Few figures dominate the landscape of American diplomacy during the Cold War's latter half like Brent Scowcroft, the only man to serve two different Presidents as National Security Advisor. David F. Schmitz captures Scowcroft's cool analysis and prudent realism as no other scholar, reaching back to combine his early writings with a detailed analysis of Scowcroft's day-to-day management of the Cold War's end from his White House office. This brief and accessible biography makes a fine addition to the library of anyone seeking to understand American foreign policy during years of profound change and beyond.

Jeffrey A. Engel, Kruse '52 Founders Professor, Texas A&M University

David Schmitz has written a concise, extremely engaging narrative on the important, albeit underappreciated and understudied, American foreign policymaker, Brent Scowcroft. Highly recommended reading for anyone interested in modern U.S. foreign policy.

Kyle Longley, Snell Family Dean's Distinguished Professor, Arizona State University

In this deeply researched book, David Schmitz offers a rich portrait of an important but poorly understood policymaker who has deserved serious attention for a long time. But the book offers much more than biography. Through the lens of Brent Scowcroft's long career, Schmitz deftly analyzes the development of U.S. foreign policy since the Vietnam War.

Mark A. Lawrence, University of Texas at Austin; author of The Vietnam War: A Concise International History