In the Stream of History: Shaping Foreign Policy for a New Era
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 findIn the Stream of Historyan invaluable sourcebook on a vital period in American diplomacy.--This text refers to theHardcoveredition.