Somoza Falling: A Case Study of Washington at Work

Lake, a former director of policy planning for President Carter, explores how foreign policy is made and offers an inside perspective of the workings of the State Department, using as a case study the fall of Anastasio Somoza.

'Carefully examines how our policy toward Nicaragua in 1978-89 emerged, describes the characteristics of the middle players in this decision-making process, and discusses the complexities which govern their two important groups--career officers and political appointees. The result is an insightful, objective, and clear account, based in part on frank interviews and personal experiences, that illustrates both policy-making groups' paradoxical positions and offers precise lessons to be learned from past dealings with Third World revolutions.' --Library Journal