More Advance Praise for The Strategist:

“Bartholomew Sparrow has written a superb biography of Brent Scowcroft, a smart, honorable, and highly capable man who was the national security advisor for both Presidents Ford and Bush 41. As this book makes clear, it’s a great misfortune that Bush 43 did not employ Scowcroft in that same role, as he saw from the start that invading Iraq would turn the Middle East into a cauldron and seriously damage America’s standing around the world.”

            —JOHN J. MEARSHEIMER, R. WENDELL HARRISON DISTINGUISHED SERVICE PROFESSOR OF POLITICAL SCIENCE, UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO

“Although overshadowed by the more flamboyant figures of Henry Kissinger and Zbigniew Brzezinski, Brent Scowcroft is considered by many foreign policy professionals as the ideal national security advisor—self-effacing, an honest broker, and highly competent. And now he has a biography that does him justice and brings together his personal life, his multiple roles in the government, and the history he helped to make. Sparrow’s fascinating account sheds a great deal of light on the man and his tumultuous times.”

            —ROBERT JERVIS, ADLAI E. STEVENSON PROFESSOR OF INTERNATIONAL POLITICS, COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY

“Every American knows the name and the career of past presidents. Little attention is given to individuals who should have been president—for either party. Brent Scowcroft’s contributions—as national security advisor to two presidents, as a military leader, and a public official—are unmatched. Sparrow’s book documents over half a century of contributions as a public intellectual with a style that encourages trust and respectful dialogue among concerned citizens. This man is the model of a great American.”

            —JOHN DEUTCH, INSTITUTE PROFESSOR, MIT, FORMER DIRECTOR OF CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE, DEPUTY SECRETARY OF DEFENSE, AND UNDERSECRETARY OF ENERGY

“From Kennedy to Obama, Brent Scowcroft was probably the most respected, admired, and successful national security advisor. In this comprehensive, judicious, and thoughtful biography, Bartholomew Sparrow beautifully illuminates the qualities of mind and character that contributed to Scowcroft’s unique stature.”

            —MELVYN P. LEFFLER, EDWARD STETTINIUS PROFESSOR OF AMERICAN HISTORY, UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA