Part I. Early years. "Grow up a real man" -- No empty threats -- The real economy -- Pathway to power -- Part II. Nixon administration, Bechtel. Equal opportunity -- Treasury travails -- Part III. Reagan administration. Odd man out -- A common foundation -- Stumbling start -- Soviet policy standoff -- Nancy Reagan to the rescue -- Shultz's opponents strike back -- A test of loyalty -- Hitting bottom -- The target is destroyed -- Combating terrorism -- Reelection and renewed hope -- Sea change in the Kremlin -- The fireside summit -- Battles that never end -- Implosion of a presidency -- Back on track -- Encore in Moscow.
Summary:
"Deftly solving critical but intractable national and global problems was the leitmotif of George Pratt Shultz's life. No one at the highest levels of the United States government did it better or with greater consequence in the last half of the 20th century, often against withering resistance. His quiet, effective leadership altered the arc of history. While political, social, and cultural dynamics have changed profoundly since Shultz served at the commanding heights of American power in the 1970s and 1980s, his legacy and the lessons of his career have even greater meaning now that the Shultz brand of conservatism has been almost erased in the modern Republican Party. This book, from longtime New York Times Washington reporter Philip Taubman, restores the modest Shultz to his central place in American history. Taubman reveals Shultz's gift for forging relationships with people and then harnessing the rapport to address national and international challenges, under his motto "trust is the coin of the realm"--as well as his difficulty standing up for his principles, motivated by a powerful sense of loyalty that often trapped him in inaction. Based on exclusive access to Shultz's personal papers, housed in a sealed archive at the Hoover Institution, In the Nation's Service offers a remarkable insider account of the behind-the-scenes struggles of the statesman who played a pivotal role in unwinding the Cold War"-- Provided by publisher.
This resource is supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by State Library of Iowa.