Beyond America's grasp : a century of failed diplomacy in the Middle East / Stephen P. Cohen.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Cohen, Stephen P., 1945-2017.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

United States--Foreign relations--Middle East.

United States.

International relations.

Middle East.

Middle East--Foreign relations--United States.

United States--Foreign relations--20th century.

United States--Foreign relations--21st century.

Physical Description:

xii, 284 pages ; 24 cm

Edition:

First edition.

Place of Publication:

New York : Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2009.

Summary:

Middle East expert Stephen P. Cohen traces U.S. policy in the region back to the breakup of the Ottoman Empire, when the Great Powers failed to take crucial steps. He sees in that early failure a pattern shaping the conflicts since then--and America's role in them. A century ago, there emerged two dominant views on the uses of America's newfound power. Woodrow Wilson urged America to promote national freedom and self-determination--in contrast to his predecessor Theodore Roosevelt, who had advocated a vigorous foreign policy based on national self-interest. Cohen argues that this running conflict has hobbled American dealings in the Middle East ever since, showing how different countries have struggled to define themselves in the face of America's stated idealism and its actual realpolitik. This conflict came to a head in the clumsy Middle East policy of George W. Bush--but Cohen suggests ways in a greater awareness of our history might enable our present leaders to act more sensibly.--From publisher description.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9780374281243

0374281246

OCLC:

263984926