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The Wise Men: Six Friends and the World They Made Kindle Edition

by Walter Isaacson (Author), Evan Thomas (Author) Format: Kindle Edition

4.5 912 ratings

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With a new introduction by the authors, this is the classic account of the American statesmen who rebuilt the world after the catastrophe of World War II.

A captivating blend of personal biography and public drama, The Wise Men introduces six close friends who shaped the role their country would play in the dangerous years following World War II.

They were the original best and brightest, whose towering intellects, outsize personalities, and dramatic actions would bring order to the postwar chaos and leave a legacy that dominates American policy to this day.

The Wise Men shares the stories of Averell Harriman, the freewheeling diplomat and Roosevelt’s special envoy to Churchill and Stalin; Dean Acheson, the secretary of state who was more responsible for the Truman Doctrine than Truman and for the Marshall Plan than General Marshall; George Kennan, self-cast outsider and intellectual darling of the Washington elite; Robert Lovett, assistant secretary of war, undersecretary of state, and secretary of defense throughout the formative years of the Cold War; John McCloy, one of the nation’s most influential private citizens; and Charles Bohlen, adroit diplomat and ambassador to the Soviet Union.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

This extensive group-portrait by two Time news editors trumpets the role of six policymakersDean Acheson, Averell Harriman, George Kennan, John McCloy Jr., Charles Bohlen, Robert Lovettin taking postWW II America from isolationism to a recognition that the U.S. "would have to assume the burden of a global role." The irony is that, as elder statesmen, they sometimes warned against the interventionist momentum they had helped create, as this behind-the-scenes account makes clear. The authors' portrayal of the six as the hidden architects behind the Truman Doctrine, the Marshall Plan and Cold War containment will certainly provoke debate. Based on prodigious research, including interviews with four of the six, the tome often sounds like an official biography ("Kennan had tortuously conflicted feelings about being tapped to be part of the American elite") and the prose echoes Time's style (Dean Rusk, "the round-faced Georgian"). History buffs will follow with interest the minor revelations that spill forth as the six advise presidents from F. D. R. to L. B. J. Major ad/promo.
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

The authors, Time editors, chronicle the activities of six gifted friendsDean Acheson, Charles E. Bohlen, W. Averell Harriman, George Kennan, Robert Lovett, and John J. McCloywho were instrumental in developing U.S. diplomacy from the 1930s to the Vietnam War. Nurtured in the innocent internationalism of Woodrow Wilson, they applied their Ivy League educations to a variety of crises. Their successes outweighed their failures, and their service promoted the values of free trade, democratic capitalism, international cooperation, and pragmatism. Their lives provide a history of America's policy-making elite. But elitism breeds insularity, and the shift away from great wars between industrialized nations and toward small unit actions in wars of national liberation was not recognized by these men. Though superbly written, this book's primary value is anecdotal. James L . Jablonowski, History Dept., Marquette Univ., Milwaukee
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00768DB2S
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Simon & Schuster; Reissue edition (February 28, 2012)
Publication date ‏ : ‎ February 28, 2012
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 8.6 MB
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Print length ‏ : ‎ 873 pages

Best Sellers Rank: #64,677 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
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4.5 912 ratings

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Walter Isaacson
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Walter Isaacson is writing a biography of Elon Musk. He is the author of The Code Breaker: Jennifer Doudna, Gene Editing, and the Future of the Human Race; Leonardo da Vinci; Steve Jobs; Einstein: His Life and Universe; Benjamin Franklin: An American Life; The Innovators: How a Group of Hackers, Geniuses, and Geeks Created the Digital Revolution; and Kissinger: A Biography. He is also the coauthor of The Wise Men: Six Friends and the World They Made. He is a Professor of History at Tulane, has been CEO of the Aspen Institute, chairman of CNN, and editor of Time magazine.
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Evan Thomas
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Evan Thomas is one of the most respected historians and journalists writing today. He is the bestselling author of ten works of nonfiction: First: Sandra Day O’Connor, Being Nixon, Ike's Bluff, The War Lovers, Sea of Thunder, John Paul Jones, Robert Kennedy, The Very Best Men, The Man to See, and The Wise Men (with Walter Isaacson). Thomas was an editor and writer at Newsweek for 24 years, where he wrote more than a hundred cover stories.
Thomas has won numerous journalism awards, including a National Magazine Award in 1998. In 2005, his 50,000-word narrative of the 2004 election was honored when Newsweek won a National Magazine Award for the best single-topic issue.
Thomas is a fellow of the Society of American Historians and has taught writing at Princeton and Harvard. He is a graduate of Harvard and the University of Virginia Law School. He lives with his wife and two children in Washington, DC.
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Customers find the book well-researched and insightful into how the world was formed after WWII. They praise the writing quality as compelling and readable. The book is described as an enjoyable and fascinating read that captures the significance of six men at the forefront of the development of US national security and foreign policies. However, some readers feel the lives being described are not that interesting.

