Book · 2020 · POLITICAL SCIENCE
America in the World
A History of U.S. Diplomacy and Foreign Policy
Why people recommend it
America in the World by Robert B. Zoellick is a sweeping historical work examining the grand strategies and diplomatic decisions of United States statesmen from Benjamin Franklin to James Baker. During an interview on The Ezra Klein Show in an episode titled I Asked a Former Trump Official to Justify This War published on March 10, 2026, guest Nadia Schadlow highlighted this publication during the closing book recommendation segment. Although she noted that her suggestions were not listed in any strict order of publication, Nadia Schadlow recommended Robert Zoellick's book as a great resource covering America's diplomatic history, mentioning that she was actively reading it at the time. She praised the volume for its rigorous exploration of how past American leaders navigated foreign entanglements, built alliances, and projected power across the globe. The recommendation offered podcast listeners an entry point into understanding the historical foundations of United States foreign policy through the lens of practical statecraft rather than abstract theory. By pointing to Zoellick's work, Schadlow connected contemporary geopolitical challenges to the long-standing traditions and strategic dilemmas that have shaped American diplomacy over the course of centuries.
Who recommended it
- Nadia Schadlow Recommended
Nadia Schadlow — 1 mention
“O.K, well, they’re not in any order of not in terms of publication, although I am reading right now a book, I think, published two years ago by Robert Zoellick called "America in the World" A great book about America’s diplomatic history.”