Synopses & Reviews
In this first biography of Ellsworth Bunker (1894-1984), Howard Schaffer traces the life of one of America's foremost diplomats of the postwar era from his formative years as a successful businessman and lobbyist through a long career in international affairs.
Named ambassador to Argentina by Harry Truman in 1951, Bunker went on to serve six more presidents as ambassador to Italy, India, Nepal, and Vietnam and on special negotiating missions. A widely recognized "hawk," Bunker helped shape U.S. policy in Vietnam during his six-year Saigon posting. Using letters Bunker wrote to his wife as well as recently declassified messages he exchanged with Henry Kissinger, Schaffer examines how Bunker promoted the war effort and how he regarded his mission. After leaving Saigon on his seventy-ninth birthday, Bunker became a key figure in the treaty negotiations, spanning three presidencies, that radically changed the operation and defense of the Panama Canal.
Highlighting Bunker's views on the craft of diplomacy, Schaffer paints a complex picture of a man who devoted three decades to international affairs and sheds new light on post-World War II American diplomacy.
Review
"Combines solid research and a nuanced understanding of diplomatic history. . . . Shaffer's treatment of Bunker is balanced and fair and sheds historical light on the dark corners of mid-level American diplomacy in the latter half of the twentieth century."
Journal of Cold War Studies
Synopsis
The first biography of Ellsworth Bunker (1894-1984), one of America's foremost post-World War II diplomats. Howard Schaffer traces Bunker's life from his formative years as a successful business executive and lobbyist through a long career in international affairs. Bunker served under seven U.S. presidents, led crucial negotiations in wartime Vietnam, and helped reshape U.S. policy in the Panama Canal.
About the Author
Howard B. Schaffer is director of studies at the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University. A retired U.S. Foreign Service officer and former ambassador to Bangladesh, he twice served as a deputy assistant secretary of state. He is author of Chester Bowles: New Dealer in the Cold War.