Margaret McMillan is much kinder to her primary subject in Nixon and Mao: The Week that Changed the World than she was in Paris 1919: Six Months that Changed the World. Which is weird, considering her subject is one of the most hated presidents of all time. (Put aside for a moment the question begged by her titles: what period of time will have changed the world in her next book?)

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Posted at 30 July 07 at 21.07 in Books

In 2003, Libya summarily announced that it was giving up its nuclear and chemical weapons development programs. The Bush administration promptly credited its decision to wage a war of aggression against Iraq for this – Gaddafi learned his lesson from Saddam! – but Vandewalle’s book strips the claim bare. The truth is, it was a decade and a half of diplomacy that led to the decision.

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Posted at 25 July 07 at 20.07 in Politics, Obama 08, Books

It is perhaps not entirely unreasonable to draw some comparisons to modern times. It is of course silly to say that the modern Republican party resembles the Communist party of the USSR in any serious way. But while dismissing similarities in any broad sense, it is not absurd to talk about ideology and message.

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Posted at 21 July 07 at 14.07 in Politics, Books

“All Too Human,” George Stephanopoulos’ memoir of his years on the Clinton campaign trail and White House (Stephanopoulos served as a senior advisor on the campaign and White House communications director for Clinton’s first term) strongly makes the case – along with Woodward’s “The Agenda” – that experience is more than just helpful. It’s mandatory.

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Posted at 14 July 07 at 18.07 in Obama 08, Books

I drove to the grocery store a couple of blocks from my house today to pick up some milk and this is what I found: The price of milk is high. Too high.

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Posted at 13 July 07 at 13.07 in Guest Authors

It’s official: I’ve got a crush on Obama. Foreign Affairs is doing a series of articles written by presidential candidates and Obama’s convinced me that he has the perfect mix of ideas and policy to really make this thing work.

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Posted at 11 July 07 at 20.07 in Politics, Obama 08