And Their Secret World War - John Foster Dulles

Having lived through this period of our history, I have to admit I really had no idea as to what was going on. Ike has always been my favorite president. The accounts in this book has removed him from that position. I would like to think that the CIA did good things, but this book points out many harmful events. I think everyone in Congress should read it. On the lighter side, I am going to recommend the book Paroled.

Reminder of how hateful & selfish international business men and their lackey's are. And how they can f---up your country with their own short sighted "foreign policies" for their short term profits.

Great book! Careful and readable, thorough and compelling. At the end, the author said the Dulles brothers had faded from our memories and those memories should be brought back. They had faded from mine and I am somewhat embarrassed.

Just read it.

very informative and specific information. as we look back now, they were ruthless and not willing to work with other governments if those governments wanted to be neutral! it showed a strong relationship between special businesses and government. a book for anyone interested in knowing about american politics during the 50s.

Thoroughly researched, well written and thought provoking. The author clearly laid out the progression to power, but in the summation notes deftly illustrated how the Dulles story is truly an American story. This should be required reading for all especially those who make decisions regarding our presence abroad.

Once you have read this book you will understand how Trump's comments about "killers" as O'Reilly put it to him about Putin makes sense."We" through our government, CIA and other clandestine operatives have changed the course of history in many countries mostly to the detriment of that society and ours. This is a straight forward fact based narrative that prevents the reader to ever again "unsee" the origin of the term "ugly american".

First off this book takes the glow off the recent nostalgia around Eisenhower in the area of foreign policy. He was a full partner with the Dulles brothers in their horrific and arrogant and violent foreign policy in the 1950s. These bastards in their belief of Americas purity and need to defend corporations had no qualms in overthrowing any legitimate government by force and installing the most heinous dictators who would then crush their own people. The Dulles brothers had no capacity for nuance or neutrality. You were either with with us or with the Soviets. And if you weren't with us you were in deep s***. The Dulles boys only believed in the righteousness american Christian virtue and free enterprise. Everything else was evil and communistic and must be destroyed. Their arrogance gave us Vietnam the Ayatollahs in Iran and W and Cheney and the quagmire that is the middle east. Great guys. And to watch the current crop of GOP candidates you realize they haven't learned a damned thing from American history. This why Kinzers book is so timely.

This book should be read by all Americans to show how too much power vested in well meaning individuals can lead to questionable decisions in American policies. With virtually no checks or balances, the "brothers" led the United States on a disastrous path including the protecting corporate interests in Central America, the overthrow of the Iranian government, creating unrest in Africa, the Bay of Pigs embarrassment , and the Vietnam War.

Startling verification and expansion of what we thought might have been going on. Makes me wonder how much the Dulles perception of reality was reflected in domestic policy and actions to undercut support of anti-racist groups and efforts to support greater self determination for minorities in the US. Additionally, the book clarifies the motives that the Alan Dulles and CIA had for helping to set up if not direct the Kennedy assassination in 1963. This story begins to expose the underbelly of the beast we have been fighting since WWII... The purposeful attempt to block or exterminate any individual or organization that appeared to threaten US Government and business domination of world economics and politics in the second half of the twentieth century.

Few histories display such clarity and balance. Summing up the Dulles Brothers' behavior in modern psychological terms and current political context is a valuable step to understanding our recent and current political situations.

Learned a lot about the backstory of recent historical events. I learned about the events in various history classes, but not mindset that created them. This book filled in a lot of the blanks. The Dulles brothers became more than just names for the first time.

This book covering the political environment before, during, and after WWII, is a must for history buffs, and a refreshing read for those of us that lived during some part of the Dulles boys' influence on the world. For the rest of the readers, it's a heads-up. Highly recommend it.

