Clinton's Secret Wars: The Evolution of a Commander in Chief - Tapa dura

Advanced Praise for CLINTON'S SECRET WARS by Richard Sale: "In a first-rate revisionist account that unravels the complicated international events of the Clinton era, Sale concludes that Clinton matured into a tough foreign policy President whose speeches connected with the public as effectively as those of Roosevelt, Kennedy, and Reagan. Enthusiastically recommended for readers who appreciate nonsensationalist works such as John Harris's "The Survivor: Bill Clinton in the White House.""--"Library Journal" "Middle East Times intelligence correspondent Sale urges a much higher ranking for President Clinton as a commander in chief....The book's most interesting and meticulously reported passages deal with Clinton's behind-the-scenes maneuvering to topple Saddam Hussein, to kill bin Laden, to cajole NATO allies and to arm Croat ground forces against the Bosnian Serbs. Sale convincingly likens Clinton's force of personality, love of subterfuge and shrewd understanding of public opinion to FDR, and he makes the case that the first truly post-Cold War administration confronted unique foreign-policy challenges. By the time of the war in Kosovo, which brought the loathsome Milosevic to heel, Sale depicts the president as surely more accustomed to wielding power on the world stage....A sympathetic, well-reported appreciation of the 42nd president's exercise of America's hard and soft power."--"Kirkus Reviews""Focusing the narrative on the key players and their internal rivalries and agendas, Sale keeps the pace relatively brisk through what could be a dry parsing of bureaucratic maneuverings....the book provides insight into an administration that sought to "wage war in a way that would do the least political damage while achieving the maximum effect," laying bare facets of Clinton's foreign policy that are largely underexamined, including early encounters with al-Qaeda and Saddam Hussein."--"Publishers Weekly""I can say unequivocally that it is an insightful and er

A popular yet polarizing force long after leaving office, Bill Clinton is still criticized by right-wingers as a president who was weak in his foreign policy. Veteran reporter Richard Sale takes us beneath partisan rhetoric and documents the learning curve of America's 42nd President, showing his evolution as a strong leader on the world stage. Using confidential sources in the administration itself, Sale reports on Clinton's covert ops in such arenas as the Balkans and Middle East, revealing a leader who spearheaded the fight against Slobodan Milosevic, bombed Saddam Hussein, targeted Osama bin Laden, and prevented al-Qaeda from establishing a stronghold in the incendiary Balkans region. Ultimately, and revealingly, Clinton emerges at the end of his term in office as a tough-as-nails commander in chief in the same vein as Ronald Reagan. This 'fly on the wall' look at a generation-defining leader provides an invaluable window into the presidency of Bill Clinton in the world arena.