ECU Libraries Catalog

The big stick : the limits of soft power and the necessity of military force / Eliot A. Cohen.

Author/creator Cohen, Eliot A. author.
Format Book and Print
Publication Info New York : Basic Books, 2016.
Descriptionxv, 285 pages ; 25 cm
Subject(s)
Contents Introduction: national duties -- Why the United States? -- Fifteen years of war -- The American hand -- China -- Jihadis -- Dangerous states -- Ungoverned space and the commons -- The logic of hard power -- Postscript: the eagle's head.
Abstract A scholar of international relations outlines compelling arguments in favor of America's enduring relevance and why an active military presence is essential to preserving and enforcing the nation's foreign policies.
Abstract "'Speak softly and carry a big stick, ' Theodore Roosevelt famously said in 1901, when the United States was emerging as a great power. It was the right sentiment, perhaps, in an age of imperial rivalry, but today many Americans doubt the utility of their global military presence, thinking it outdated, unnecessary or even dangerous. In The Big Stick, Eliot A. Cohen--a scholar and practitioner of international relations--disagrees. He argues that hard power remains essential for American foreign policy. While acknowledging that the US must be careful about why, when, and how it uses force, he insists that its international role is as critical as ever, and armed force is vital to that role. Cohen explains that American leaders must learn to use hard power in new ways and for new circumstances. The rise of a well-armed China, Russia's conquest of Crimea and eastern Ukraine, nuclear threats from North Korea and Iran, and the spread of radical Islamist movements like ISIS are some of the key threats to global peace. If the United States relinquishes its position as a strong but prudent military power, and fails to accept its role as the guardian of a stable world order, we run the risk of unleashing disorder, violence and tyranny on a scale not seen since the 1930s. The United States is still, as Madeleine Albright once dubbed it, 'the indispensable nation.'"--Jacket.
Bibliography noteIncludes bibliographical references (pages 233-268) and index.
LCCN 2016040810
ISBN9780465044726 (hardcover)
ISBN0465044727 (hardcover)
ISBN(e-book)
Standard identifier# 99970218164

Available Items

Library Location Call Number Status Item Actions
Joyner General Stacks UA23 .C584 2016 ✔ Available Place Hold