Presidential Command: Power, Leadership, and the Making of Foreign Policy from Richard Nixon to George W. Bush

Rodman analyzes recent presidential efforts to direct foreign policy, competing against the bureaucracy and sometimes against their own advisors who push their own priorities. His analysis is mixed awkwardly with apologetics for Republican presidents he admires. The phrase "Contrary to many reports" appears in many forms throughout the book. It's really two books in one, and they...more

Rodman analyzes recent presidential efforts to direct foreign policy, competing against the bureaucracy and sometimes against their own advisors who push their own priorities. His analysis is mixed awkwardly with apologetics for Republican presidents he admires. The phrase "Contrary to many reports" appears in many forms throughout the book. It's really two books in one, and they get in each other's way.   hide