The Peacemaker
Ronald Reagan, the Cold War, and the World on the Brink
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Narrated by:
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Robert Petkoff
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By:
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William Inboden
About this listen
Winner of the Society of Presidential Descendants Book Award and the Age of Reagan Conference Book Prize
One of the Wall Street Journal’s best political books of 2022
A masterful account of how Ronald Reagan and his national security team confronted the Soviets, reduced the nuclear threat, won the Cold War, and supported the spread of freedom around the world.
“Remarkable… a great read.”—Robert Gates • “Mesmerizing… hard to put down.”—Paul Kennedy • “Full of fresh information… will shape all future studies of the role the United States played in ending the Cold War.”—John Lewis Gaddis • “A major contribution to our understanding of the Reagan presidency and the twilight of the Cold War era.”—David Kennedy
With decades of hindsight, the peaceful end of the Cold War seems a foregone conclusion. But in the early 1980s, most experts believed the Soviet Union was strong, stable, and would last into the next century. Ronald Reagan entered the White House with no certainty of what would happen next, only an overriding faith in democracy and an abiding belief that Soviet communism—and the threat of nuclear war—must end.
The Peacemaker reveals how Reagan’s White House waged the Cold War while managing multiple crises around the globe. From the emergence of global terrorism, wars in the Middle East, the rise of Japan, and the awakening of China to proxy conflicts in Latin America, Africa, and Asia, Reagan’s team oversaw the worldwide expansion of democracy, globalization, free trade, and the information revolution. Yet no issue was greater than the Cold War standoff with the Soviet Union. As president, Reagan remade the four-decades-old policy of containment and challenged the Soviets in an arms race and ideological contest that pushed them toward economic and political collapse, all while extending an olive branch of diplomacy as he sought a peaceful end to the conflict.
Reagan’s revolving team included Secretaries of State Al Haig and George Shultz; Secretaries of Defense Caspar Weinberger and Frank Carlucci; National Security Advisors Bill Clark, John Poindexter, and Bud McFarlane; Chief of Staff James Baker; CIA Director Bill Casey; and United Nations Ambassador Jeane Kirkpatrick. Talented and devoted to their president, they were often at odds with one another as rivalries and backstabbing led to missteps and crises. But over the course of the presidency, Reagan and his team still developed the strategies that brought about the Cold War’s peaceful conclusion and remade the world.
Based on thousands of pages of newly declassified documents and interviews with senior Reagan officials, The Peacemaker brims with fresh insights into one of America’s most consequential presidents. Along the way, it shows how the pivotal decade of the 1980s shaped the world today.
©2022 William Inboden (P)2022 Penguin AudioListeners also enjoyed...
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Critic reviews
"[A] deeply informed and gracefully written account…. [Inboden] makes vividly clear how Reagan conducted the Cold War while contending with a host of other harrowing foreign policy issues…. Superbly invokes the peril and uncertainty of the era.”—The Washington Post
“William Inboden’s masterly diplomatic history The Peacemaker: Ronald Reagan, the Cold War, and the World on the Brink reveals the qualities that made Reagan an extraordinary president who established the conditions for the collapse of Soviet communism… this comprehensive and judicious book shows what is possible when a president understands the symmetry of American interests and American ideals.”—The Wall Street Journal
"William Inboden has produced the definitive account of how Ronald Reagan negotiated a peaceful end to the Cold War... [a] masterly work."—National Review
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- By Brooks on 02-19-11
By: Donald Rumsfeld
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A Failed Empire
- The Soviet Union in the Cold War from Stalin to Gorbachev
- By: Vladimir Zubok
- Narrated by: Nick Sullivan
- Length: 20 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
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Western interpretations of the Cold War--both realist and neoconservative--have erred by exaggerating either the Kremlin's pragmatism or its aggressiveness, argues Vladislav Zubok. Explaining the interests, aspirations, illusions, fears, and misperceptions of the Kremlin leaders and Soviet elites, Zubok offers a Soviet perspective on the greatest standoff of the 20th century.
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Focus on the Top Leadership
- By Augustus T. White on 08-13-10
By: Vladimir Zubok
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To Build a Better World
- Choices to End the Cold War and Create a Global Commonwealth
- By: Philip Zelikow, Condoleezza Rice
- Narrated by: Arthur Morey
- Length: 17 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
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Two of America's leading scholar-diplomats, Philip Zelikow and Condoleezza Rice, have combed sources in several languages, interviewed leading figures, and drawn on their own firsthand experience to bring to life the choices that molded the contemporary world. Zeroing in on the key moments of decision, the might-have-beens, and the human beings working through them, they explore both what happened and what could have happened, to show how one world ended and another took form.