Just finished the last chapter. It is the author's reflection on the era. Like some other reviewers, I found it jarring. But that isn't bad. Kinzer notes that in 1960, the consensus was that the Dulles brothers were the preeminent force in US foreign policy. Today, Historians see President Eisenhower as the decider. This shift is worth reflecting on. The bio part of the book establishes that President Eisenhower had the final word but that the Dulles brothers had broad powers to execute a policy on which all three agreed. The Dulles brothers were the public face of the policy and the chief salesmen. As such, they became most closely identified with it. Their reputations faded as the harms and failures became more known. The final chapter shows the relation of American Exceptionalism to the three men and to our policies. The Dulles brothers helped American Exceptionalism to become dominant in the culture in the 1950s. It remains a force in American politics. It is easy to come away from the bio part of the book despising the Dulles brothers and downgrading one's opinion of Eisenhower. For me, the final chapter was essential to put the decade in context and to understand why many of the same strains of thought continue to shape our foreign policy. Without the last chapter, it would be easy to dismiss the horrible consequences of our foreign policy for Viet Nam, The Congo, Guatamala, etc as simply the failings of a few individuals. Unfortunately, American Exceptionalism is as good an explanation for the Iraq war as any. It was sold to us the same way the cold war was sold to us. Historians will apportion blame between President Bush and his inner circle, but something made that war extremely popular during the run up. The Kinzer book -- and especially the final chapter -- provides essential background for understanding this more recent disaster.

I will not repeat the kudos of others. Simply, the book tells a story that long needed telling. stewardship of the Dulles brothers was morbidly flawed. Their inability to accommodate the real world and give United States a leadership role in that New World led to the slaughter millions, including tens of thousands of young American men and women. all that might have been prevented had we known about it at the time. Sadly, we did not, and that is a lesson we should take to heart today.

One small tale from the book that exemplifies the Dulles ethos. As a young, well-connected, lawyer with Sullivan & Cromwell, Foster got his uncle, who was Wilson's Secretary of State, to send navy ships to Cuba to protect the commercial interests of S&C clients.

Plus ca change, plus c'est meme chose. :(

As recent events indicate, horrific decisions by some in our government have lead to immeasurable suffering, both home and abroad. For too long, these decisions have been mostly shrouded in secrecy with little accountability, even when they are revealed. In my view this makes "The Brothers" one of most important books of the year, if not the decade, because it removes the shroud from an era that in large measure was a precursor of our own.

Sadly, for most Americans, the word "Dulles" means but an airport. This book should thus be required reading in every high school and college in the country so that the emerging generations will understand what the Founders realized--too much "trust" in government and those vested with governmental powers leads to tyranny.

Intriguing perspective on possibly two of the most formative figures in geopolitics. The story of these brothers is the story of America's relationship with the past and truth and should be considered strongly by all patriots.

I was born in 1929 and clearly remember this period of history. The Dulles Bros were paranoid and successfully manipulated the American public who did not have the knowledge we have today to see through their spin. Their world view was obviously set by their narrow fundamentalist childhood where everything was black or white and they did not think outside the square. It is interesting to think what history would be like if such powerful figures were replaced by others who were less rigid in their thinking.

This book is probably now the quintessential book on the elitist and corporate values and narrow world view that underlies our intelligence infrastructure and national security state. It is rich in writing and thought, in a most profound way. Kinzer accurately applies social psychology to the Dulles brothers and most importantly our collectives selves as Americans.

Concentration of power is shown for the risky business it is. Also interesting was the role of among Ike who came off as such a nice guy when he smiled and waved. Shocked to see him as complicit in secret wars. Shows how much we can be led. Last chapter was very thought provoking.

This book is one of the best books which appeared during 2013. It is written like an elegant thriller and tells the story of two famous public figures in American contemporary history. It is the story and history of the Dulles brothers, one a masterspy and the other a foreign secretary. It is also, as the writer mentions, the story of America, of its myopia and hubris. The two brothers wanted the world to go their way, thus they had invested all their efforts in doing anything legal or illegal in order to achieve this. Allen has conducted numerous covert actions, and was the head of the CIA, which made sure to remove all the obstacles in favour of the United States. Foster has done the same. The fault with both of them was that they saw the world in Manichean terms only-perhaps a result of their rigorous religious upbringing. There were only two kinds of people or nations in the worlds: the bad ones and the good ones. In the end, both started to lose their grip on reality, and the humiliation of Allen, who was dismissed from his post by Kennedy, was bigger.
This book should be mandatory reading for anyone who likes a good history book, which is extremely well researched and brilliantly written. If I could give it more than five stars I would ,but the store does not permit it!

