Henry L. Stimson: The First Wise Man

by David F. Schmitz Robert Allen Skotheim Chair of History, Whitman College

Overview

The twentieth century witnessed the rise of the United States as the preeminent player on the world stage. While many individuals were responsible for the American ascension, few have left a larger legacy in the arena of foreign policy than Henry L. Stimson. Serving nearly every American president from Theodore Roosevelt to Harry S. Truman, Stimson shaped America's worldview and influenced America's foreign affairs decisions for over 40 years.

A Republican, Stimson served as Secretary of War under William H. Taft (1911-13), Secretary of State under Herbert Hoover (1929-33), and Secretary of War for Franklin D. Roosevelt and Harry S. Truman (1940-45); in addition, he fought in World War I, initiated the Good Neighbor Policy in Central America, and served as Governor General of the Philippines (1927-29).

In this new book, David Schmitz reveals how the life of Stimson provides a unique framework for analyzing America's foreign policy development from the imperialism of the 1890s to the origins of the Cold War and the emergence of the United States as the world's leading power after World War II. The author also explains the continuities in foreign policy over this period and the emergence of the internationalist perspective over isolation-ism, showing how Stimson was able to pass along his perspec-tives to the next generation of American policymakers who after World War II established the internationalist mindset of the Cold War years. Stimson's crucial role in the development and use of the atomic bomb is also examined.

Henry L. Stimson: The First Wise Man is useful for courses in United States foreign policy, World War II, American history from 1900-1945, and survey courses in U.S. history.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781461637288
Publisher:	Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
Publication date:	10/01/2000
Series:	Biographies in American Foreign Policy
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	222
File size:	2 MB

About the Author

David F. Schmitz holds the Robert Allen Skotheim Chair of History at Whitman College in Walla Walla, Washington.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1 Preparation of a Policymaker
Chapter 2 Taft, Roosevelt, and the Progressive Stimson
Chapter 3 The White Man's Burden
Chapter 4 Spears of Straw amd Swords of Ice
Chapter 5 The Only Deadly Sin is Cynicism
Chapter 6 Architect of Victory
Chapter 7 Conclusion: Elder Statesman

What People are Saying About This

Wilson D. Miscamble

David Schmitz's thoughtful exploration of Henry L. Stimson's public life sheds much light on the exercise of American power-or lack thereof-from the war with Spain through the Second World War.
—(Wilson D. Miscamble, C.S.C., University of Notre Dame)

Martin Sherwin

A smart book about a wise man. Carefully researched and well written.
—(Martin Sherwin, author of A World Destroyed: Hiroshima and Its Legacies)

Lloyd Gardner

Written with verve, filled with insights into the man and his times, David Schmitz's biography of Henry L. Stimson provides a marvelous window on American foreign policy in the first half of this century-the crucial era that defined the nation's role to this day.
—(Lloyd Gardner, Rutgers University)

Editorial Reviews

Schmitz (history, Whitman College, Washington) examines the life and influence of Republican foreign policy advisor Henry L. Stimson, who served nearly every American president from Roosevelt to Truman. Stimson's life is used to examine America's foreign policy development over a period of some 40 years and to explore his influence on the next generation of American policymakers who, after WWII, established the internationalist mindset of the Cold War years. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Booknews

A smart book about a wise man. Carefully researched and well written, it is both a scholarly contribution to the history of twentieth-century American diplomacy and an excellent choice for college courses.

Martin Sherwin

An impressive and quite comprehensive short biography of one of the most significant American statemen of the first half of the twentieth century. Davaid Schmitz's thoughtful exploration of Henry L. Stimson's public life sheds much light on the exercise of American power—or lack thereof—from the war with Spain through the Second World War.

Wilson D. Miscambe

Written with verve, filled with insights into the man and his times, David Schmitz's biography of Henry L. Stimson provides a marvelous window on American foreign policy in the first half of this century—the crucial era that defined the nation's role to this day. The book demonstrates why fine political history is indispensable to our understanding.

Lloyd Gardner

A smart book about a wise man. Carefully researched and well written, it is both a scholarly contribution to the history of twentieth-century American diplomacy and an excellent choice for college courses.--Martin Sherwin, Tufts University, author of A World Destroyed: Hiroshima and Its Legacies

Written with verve, filled with insights into the man and his times, David Schmitz's biography of Henry L. Stimson provides a marvelous window on American foreign policy in the first half of this century--the crucial era that defined the nation's role to this day. The book demonstrates why fine political history is indispensable to our understanding.--Lloyd Gardner, Rutgers University

An impressive and quite comprehensive short biography of one of the most significant American statemen of the first half of the twentieth century. Davaid Schmitz's thoughtful exploration of Henry L. Stimson's public life sheds much light on the exercise of American power--or lack thereof--from the war with Spain through the Second World War.--Wilson D. Miscambe, C.S.C., University of Notre Dame

From the Publisher