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Valuable historical narrative
- By Jane G. Malkin on 04-07-22
By: Philip Zelikow, and others
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The War State
- The Cold War Origins Of The Military-Industrial Complex And The Power Elite, 1945-1963
- By: Michael Swanson
- Narrated by: Larry Wayne
- Length: 8 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
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Today when you factor in the interest on the national debt from past wars and total defense expenditures the United States spends almost 40% of its federal budget on the military. It accounts for over 46% of total world arms spending. Before World War II it spent almost nothing on defense and hardly anyone paid any income taxes. You can't have big wars without big government. Such big expenditures are now threatening to harm the national economy.
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Surprisingly Good
- By ohmie on 04-22-14
By: Michael Swanson
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Pakistan on the Brink
- The Future of America, Pakistan, and Afghanistan
- By: Ahmed Rashid
- Narrated by: Arthur Morey
- Length: 8 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
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What are the possibilities—and hazards—facing America as it withdraws from Afghanistan and reviews its long engagement in Pakistan? Where is the Taliban now in both of these countries? What does the immediate future hold, and what are America’s choices going forward? These are some of the crucial questions that Ahmed Rashid—Pakistan’s preeminent journalist—takes on in this follow-up to his acclaimed Descent into Chaos.
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A Very Long NPR-like Interview and History Lesson
- By Harry Zimmer on 04-23-12
By: Ahmed Rashid
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To Start a War
- How the Bush Administration Took America into Iraq
- By: Robert Draper
- Narrated by: Stefan Rudnicki
- Length: 15 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
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Even now, after more than 15 years, it is hard to see the invasion of Iraq through the cool, considered gaze of history. For too many people, the damage is still too palpable, and still unfolding. Most of the major players in that decision are still with us, and few of them are not haunted by it, in one way or another. Perhaps it's that combination, the passage of the years and the still unresolved trauma, that explains why so many protagonists opened up so fully for the first time to Robert Draper.
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If you’ve grown weary of the current GOP administration’s incompetence...
- By Marynelle on 09-04-20
By: Robert Draper
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Putin's World
- Russia Against the West and with the Rest
- By: Angela Stent
- Narrated by: Kevin Stillwell
- Length: 15 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
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Putin's World examines the country's turbulent past, how it has influenced Putin, the Russians' understanding of their position on the global stage and their future ambitions—and their conviction that the West has tried to deny them a seat at the table of great powers since the USSR collapsed.
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More like The West against the world
- By Felis N on 01-18-20
By: Angela Stent
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Master of the Game
- Henry Kissinger and the Art of Middle East Diplomacy
- By: Martin Indyk
- Narrated by: Simon Vance
- Length: 25 hrs
- Unabridged
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Overall
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More than 20 years have elapsed since the United States last brokered a peace agreement between the Israelis and Palestinians. In that time, three presidents have tried and failed. Martin Indyk - a former United States ambassador to Israel and special envoy for the Israeli-Palestinian negotiations in 2013 - has experienced these political frustrations and disappointments firsthand.
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Sad in its lack of creativity
- By Uri Pilichowski on 11-16-21
By: Martin Indyk
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The Crusader
- Ronald Reagan and the Fall of Communism
- By: Paul Kengor
- Narrated by: John Pruden
- Length: 13 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
God and Ronald Reagan made presidential historian Paul Kengor's name as one of the premier chroniclers of the life and career of the 40th president. With The Crusader, Kengor returns with the one book about Reagan that has not been written: the story of his lifelong crusade against communism and of his dogged and ultimately triumphant effort to overthrow the Soviet Union.
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Whether you like Reagan or not....
- By Daryl on 10-20-13
By: Paul Kengor
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The Abyss
- Nuclear Crisis Cuba 1962
- By: Max Hastings
- Narrated by: Max Hastings, John Hopkins
- Length: 19 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Bestselling author Max Hastings offers a welcome re-evaluation of one of the most gripping and tense international events in modern history—the Cuban Missile Crisis—providing a people-focused narrative that explores the attitudes and conduct of Russians, Cubans, Americans, and a terrified world that followed each moment as it unfolded.
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Good book, but has some issues
- By Mike From Mesa on 11-10-22
By: Max Hastings
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A World of Trouble
- The White House and the Middle East
- By: Patrick Tyler
- Narrated by: Michael Prichard
- Length: 27 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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The Middle East is the beginning and the end of U.S. foreign policy: events there influence our alliances, make or break presidencies, govern the price of oil, and draw us into war. But it was not always so - and as Patrick Tyler shows in this thrilling chronicle of American misadventures in the region, the story of American presidents' dealings there is one of mixed motives, skulduggery, deceit, and outright foolishness, as well as of policymaking and diplomacy.
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Does't deliver
- By Matthew on 02-10-09
By: Patrick Tyler
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Whether you like Reagan or not....
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A Pope and a President
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Even as historians credit Ronald Reagan and Pope John Paul II with hastening the end of the Cold War, they have failed to recognize the depth or significance of the bond that developed between the two leaders. cclaimed scholar and best-selling author Paul Kengor changes that. In this fascinating book, he reveals a singular bond - which included a spiritual connection between the Catholic pope and the Protestant president - that drove the two men to confront what they knew to be the great evil of the 20th century: Soviet communism.
