Ezra's Bookshelf

The Brothers

by Stephen Kinzer · 416 pages · ~7.5 hrs

HistoryForeign PolicyBiography & Memoir

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Stephen Kinzer tells the story of John Foster Dulles and Allen Dulles, brothers who more than any other Americans shaped Cold War foreign policy. John Foster served as Eisenhower's Secretary of State; Allen led the CIA. Together they orchestrated coups in Iran and Guatemala, interventions in Indonesia and Cuba, and the expansion of American power worldwide. Kinzer, a longtime foreign correspondent, draws on extensive research to show how the brothers' worldview—Calvinist, anti-communist, certain of American righteousness—led them to actions whose consequences continue to shape global politics. The book is critical but not polemical, showing how the Dulles brothers' convictions developed and operated. Kinzer examines their Wall Street law practice, their personal relationships, and the specific decisions that toppled governments and installed dictators. The brothers' influence extended far beyond their lifetimes; Kinzer argues that many current conflicts trace back to interventions they authorized. This is essential reading for anyone seeking to understand how American foreign policy came to operate as it does.

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