 First edition cover of Smart Power: Between Diplomacy and War | |
| Author | Christian Whiton |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Subject | Diplomacy, Statecraft, Politics, U.S. history |
| Genre | Non-fiction |
| Published | 2013 (Potomac Books) |
| Publication place | United States |
| Media type | |
| Pages | 304 |
| ISBN | 978-1-612-34619-9 |
| 327.7300905 | |
| LC Class | E902 .W495 2013 |
Smart Power: Between Diplomacy and War is a 2013 book written by Christian Whiton with a foreword by Paula Dobriansky. Both were diplomats in the George W. Bush administration.
The book is Whiton's attempt to articulate a realistic defense strategy for major contemporary threats to U.S. national security, with an emphasis on using smart power, which he defines as "the neglected tools of statecraft that lie between diplomacy and outright war." Whiton includes personal accounts from the Bush administration and critiques of foreign policy in the Obama administration to illustrate what he believes to be a lack of U.S. smart power acumen. Whiton also draws heavily from the Cold War and other points in history to illustrate successful smart power. He adapts these tools to current threats, which he argues are primarily composed of Iran, China, and Islamism. Whiton also addresses the politics of national security, critiquing prominent figures on both the political left and the right.[1]
One reviewer summarized, "He defines the essence of 'smart power' as 'peacefully shaping political outcomes in foreign countries,' a skill no recent presidency has mastered."[2]
- ^ O'Brien, Robert (4 October 2013). "We need a militarily strong, morally confident America -- it's time for smart power". Fox News Opinion. Retrieved 28 May 2014.
- ^ Bolton, John (Winter 2013–14). "Failed State". Claremont Review of Books. Vol. 14, no. 1. Retrieved 2018-04-24.