The Middle Way Three Presidents and the Crisis of American Leadership

A portrait of the effectiveness of moderation in US foreign policy, as illustrated by three of America's most consequential and widely-admired postwar presidents: Dwight Eisenhower, George H.W. Bush, and Barack Obama. When thinking about Americas role in the world, Dwight Eisenhower, George H. W. Bush, and Barack Obama may not seem to have a lot in common. But they do. While divided by background, generation, and political party, they exemplify a distinct and underappreciated tradition of American leadership: The Middle Way. As the scholar and former senior foreign policy official Derek Chollet shows in this deeply researched book, these three presidents took a centrist -- and effective -- approach to foreign policy. With so many challenges facing the United States, Chollet makes the case for why the nation must reclaim this brand of leadership, learn from it, and champion it. This timely book blends history, politics and biography to reveal how these presidents viewed the world and approached the task of leadership. By providing behind-the-scenes accounts and incisive analysis of the foreign policies of Ike, Bush 41, and Obama, The Middle Way offers a fresh way of thinking about American power. It shows how these three leaders defined a foreign policy archetype too often obscured by partisan blinders and historical amnesia. With vivid story-telling and astute insights, Chollet makes a compelling argument for how we should remember the past, think about the present, and approach the policy challenges of tomorrow. Eisenhower, Bush, and Obama demonstrated how the United States can exercise prudent and powerful authority in the world, and they stand as exemplars of decency, humility, optimism, confidence, and pragmatism. Together, they set the bar for the kind of global leadership needed today -- and The Middle Way reminds both Americans and the world that this proud legacy not only persists, but is needed more than ever.

Derek Chollet served in senior positions in the Obama Administration at the White House, State Department, and Pentagon, most recently as US Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs. Currently the Executive Vice President of the German Marshall Fund of the United States, he is also a visiting scholar at the University of Pennsylvania's Perry World House. A frequent commentator on US foreign policy and politics, his previous books include The Long Game: How Obama Defied Washington and Redefined America's Role in the World, America between the Wars: From 11/9 to 9/11 (co-authored with James Goldgeier) and The Unquiet American: Richard Holbrooke in the World (co-edited with Samantha Power).