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A wonderful account of two amazing lives and their impact on us all!
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Pretty obvious this was written by a Democrat
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Partisan and defeatist at best.
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WOW
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The Jesus story in context
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Riding with Reagan
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- Narrated by: Christopher Grove
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John Barletta was a Vietnam veteran and Secret Service agent who spent over a decade with the Reagans, poised to give his own life at any moment to save the fortieth president of the United States. His superior riding skills made Barletta the perfect choice to protect Reagan during his frequent visits to the ranch. Over time, he got to know Reagan as few others did.
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Made me live the days of president Reagan!
- By TheReviewerZ on 11-26-24
By: John R. Barletta, and others
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Truman
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- Narrated by: Nelson Runger
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Hailed by critics as an American masterpiece, David McCullough's sweeping biography of Harry S. Truman captured the heart of the nation. The life and times of the 33rd president of the United States, Truman provides a deeply moving look at an extraordinary, singular American.
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That Mousy Little Man From Missouri Revisited
- By Sara on 07-23-15
By: David McCullough
What listeners say about The Peacemaker
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Aneil and Karen Mishra
- 09-04-23
Compelling from Beginning to End
Not only is this a terrific biography of Reagan in the context of his foreign policy, a great history of the his presidency and its influence on ending the Cold War, but also a great assessment of the bipartisan consensus in Congress that Regan was able to forge on how to deal with our allies and enemies. It is this last aspect that demonstrates convincingly how much a future President will need to accomplish to achieve a similar agreement on what is important for our country, both internationally and domestically. Sadly, the last several Presidents, current one, and likely next one have failed utterly in this regard.
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- KP
- 05-21-23
Excellent
A comprehensive and sweeping account of President Ronald Reagan’s foreign policy, including its triumphs and failures.
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- Smalls
- 01-13-23
An excellent book
This book is well worth the listen. The focus is on President Reagan's foreign policy and his determination to use his presidency to bring down the Soviet Union. It is extremely well done with a blend of behind the scenes anecdotes and valuable recounting of public events.
There are some diversions such as Latin America policy, the Middle East, Asia and, of course, Iran Contra. But the author, like President Reagan, keeps the spotlight on the Soviet Union.
It's a different view of the prevailing opinion in the 1980s and later of Reagan as a war monger. According to this recounting, Reagan had an overall strategy of pressuring the Soviet Union through an arms build-up combined with talks to reduce nuclear weapons. Reagan also made it a priority to gain the release of religious prisoners in the Soviet Union.
An added bonus is Reagan's interesting and often humorous interactions with Margaret Thatcher,
I give this book my highest recommendation.
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- wbiro
- 06-06-23
Good History and Partial Truth
I say "partial" in a general sense, since any one point of view, if subjective (like history), will only offer partial truths at best. This book is a good defence of Reagan, with some criticisms thrown in so it isn't a whitewash.
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- PTA
- 06-21-23
Compelling story
This was a very easy to listen to and interesting book. It was long, but I enjoyed it very much. It took place during an earlier time in my life, and I remembered lots of events, but the way it’s told the details were very interesting and told me a lot about President Reagan, that I did not know. I left feeling this was an exceptional man who I underestimated at the time.
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- Charles
- 07-11-23
The excitement of a novel
The author apologizes for writing this book as a real time history. He does not follow the tradition of pursuing individual topics. This type of history will help the reader avoid dementia. Novels are better for challenging your brain than traditional history books. He shows the advantage of foreign countries, knowing that a president most likely has eight years.
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- Anthony
- 01-29-23
Modern History Review
This book was a fine review of modern history and a most memorable time. People forget the negative mood of the country after the ineffective and four Jimmy Carter.
Reagan revived the country’s spirit. He clung to his principles and accomplished much at home and internationally.
We can give him much credit for the end of the Cold War.
We can hope and pray for more leaders who can inspire us like Ronald Reagan.
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- Damon
- 06-20-23
A story of freedom
Will Inboden has produced a remarkable story of the trajectory of freedom — and its setbacks — in this review of President Reagan coinciding with the 40th anniversary of his Westminster address calling for a global infrastructure to support democracy around the world.
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- SouthDenverDave
- 06-18-23
Outstanding
Pro’s: superb narration, flawless delivery by the speaker. The book gives a good view of both sides of President Reagan’s legacy. He names the names and gives the players reputations and viewpoints on each topic. In my opinion Ronald Reagan was the most consequential president during and after the Cold War. We live in peace and prosperity today because of his efforts.
Con’s: I wanted more. It is such an interesting subject more depth could easily be achieved.
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
- History
- 01-26-23
Detailed History
Great book with fair and accurate information. Great audio performance as well. Very useful account of the 1980s.
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