Kennan and the art of foreign policy /

George Kennan is as enigmatic as he is legendary. Although he occupied an influential position in the State Department for but a few years, he is conventionally considered the intellectual father of modern American foreign policy. Declared persona non grata by Stalin and fired by John Foster Dulles, he is now toasted in both Moscow and Washington. This book represents a superb effort to reconcile these apparent paradoxes. On the basis of impressive primary research and a breathtaking spectrum of secondary sources, Stephanson concludes that Kennan is an "organicist conservative," someone who perceives international relations as subject to natural laws and balances. His diplomatic outlook reflects these intellectual roots. A "neutralist Swede of socialist conviction," Stephanson sharply criticizes Kennan's diagnoses and prescriptions up until 1948. Not only were Kennan's analyses of the Soviet Union flawed and inconsistent, but they betrayed a surprising lack of systematic analysis. Kennan shared the assumptions of emotional "cold warriors." Largely as a result of the Titoist split and militarization of NATO, he altered his views after 1948, advancing arguments with which Stephanson sympathizes. Stylistically this is a dense book that assumes a knowledgeable audience. Must reading for those interested in contemporary history. Upper-level students and general readers. -R. H. Immerman, University of Hawaii at Manoa

Called by the publisher an ``intellectual biography'' and an ``interdisciplinary analysis,'' this is little more than revisionist history at its worst. Confusing, wordy, and arrogant, the work is highly critical of the noted historian and diplomat. In a long and convoluted analysis, Stephanson (history, Rutgers Univ.) finds much wrong with Kennan, with faults including an incomplete understanding of Marxism, an ever-present ``Western bias,'' and an alleged preference for authoritarian over democratic regimes. Given Kennan's long and productive career in both diplomacy and academe, a balanced and readable assessment of his career would be most helpful. Unfortunately, it will not be found here. See Kennan's own Sketches from a Life , reviewed in this issue, p. 00.-- Ed. -- Joseph W. Constance Jr., Boston Coll. Libs. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.