Rowman & Littlefield Publishers Henry L. Stimson: The First Wise Man (Biographies in American Foreign Policy)

The twentieth century witnessed the rise of the United States as the preeminent player on the world stage. While many individuals were responsible for the American ascension, few have left a larger legacy in the arena of foreign policy than Henry L. Stimson. Serving nearly every American president from Theodore Roosevelt to Harry S. Truman, Stimson shaped America's worldview and influenced America's foreign affairs decisions for over 40 years. A Republican, Stimson served as Secretary of War under William H. Taft (1911-13), Secretary of State under Herbert Hoover (1929-33), and Secretary of War for Franklin D. Roosevelt and Harry S. Truman (1940-45); in addition, he fought in World War I, initiated the Good Neighbor Policy in Central America, and served as Governor General of the Philippines (1927-29). In this new book, David Schmitz reveals how the life of Stimson provides a unique framework for analyzing America's foreign policy development from the imperialism of the 1890s to the origins of the Cold War and the emergence of the United States as the world's leading power after World War II. The author also explains the continuities in foreign policy over this period and the emergence of the internationalist perspective over isolation-ism, showing how Stimson was able to pass along his perspec-tives to the next generation of American policymakers who after World War II established the internationalist mindset of the Cold War years. Stimson's crucial role in the development and use of the atomic bomb is also examined. Henry L. Stimson: The First Wise Man is useful for courses in United States foreign policy, World War II, American history from 1900-1945, and survey courses in U.S. history. Review An impressive and quite comprehensive short biography of one of the most significant American statemen of the first half of the twentieth century. Davaid Schmitz's thoughtful exploration of Henry L. Stimson's public life sheds much light on the exercise of American power--or lack thereof--from the war with Spain through the Second World War.--Wilson D. Miscambe, C.S.C., University of Notre Dame Written with verve, filled with insights into the man and his times, David Schmitz's biography of Henry L. Stimson provides a marvelous window on American foreign policy in the first half of this century--the crucial era that defined the nation's role to this day. The book demonstrates why fine political history is indispensable to our understanding.--Lloyd Gardner, Rutgers University A smart book about a wise man. Carefully researched and well written, it is both a scholarly contribution to the history of twentieth-century American diplomacy and an excellent choice for college courses.--Martin Sherwin, Tufts University, author of A World Destroyed: Hiroshima and Its Legacies About the Author David F. Schmitz holds the Robert Allen Skotheim Chair of History at Whitman College in Walla Walla, Washington.