In the Stream of History: Shaping Foreign Policy for a New Era - Hardcover

Christopher, Warren

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0804732256 ISBN 13: 9780804732253

Publisher: Stanford University Press, 1998

Synopsis

Giving the reader a unique window into the inner workings of U.S. diplomacy in President Bill Clinton’s first term, this book highlights the major foreign policy challenges faced and decisions made in a turbulent era. The book is organized around thirty seven key speeches by the Secretary of State, each introduced by an extensive essay that describes its policy context and purpose, and includes anecdotes, local color, and brief sketches of some of the leading figures on the world stage. These introductions, which constitute more than half the book, not only give the who, what, when, and where behind the speeches, but most important, explain the why and how.

For example, the group of speeches on Bosnia is preceded by an incisive account of the twists and turns of U.S. policy leading up to the Dayton Conference and the intense negotiations, involving several volatile personalities, that led to the historic Dayton agreement. Among the other subjects covered by the essays are our relations with China, Russia, Japan, Vietnam, Korea, Haiti, the Middle East, Africa, and South America; international organizations such as NATO and the United Nations; and the global issues of human rights, terrorism, nuclear threat, and the environment.

The book begins with a Prologue that emphasizes Secretary Christopher’s long-standing interest in speeches as an instrument of public policy and the decision making behind this often overlooked aspect of statecraft. It also describes how the Secretary was offered the position by President-elect Clinton, the state of affairs as he found them when he took office, and his strategy and plans for U.S. foreign policy in the post-Cold War period. An epilogue recounts the Secretary’s decision to return to private life, offers his insights on the challenges facing the United States in the international arena in the years ahead, and sets forth some suggestions for future policy makers.

Above all, this book provides ample evidence that the author took seriously the advice that United States Supreme Court Justice William O. Douglas gave him when he served as the justice’s law clerk in the 1949 term: “Get out in the stream of history, and swim as fast as you can.”

About this title

Review

Warren Christopher served as the secretary of state during Bill Clinton's first four years in office, guiding America's foreign policy in the post-cold-war world. This collection of 37 speeches from his term highlights the crucial issues with which Christopher dealt, from promoting a peaceful transition to democratic capitalism in Russia to resolving the ethnic conflicts in Bosnia and the Middle East, from maintaining America's relationship with China to reaffirming the commitment of the United States on human rights issues.

Although the speeches are at times slow-moving, Christopher's remarks prefacing each section--a combination of historical context and tentative memoir ranging from his Senate confirmation hearings to his abdication in favor of Madeleine Albright--will hold the reader's attention. Christopher, who worked in a diplomatic capacity for every Democratic administration between 1960 and 1996--including a role as chief negotiator in the Iranian hostage crisis during the Carter administration--has clearly taken the advice of his mentor, Supreme Court Justice William O. Douglas, to heart: "Get out in the stream of history, and swim as fast as you can." Political-science scholars will find In the Stream of History an invaluable sourcebook on a vital period in American diplomacy.

From the Back Cover

“For all Secretary Christopher’s skill at diffusing crises, I believe his lasting legacy was built behind the headlines, laying the foundations for our future. Under his leadership we’ve taken on new threats like terrorism, the spread of weapons of mass destruction, and environmental degradation.”—Remarks by President Clinton, upon Warren Christopher’s resignation
“Christopher presents a through, insightful, often eloquent examination of . . . foreign policy goals and policies. This book is testimony to the power of words and speeches in the making and selling of a nation’s foreign policy and is essential reading for anyone trying to make sense out of a confused and confusing world.”—Library Journal

Edition details

• Publisher: Stanford University Press
• Publication date: 1998
• ISBN 10: 0804732256
• ISBN 13: 9780804732253
• Binding: Hardcover
• Language: English
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 608