My mind was blank on any information on the Dulles brothers. I lived through the events depicted in this engrossing revelation of perfidy at the highest level of our government and the full participation of my hero President "Ike". Even more frightening is it continues today.

The "exceptional" hallmark claimed by most United States citizens can be seen as a marriage of capitalist vigor and government global interventionist actions. This book clearly shows how two quirky brothers promoted and expanded this marriage throughout the Eisenhower presidency and is still very much with us today. The rewards of their actions have been tremendous but the costs and dangers to our country are still being counted. If you were involved in any way with the Vietnam war and the American wars after that, you should read this book.

This book was chosen because the American public needs to know and understand past/present, plus, history of the United States in order to participate and influence the elected officials in making political decisions that affect every citizen,

Stephen Kinzer wrote a fine book that one appreciates greatly. The Brothers came from an intriguing family, were prepared for leadership from their beginnings, and the author tells their story with the facts that keep one reading on and on to learn and understand the ideology of these characters. Considering the larger picture, The Brothers explains how the CIA and the military complex became such heavy designers of the American dynasty.

A well written and an unblinking view of American history as it developed in the 20th century. Objective but not preachy but a sad account of the people and events that have brought America to where it is today, not flattering! Hope we all can learn from our past.

If you ever wondered about conspiracy theory - oh my. The mindset here like the more recent CIA disclosures damages the USA in a self inflicted style uniquely American. Costitutionality - the rule of law - OUT THE WINDOW.

I am very familiar with the archival material related to the Dulles brothers -- both US and foreign. I found the narrative on their early lives interesting and accurate. The author failed to portray the Dulles with sufficient nuance. For example, if one reads all of the notes in the Eisenhower library on the NSC meetings, one cannot help but conclude that Eisenhower himself not Dulles was driving foreign policy. Also if you look at Allen Dulles and his meetings with Kermit Roosevelt you find an interesting reaction to Roosevelt's reluctance to become involved in Guatemala and Nasser. Also one of the big reasons that the British hated JFD was because he had helped to engineer the defensive pact between Australia, New Zealand and the U.S. after the war excluding the British. The latter part of the book took an almost cliche-ish, doctinaire view of policy and Dulles during the Eisenhower period. For example, it fails to point that in the conduct of foreign policy it was Eisenhower that instituted the "country team" concept headed by the ambassador in an attempt to State, CIA, USAID, USIS, and the military working on the same page.

THE author sheds a bright light on the actions of the Dulles brothers and their effect on American foreign policy. It is a policy unhinged and one sided. For us or against us. In a sense, fear mongers. We now live with these poor decisions, and continue to lose respect in the world. Will this change? The reader is left to her own conclusions. Very well written and interesting.

an amazing story of behind the scene international conspiracy and empire building [and destroying] by the brothers Dulles with the apparently full support of Eisenhower...it explains a lot of the ill-will toward the US today... this story could be well served with a rebuttal by an Eisenhower/Dulles supporter.

Steven Kinzer and his research staff did a superb job. Every American History book is incomplete unless it takes into account the horrible cause and effect relationship that the Dulles created. This book has to be read. It isn't an attempt to create political converts but to finally get the facts straight, and in a comprehensible reportage. The Dulles Brothers and those who served them were obviously serial criminal of the worst kind. This is an accounting that most Americans just won't admit because they can't face up to the truth. It all leads to support my long held theory of how and why JFK met his demise. Ron Kuczak

The book is concise and to the point regarding the life and times of the Dulles brothers. Everything is in context and the reader comes away with a good understanding of how the brothers were educated, cut their teeth in their respective work and personal lives and what they did in their appointed political positions. The book is salient and draws a logical conclusion. You will know the Dulles brothers and understand much about the development of current US foreign policy having read this book.