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Historical accuracy Writing quality Readability Interest Personality Look Enlightened content Length

58 customers mention "Historical accuracy"58 positive0 negative

Customers find the book well-researched and informative. They appreciate the insights into how the world was formed after WWII, the lives of the wise men, and the thorough historical information provided. The book is described as an exceptional historical biography by two eminent historians.

"...This is an important book. It is well written. Every American citizen needs a better understanding of how our government works...." Read more

"...of world defining moments into clear focus and illustrate how effective six citizens can be...." Read more

"...solving from the ‘40’s to the ‘80’s, this book puts today’s World into historical perspective. Where are the Americans like this today? Great read!" Read more

"...The United States was very fortunate for the intelligence, creativity, patriotism, determination, ethics, and efforts of the six men who are the book..." Read more

52 customers mention "Writing quality"52 positive0 negative

Customers praise the book's writing quality. They find it readable and well-written, with an insightful narrative that explores the influence of the Establishment. Readers appreciate the author's style of biography that shifts from character to character. The book provides an inside look at the influential group.

"...This is an important book. It is well written. Every American citizen needs a better understanding of how our government works...." Read more

"...The book is masterfully written by Walter Isaacson, now of Time magazine, and Evan Thomas, currently Assistant Managing Editor at Newsweek...." Read more

"...When coupled with the compelling story of six members of “The Establishment” and their (mostly) selfless contributions to international problem..." Read more

"This is an excellent book by Walter Isaacson and Evan Thomas, two very good authors...." Read more

46 customers mention "Readability"46 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy this book. They find it fascinating and even-handed, providing an exciting read through the events of World War II. The book is described as an excellent work at a reasonable price.

"...I found Chip Bohlen to be totally enjoyable, cool and as "hip" as anyone from today...he came across as timeless...." Read more

"...The authors convey the complicated global factors of the war in an admirable, even-handed, almost sympathetic way." Read more

"...The book can take you on an exciting ride through the myriad events that created the world we live in today. [..." Read more

"I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Isaacson and Thomas employ a writing style that keeps me wanting more...." Read more

20 customers mention "Interest"20 positive0 negative

Customers find the book fascinating and well-written. They describe it as a detailed study of the time and our reluctant emergence as a world power. The book is described as an amazing period for the country and history lessons are learned through remarkable stories.

"...Being a Dean Acheson fan I found his part of the book fascinating and it just reinforced all of my prior thoughts about this giant of the 20th..." Read more

"This was a fascinating and well-written book about six men that are probably unknown to today's general public but shaped US Foreign Policy from..." Read more

"...The best part about it, I think, is that the history lessons are learned by virtual osmosis for the remarkable stories of these men and their..." Read more

"...view from WWII through Korea (and the red scare) and VietNam was very interesting." Read more

9 customers mention "Personality"9 positive0 negative

Customers find the book's personality engaging. They appreciate the well-described personalities of six men who shaped US national security and foreign policies. The biography shifts between characters in different chapters, highlighting their outsized personalities and forceful actions. Readers appreciate the determination, ethics, and effort put forth by the six men.

"...Their outsized personalities, and forceful actions, brought order to the post-war chaos and left a legacy that dominates the way the world works to..." Read more

"...This book has a cast of scores of fascinating people involved in scores of events over scores of years! A great book!..." Read more

"...Highlights in detail these fascinating men. Most likely appreciated by the serious student of history as the work is lengthy." Read more

"...The personalities are so well described over and over again , in different settings...." Read more

6 customers mention "Look"6 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the book's look. They find the portraits fascinating and wonderful, including those of figures like Averell and six friends.

