The dispensable nation : American foreign policy in retreat

Former State Department adviser for Afghanistan and Pakistan, and bestselling author, Vali Nasr delivers a sharp indictment of America's flawed foreign policy, and outlines its new relationship with the Muslim world. Nasr takes readers behind the scenes at the State Department, and reveals how the Obama administration's fear of political backlash and the spectre of terrorism have crippled the efforts of diplomatic giants, such as Richard Holbrooke and Hillary Clinton, to boost America's foundering credibility with world leaders. Now a second Arab Spring is brewing - not a hopeful clamour for democracy, but rage at the US for its reliance on drones and assassinations. Drawing on his in-depth knowledge of the Middle East and first-hand experience in diplomacy, Nasr offers a powerful reassessment of American foreign policy that seeks to direct the country away from its failing relationships in the Middle East toward more productive, and less costly, partnerships with other foreign allies. Forceful and persuasive, Vali Nasr's book is a game changer for America as it charts a course in the Muslim world, Asia, and beyond.