Howard Wiarda authors a fascinating evocative memoir as a 'semi-insider' to the Reagan 'Conservative Revolution' in his capacity as director of the Latin American program for the American Enterprise Institute (AEI). Howard offers a candid and revealing assessment of Washington Think Tanks from his personal diaries and his involvement with the White House and Congress, the Defense and State Departments, and the CIA, blending with these also a description of the programs and individuals with which he dealt during the 1980s.

Philip Kelly, Emporia State University

Howard Wiarda's observations on his years at the American Enterprise Institute and his service as key adviser to the Kissinger Commission on Central America provide an invaluable glimpse at the way in which United States foreign policy was formulated and implemented during the Reagan era. Wiarda is a keen observer of the Washington policy scene and a provocative critic of the major players who shaped U.S. policy during the Central American revolutions. This book is essential reading for those who want to understand how Washington really works.

Michael J. Kryzanek, Bridgewater State College