Authors:
Offers non-partisan context about the nature of US leadership and its role in the world
Reflects on US foreign policy from World War I to the present, including its future trajectory under Biden
Highlights international and domestic challenges (and their consequences) of a declining American power
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Table of contents (6 chapters)
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Front Matter
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Getting It Done, Half a World, A Free World
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Front Matter
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Letting Go—A World Undone, A Whole World
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Front Matter
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Back Matter
About this book
Admittedly, what is good for America may no longer be best for all the West, and what is good for the West may no longer be good for much of the Rest: the unipolar moment is irreversibly over. Yet, writing in an elegant style and with much historical insight, Serfaty argues that even with the old power map irreversibly gone, mainly to the benefit of the non-Western world, a new world order for the twenty-first century will remain dependent on the U.S. role, its capabilities and its efficacy, as well as its leadership and its purpose.
Reviews
“‘Can the world still count on America?’ The question is provocative but Simon Serfaty’s persuasive review of past choices and outcomes — some intended and others not — forcefully counters recurring claims of decline and current calls for retrenchment. You need not agree with all the author’s conclusions to applaud this elegantly written essay and learn from its historical approach to today’s global context and policy dilemmas.” (Stephen J. Hadley, Former U.S. National Security Adviser)
“Reading Serfaty on American foreign policy is seldom less than a heady experience. With his characteristic eloquence and lucidity, Serfaty draws on history and literature to diagnose the ills afflicting America — and offers a potent prescription for recovery that merits the widest possible attention.” (Jacob Heilbrunn, Editor, The National Interest)“Few people have thought more deeply and written more eloquently about American foreign policy than Simon Serfaty. If you want to know more about the last seventy years – this book is a must-read!” (Wolfram Ischinger, Chairman, Munich Security Conference)
“This lucid and timely book by a wise and seasoned analyst distills the knowledge gained from decades of close observation and study of American presidents and their foreign policies. Spanning the century from Harry S. Truman to Joe Biden, the book mixes keen insights with provocative judgements and at times searing criticism. Overall, it makes a reasoned and compelling – not to mention, heartfelt – case for continued US leadership and engagement in the world.” (John L. Harper, Professor Emeritus of American Foreign Policy, Johns Hopkins University, USA) “In Play it Again, Sam, Simon Serfaty builds upon his expertise forged through decades of research on international politics to offer an original perspective on an American-led world order at the crossroads. The book displays a remarkable historical sensitivity in its analysis of presidential leadership and current geopolitical challenges. Sefarty convincingly demonstrates that while the past is not a perfect roadmap for the future, it permeates how we think about the course of U.S. foreign policy.” (Vincent Boucher, Research Fellow, Center on United States Studies, Raoul Dandurand Chair in Strategic and Diplomatic Studies, University of Quebec at Montreal, Canada)“Serfaty brings to his latest book all his acuity and experience, his feel for America and its place in the world, and his insight into the constant internal struggle between its shifting values, identity and interests. As futile as hope might seem amid "zero polarity" turbulence, Serfaty remains hopeful that America will remain “an exceptional country even when it does exceptionally foolish things”, and that it will continue to rise to the burdens of leadership without which any semblance of world order will disappear”. (Dr Robin Niblett CMG, Director and Chief Executive, The Royal Institute of International Affairs, Chatham House, UK)
Authors and Affiliations
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Old Dominion University, Norfolk, USA
Simon Serfaty
About the author
Simon Serfaty is Professor and Eminent Scholar (Emeritus) in International Studies at Old Dominion University (ODU), in Norfolk, Virginia, U.S., and the Zbigniew Brzezinski Chair (Emeritus) in Global Security and Geostrategy at the Center for Strategic & International Studies (CSIS) in Washington, DC., U.S. A prolific writer on global foreign and security policy for the past five decades, always close to policymakers on both sides of the Atlantic, Serfaty has been a guest speaker in nearly fifty countries. He lives in Washington, DC.
Bibliographic Information
Book Title: America in the World from Truman to Biden
Book Subtitle: Play it Again, Sam
Authors: Simon Serfaty
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-81761-9
Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan Cham
eBook Packages: Political Science and International Studies, Political Science and International Studies (R0)
Copyright Information: The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2022
Softcover ISBN: 978-3-030-81760-2Published: 31 October 2021
eBook ISBN: 978-3-030-81761-9Published: 30 October 2021
Edition Number: 1
Number of Pages: XXIV, 180
Number of Illustrations: 1 b/w illustrations
Topics: Political Science, Foreign Policy, Political History, Political Leadership, Diplomacy