
-
Bryan Burrough's 6 favorite books about Old West gunfighters
Feature The Texas-raised author recommends works by T.J. Stiles, John Boessenecker, and more
-
Tash Aw's 6 favorite books about forbidden love
Feature The Malaysian novelist recommends works by James Baldwin, Toni Morrison, and more
-
Richard Bausch's 6 favorite books that are worth rereading
Feature The award-winning author recommends works by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway, and more
-
Marya E. Gates' 6 favorite books about women filmmakers
Feature The film writer recommends works by Julie Dash, Sofia Coppola, and more
-
Laurence Leamer's 6 favorite books that took courage to write
Feature The author recommends works by George Orwell, Truman Capote and more