"...It is also a portrait of six friends, to the manor born and lodged in high places within and without the US foreign policy establishment, who were..." Read more

"Isaacson could make the phone book interesting! A wonderful look at the Wall Street wolves and how they sacrificed to serve our country and did it..." Read more

"Fantastic look at what these men did for our country from the end of WWII to Viet Nam (most of it incredibly good, some of it, not so much)...." Read more

"A wonderful look at the players in the middle of the the biggest crisis of the twentieth century." Read more

5 customers mention "Enlightened content"0 positive5 negative

Customers find the content interesting but not enlightening. They find it difficult to follow the six interwoven biographies in a single work. The writing is good, but the lives and histories described are not that interesting.

"...Although it can be hard to follow six interwoven biographies in a single work, and the book is a bit long, the effort is worth it...." Read more

"...the FDR administration, I found it quite interesting but not exceptionally enlightening except to realize that the wealthy and well born in this..." Read more

"The writing is fine, but the lives being described are just not that interesting...." Read more

"...Some of their histories and stories are not that interesting." Read more

4 customers mention "Length"0 positive4 negative

Customers find the book too long and unorganized. They say it's hard work for students of history.

"...to follow six interwoven biographies in a single work, and the book is a bit long, the effort is worth it...." Read more

"...Most likely appreciated by the serious student of history as the work is lengthy." Read more

"...Hard work." Read more

"Too long and unorganized..." Read more

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Joan Atlas
A Spotlight on Public Service
Reviewed in the United States on January 31, 2025
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There are politicians, and then there are the diplomats , advisors and experts and so many others that advise on and implement policies and decisions. History needs to record the service of these people if only provide a goal or measurement for the future. These men served over a forty year period that included world war, the atomic bomb, the State of Israel, the Korean war, The Viet Nam war and the cold war. They served under presidents Roosevelt, Truman, Eisenhower, Kennedy, and Johnson. This is an important book. It is well written. Every American citizen needs a better understanding of how our government works. This highly readable book would be a good place to start.

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Bruce in Fort Myers
Great look at 1920-1980
Reviewed in the United States on August 7, 2020
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As someone who is to the right politically than the authors I was happily surprised by how much I enjoyed this book.

I felt as though the authors missed the boat with Reagan and his relationship to the soviets, thankfully it was a very small part of the overall book. The authors suffered from a 1980s liberal anathema of all things Reagan and history proved them wrong about the efficacy of his policies. The antipathy towards Reagan has the authors offering up an almost naive view of the Soviets and it was my only issue with the book. Common sense AND HISTORY proves my point and is shown by the benign attitude the authors have towards Yuri Andropov, a former KGB head and a serious problem regarding freedom for people in Eastern Europe, and for the world.

Having said my piece above I still give the book 5 stars due to how much I loved how the authors gave us the feel of the times and how our six heroes dealt with all of it's issues and crises.

Being a Dean Acheson fan I found his part of the book fascinating and it just reinforced all of my prior thoughts about this giant of the 20th century. I feel as if there should be a movie made of Acheson as a way to introduce him to today's students and others...but I know it will never happen. Anyone who doesn't know Dean Acheson should read some books by or about him.

Being a fan of the time period I of course was familiar with Averell Harriman, but I wasn't aware of exactly what a giant of the times he was. As the book progressed I found myself thinking that he was an opportunist, a man that wanted "it" to be all about him, but as the book progressed I came to respect him more and more. This is especially true when he did not get his coveted Secretary of State position and yet never tried to torpedo Acheson, who did get the job. This is so unlike today and that is a shame. Harriman kept on and kept on and I found him also fascinating. His desire for diplomatic means of solving problems was legendary.

I found Chip Bohlen to be totally enjoyable, cool and as "hip" as anyone from today...he came across as timeless. The picture of him and JFK driving down the street, Kennedy with his shades on and at the wheel showed the man perfectly.

Robert Lovett as someone I had never heard of and yet he was also a huge force during momentous times. Almost as rich as Harriman, but not nearly as stuffy, his part was a great part of the book as well.

