The Master of the Game: Paul Nitze and the Nuclear Peace.

TALBOTT, Strobe [Madeleine K. Albright].

$400.00

Item Number: 149054

New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1988.

First edition of Talbott’s nuanced portrait of one of the most influential diplomats and strategists of the 20th century. Octavo, original publisher’s half cloth. Association copy, inscribed by author on the front free endpaper, “To Madeleine- With great admiration and full expectation that, if given a chance, you’ll help change the rules of the game for the better. Strobe Talbott August 1988.” The recipient, Madeleine K. Albright was the first woman to serve as the U.S. Secretary of State. She acted under President Bill Clinton from 1997 to 2001, leading the United States through foreign policy in the Middle East with the endorsement of military action in Iraq. At the 1998 NATO summit, Albright coined the “3 Ds” of NATO, “which is no diminution of NATO, no discrimination and no duplication – because I think that we don’t need any of those three “Ds” to happen.” After her tenure as Secretary of State, she served as chair of the consulting Albright Stonebridge Group and was the Michael and Virginia Mortara Endowed Distinguished Professor in the Practice of Diplomacy at Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service. For Albright’s contributions to foreign policy and relations that defined a century, President Barack Obama awarded her the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2012. Fine in a near fine dust jacket. Bookplate to the front pastedown from, “The Private Collection of Secretary Madeleine K. Albright.” Jacket design by Archie Ferguson.

The Master of the Game by Strobe Talbott is a biography that delves into the life and career of George Kennan, a key figure in U.S. foreign policy during the Cold War. Talbott explores Kennan’s development of the "containment" strategy, which shaped American foreign policy toward the Soviet Union for much of the Cold War. The book highlights Kennan’s intellectual contributions, his complex personality, and the tensions between his policy recommendations and the broader political climate of the time. In addition to examining his professional achievements, Talbott also offers insights into Kennan's personal life, including his philosophical views and the internal conflicts that influenced his political stance. The Master of the Game provides a nuanced portrait of one of the most influential diplomats and strategists of the 20th century, offering a deeper understanding of the Cold War and the intellectual underpinnings of U.S. foreign policy.