The Wise Men (book)
| Company type | Book |
|---|---|
| Industry | Publishing |
| Founded | 1986 |
| Founder | Walter Isaacson, Evan Thomas |
| Products | Non-fiction book |
| Parent | Simon & Schuster |
The Wise Men: Six Friends and the World They Made is a factual work authored by Walter Isaacson and Evan Thomas, released by Simon & Schuster in 1986. It narrates the story of a circle of prominent U.S. federal officials and East Coast foreign policy leaders who were instrumental in shaping American strategy after World War II. This collective crafted the Cold War strategy of containment against the Communist bloc and played a pivotal role in founding major institutions like NATO, the World Bank, and the Marshall Plan. A revised edition became available in 2012.
The publication garnered favorable critiques from business and policy publications such as Foreign Affairs and the Los Angeles Times.
Members of the group
The six principal foreign policy advisors who guided U.S. presidents from Franklin D. Roosevelt through Lyndon Johnson included:
- Dean Acheson, serving as Secretary of State under President Harry S Truman
- Charles E. Bohlen, U.S. ambassador to the Soviet Union, the Philippines, and France
- W. Averell Harriman, Special Envoy appointed by President Franklin Roosevelt
- George F. Kennan, ambassador to both the Soviet Union and Yugoslavia, and Director of Policy Planning at the State Department
- Robert A. Lovett, who held the position of Secretary of Defense during Truman’s administration
- John J. McCloy, a War Department official who later became U.S. High Commissioner for Germany
Within this group were two lawyers, two bankers, and two diplomats, with five members connected to the influential circle known as the Georgetown Set. Acheson, Harriman, and Lovett shared enduring relationships dating back to prep school, university, and Wall Street, while Bohlen, Kennan, and McCloy joined through their governmental appointments.
Lovett and McCloy drew significant influence from Secretary of War Henry L. Stimson, whose own mentor, Elihu Root, is frequently regarded as the original "wise man."
Influence
This cohort coalesced around President Harry S. Truman beginning in 1945, offering vital guidance on foreign affairs during his initial years in office. They were instrumental in crafting a bipartisan approach to foreign policy aimed at countering Soviet influence, acting as principal architects behind initiatives such as the Truman Doctrine, the Marshall Plan, and Cold War containment strategy. George F. Kennan is particularly acknowledged as "the father of containment."
The narrative portrays them as exemplars of statesmanship characterized by bipartisan cooperation, pragmatic internationalism, and a practical, pro-business, anti-communist philosophy. Following their retirement, they and other establishment figures came to be known collectively as The Wise Men.
During 1967–68, President Johnson sought their counsel regarding the Vietnam War. Initially unanimous in supporting continued U.S. involvement, by March 1968 most had reassessed their stance, concluding that victory was unattainable and advising withdrawal.
Legacy
Subsequent public officials including Clark Clifford, James A. Baker III, and Robert S. Strauss are frequently compared to these "wise men" when evaluating their impact on foreign policy.
Reviews
Excerpts
- "A clear-eyed and candid portrayal of events and motivations... It brings equilibrium to recent history and restores honor to its protagonists. Essential reading." —Foreign Affairs*
- "In their debut major publication, Isaacson and Thomas deliver a compelling piece of popular history destined to endure beyond the 1980s." —Los Angeles Times*
Citations
- Chace, James. "Books of the Times". The New York Times, October 2, 1986.
- Forrestal, Michael V. "Capsule Review". Foreign Affairs, Vol. 65, No. 2 (Winter 1986/87).
- Steel, Ronald. "Cohort of the American Century". The New York Times, November 2, 1986.
See also
External links
- Complete text available at the Internet Archive (Faber and Faber edition).
- "An American Aristocracy". The Open Mind, hosted by Richard Heffner (1986). Episode 673. Conversation with author Walter Isaacson.