As someone who followed foreign affairs a bit I was very familiar with George F, Kennan (Mr. X) but I was surprised by his being so sensitive with regard to being insecure. A great mind and perfect for the early cold war period.

John McCloy was someone who is so underrated when discussing historic people of the second half of the 20th century. He combined public and private service that could (and should) never be allowed today, but his contribution was huge and very positive and that is why so many presidents called on him for assistance.

Anyone who is interested in WWII, the Cold War, the Korean War and the Vietnam War should read this book. Anyone interested in high society in the 20s thru the 80s should read this book. It was a different time, but we would not be us without how well our country handled events and how these man contributed to the world.

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Jay Harmon
Comprehensive and Engaging
Reviewed in the United States on May 27, 2017
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As happens frequently in biographies, the authors fell in love with their subjects; praise for the 6 main members of the Cold War "Establishment" far outweighs criticism. Averell Harriman and Dean Acheson get the most thorough attention among the 6 subjects, and rightfully so.

I took away one star because the authors largely see the foreign policies of Republican presidents Ike, Nixon and Reagan through the eyes of the Wise Men, instead of objectively. Only when Nixon "comes to his senses" and asks Acheson and Harriman for advice does he receive some praise. Ike's foreign policy era is portrayed as one to be endured until the Wise Men are allowed back in the inner circle under JFK. Their total disdain for Reagan is clear; no mention of the reasons for end of the Cold War and Reagan's active part in it.

However, the 5-star section of the book is clearly the LBJ-Vietnam era. Wow, they really can't stand LBJ as a human being and politician, but his (and the Wise Men's) agony over the Vietnam war is written about almost lyrically. The authors convey the complicated global factors of the war in an admirable, even-handed, almost sympathetic way.

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Daniel J. McGarigle
How The World Was Designed After World War II
Reviewed in the United States on January 31, 2009
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The Wise Men: Six Friends and the World They Made with a new introduction by the authors Six American boys who were childhood friends, and who held few public offices, came, through their individual and collective efforts, to simply design, during and just after World Ware II, the whole world as we know it today. Yes, these six men really did design the whole world, the whole world that we know, the whole world.
The six men, Dean Acheson, Charles Bohlen, Averell Harriman, George Kennan, Robert Lovett and John McCloy really did design the whole world. Their personal lives were intertwined from their childhoods and schooldays, and from their early careers on Wall Street and in government jobs.
By breeding and training these six men, and a few of their close colleagues, knew that America would have to assume the burden of a global role. Out of duty and out of desire, and probably out of divine inspiration, they heeded their own individual calls to public service.
These six were the original "best and brightest" of twentieth-century men. Their outsized personalities, and forceful actions, brought order to the post-war chaos and left a legacy that dominates the way the world works to this very day.
The book is masterfully written by Walter Isaacson, now of Time magazine, and Evan Thomas, currently Assistant Managing Editor at Newsweek.
The authors bring the hundreds of world defining moments into clear focus and illustrate how effective six citizens can be. We can all follow their examples of how to lead, in the most personal way, our own lives
The book very easily readable and I just could not put it down until I had finished it. The book can take you on an exciting ride through the myriad events that created the world we live in today.
The Wise Men: Six Friends and the World They Made with a new introduction by the authors

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Joseph Myren
AWESOME
Reviewed in Canada on December 7, 2023
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AWESOME

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dan
Comprehensive
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 6, 2018
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A good walkthrough recent American history

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Aditya Jadhav
Three Stars
Reviewed in India on September 12, 2015
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Manoucher Madani
Five Stars
Reviewed in Canada on January 31, 2017
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Perfect

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Inara
Five Stars
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 27, 2015
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Everyone should read this book - how America & Israel shaped and own the financial markets

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5.0 out of 5 stars A Spotlight on Public Service

5.0 out of 5 stars Great look at 1920-1980

4.0 out of 5 stars Comprehensive and Engaging

5.0 out of 5 stars How The World Was Designed After World War II

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A Spotlight on Public Service

Great look at 1920-1980

Comprehensive and Engaging

How The World Was Designed After World War II

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Comprehensive

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