Having read this and several other nonfiction of this "era", it no wonder the mess "we" have made of things. The largest pall that hangs over this is, in my case, Vietnam. What a mess with on going consequences, at home and abroad.

Excellent read. It will shock you because of the power the Dulles brothers had particularly in the Eisenhower administration. Their regime-change efforts forecast what we tried to do in Iraq, and the clandestine activities they engaged in with little or no authority is truly amazing. They were so zealously anti-communist that they would not even countenance engaging in any sort of negotiations or meetings with the Russians. Secrecy is the operative word here. It explains how we got to where we are with the CIA and the NSA today. The Dulles boys were a rogue outfit unto themselves. You will learn a lot from this book.

This book is an eye-opener for every American who wonders "why they hate us." While I don't subscribe to self-flagellation and continue to think that we do more good than evil on the world stage, this book reminds us of Churchill's famous quip that "Americans can always be relied upon to do the right thing -- after having exhausted all alternatives." Well --- this book is about those alternatives.

This book is a well-written, gripping account of how the narrow, good-vs-evil mindset that sometimes takes hold of the American Psyche can make us oversimplify foreign conflicts and thus misunderstand them and make them worse. If you never heard of Mossadegh, Arbenz, or Sukarno, this is the book to read to give you historic perspective on why (some of) Iran hates us, Central America despises us, and Indonesia is wary of the US. Unfortunately, the habit of overthrowing legitimate governments did not stop with "the brothers." So this book, while about the early and mid 20th century, is as timely today as it would have been back then.

Best history book and most honest assessment of our recent past that I've ever read. If you want to understand the origins, proliferation and continuation of the Cold War, our oligarchic society, the C.I.A. as Corporate Industrial Army, the institutionalization of top secret funding, the disconnect between the American worldview and that of third world countries, and if you are prepared to learn the truth about America's past and present, perhaps for the first time, then I highly recommend this book. A fantastic journey that will leave you wondering why and how it could have happened.

An amazing story of the brothers who destroyed democracies around the world and were instrumental in our role in the Vietnam war. There were ludicrous and we should change the name of the Dulles airport. Well written and well researched.

I enjoyed this book because it illustrates how the US government can be manipulated by only a few un-elected powerful men that practically knowone knows about. The US is still suffering the blowback from what these two men had done to US foriegn policy.

Two brothers who shaped the world in the 20th century, helped get us into Vietnam, and so much more. The power that was wielded and taken for granted in that period is simply astounding, and with very few fetters on it! A good history lesson, well written, eye opening. Highly recommend this.

I just finished reading The Brothers by Stephen Kinzer. It is about John Foster Dulles, who occupied the position of Secretary of State, and Allen Dulles,who was the head of the CIA at the same time (something that never should have been allowed to happen). I think it should be a "must read" for anyone who wants to know how we got where we are in American foreign policy with relationship to the CIA, the NSA and the whole concept of American exceptional-ism.

Excellent, eye-opening, frightening book. First read it through the library, then bought one for myself, which I then gave away to a friend entering the Foreign Service. Bought a second book for myself, again!

I normally do not like nonfiction, especially history. However, this book was so well written, it read like historical fiction. I really enjoyed reading it...to a point. Then it really ticked me off. Also, this incredibly well-written book is a real expose' for those of us who were not part of the power brokers of the 20th century.

Here is a friendly reader alert: this book will make you sooo angry, especially if you are of a certain age and especially if you lived through most of the Dulles brothers' time period. It will also make you mad if you are a humanitarian or are a proponent of "mind your own business" or if you have ever cheered for the little guy in a movie.
The subtitle could have been "Incredible Power Poorly Used."
I have already recommended this book to many of my friends and relatives. Then, when they read it, they will be just as angry as I am.
I recommend that YOU read it.