San Antonio College Library

Tells the story of a man whose experiences, ideas and courageous opposition within the political system reveal much about the inner workings of foreign policy and about the practice of prudent and moral statesmanship in the twentieth century. Diplomat and "wise man" George Ball wielded enormous influence in American foreign policy for more than forty years. Best known for his dissent from U.S. Vietnam policy when he was under secretary of state during...

As his parents finished packing the few personal belongings they were permitted to take out of Germany, the bespectacled 15-year-old stood in the corner of the apartment memorizing the details of the scene. He was a bookish and reflective child, with that odd mixture of ego and insecurity that can come from growing up smart yet persecuted. "I'll be back someday," he said to the customs inspector who was surveying the boxes. Years later, he would recall...

"Dr. Kissinger recalls ... his first meeting with Nixon, his secret trip to China, the first SALT negotiation, the Jordan crisis of 1970, the India-Pakistan war of 1971 ... the historic summit meetings in Peking and Moscow ... events in Laos, the overthrow of Cambodia's Prince Sihanouk, his secret talks with the North Vietnamese in Paris, his "peace is at hand" news conference ... the Christmas bombing of 1972 ... Middle East conflicts, Sadat's break...