You can use your Las Vegas-Clark County Library District card to borrow titles from these partner libraries:
The Back Channel
A Memoir of American Diplomacy and the Case for Its Renewal
1 of 2 copies available
Over the course of more than three decades as an American diplomat, William J. Burns played a central role in the most consequential diplomatic episodes of his time—from the bloodless end of the Cold War to the collapse of post–Cold War relations with Putin’s Russia, from post–9/11 tumult in Afghanistan, Iraq, and the Middle East to the secret nuclear talks with Iran.
In The Back Channel, Burns recounts, with novelistic detail and incisive analysis, some of the seminal moments of his career. Drawing on a trove of newly declassified cables and memos, he gives readers a rare inside look at American diplomacy in action. His dispatches from war-torn Chechnya and Qaddafi’s bizarre camp in the Libyan desert and his warnings of the “Perfect Storm” that would be unleashed by the Iraq War will reshape our understanding of history—and inform the policy debates of the future. Burns sketches the contours of effective American leadership in a world that resembles neither the zero-sum Cold War contest of his early years as a diplomat nor the “unipolar moment” of American primacy that followed.
Ultimately, The Back Channel is an eloquent, deeply informed, and timely story of a life spent in service of American interests abroad. It is also a powerful reminder, in a time of great turmoil, of the enduring importance of diplomacy.
-
Creators
-
Publisher
-
Release date
March 12, 2019 -
Formats
-
OverDrive Listen audiobook
- ISBN: 9781984840967
- File size: 492053 KB
- Duration: 17:05:06
-
-
Languages
- English
-
Reviews
-
May 23, 2016
Coming out as transgender, especially as a child or teen, often means declaring oneself in two arenas. The first is the intimate world of one's family; next comes the broader world of school, teams, and other institutions. Fifteen-year-old Jazz Jennings, a transgender activist and reality-show star who transitioned at age five, knows firsthand how much the first world matters: it makes it possible to take on the second. Her memoir doesn't downplay the teasing, the pain of being forbidden to play on the girls' soccer team, or the difficulty of finding romance, but it always circles back to her family's support. Jennings's account of how they listened to her, educated themselves, let her choose her clothes and toys, formed a nonprofit to support trans kids, and let her become a public face of trans life is both touching and inspiring. The upbeat and sometimes humorous narrative moves swiftly through the details of Jennings's upbringing; for readers looking for a candid introduction to some of the issues facing trans children and teens, this book is an excellent start. Ages 12âup. Agent: Joseph Veltre, Gersh Agency. -
From a diplomat and former secretary of state who was on the scene as the Cold War ended, and as the world changed again after the 9/11 attacks, comes an audiobook that effectively details the recent history of American foreign policy and the key role it played, and plays, in the world. Burns narrates the prologue, and his voice has the gravitas and expression you might expect from a great negotiator. Mark Bramhall takes over for the rest of the audiobook, and his expressive, accessible voice continues the tone set by the author. Bramhall doesn't have great range, and sometimes he swallows words, but he is able to alter his tone to capture the emotions inherent in significant negotiations. R.I.G. © AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine
-