The Brothers

John Foster Dulles, Allen Dulles, and Their Secret World War

By: Stephen Kinzer

Narrated by: David Cochran Heath

Length: 13 hrs and 28 mins

Publisher's summary

A joint biography of John Foster Dulles and Allen Dulles, who led the United States into an unseen war that decisively shaped today's world

During the 1950s, when the Cold War was at its peak, two immensely powerful brothers led the United States into a series of foreign adventures whose effects are still shaking the world.

John Foster Dulles was secretary of state while his brother, Allen Dulles, was director of the Central Intelligence Agency. In this book, Stephen Kinzer places their extraordinary lives against the backdrop ofAmerican culture and history. He uses the framework of biography to ask: Why does the United States behave as it does in the world?

The Brothers explores hidden forces that shape the national psyche, from religious piety to Western movies - many of which are about a noble gunman who cleans up a lawless town by killing bad guys. This is how the Dulles brothers saw themselves, and how many Americans still see their country's role in the world.

Propelled by a quintessentially American set of fears and delusions, the Dulles brothers launched violent campaigns against foreign leaders they saw as threats to the United States. These campaigns helped push countries from Guatemala to the Congo into long spirals of violence, led the United States into the Vietnam War, and laid the foundation for decades of hostility between the United States and countries such as Cuba and Iran.

The story of the Dulles brothers is the story of America. It illuminates and helps explain the modern history of the United States and the world.

©2013 Stephen Kinzer

The story every American should read

This is a basically faultless history of American imperialism in the 20th century. My only criticism is that the offer is so strong throughout the book and so weak in the last few minutes

That's a lot of power!

I enjoyed this book because this is not a time period I normally study (my interests lie in the holocaust, medieval Europe, Irish history, Russian imperial history and Jewish history). I was aware these men existed and knew they were influential but had no idea the power they wielded. It's a wonder America survived with these two in government at the same time Hoover was in office.

Very interesting book

Great book and Audio

This was one of the most interesting and informative books I've listen to all this year. Being born in 1949 I came up during the Dulles reign and except for the Viet Nam debacle I was ignorant of what really was going on. Now I clearly understand the magnitude of the US use of smoke and mirrors to bring democracy and order to waning colonial countries and assumed menacing powers.

allen dulles coups hound

these guys dont get anywhere near the credit they deserve for the irreparable harm they've done to the world

A walk through 20th century historical events

A great walk through historical events that shaped the 20th century and the 21st so far. History repeats itself and we are living through the same old thinking that the Dulles prescribed to. Right makes right corporate power is everything US taking the same myopic approach to the world.

a must read

a must read for all those who have any hope of understanding history an our place in it.

A Must Read

This is one of the most well-written and interesting books on modern history I have ever read. Don't pass it up.

Why the world is in the state it is today

I like history and this book explains in part why the world is the way it is today. It is a great listen if you are interested in U.S. history or want to understand the blunder of the Cold War and dominion theory.

History of key players filling imperialism's void

I really enjoyed the book. Easy read. Clear writing style. It largely focuses on the careers and activities of the Dulles brothers as Secretary of State and CIA director.

I did have some concerns regarding bias from the author. He talks about several areas with implied disdain that I find to be incredibly naive. For instance, he speaks about how deal makers catered their pitches to the biases of the other side. Of course anyone interested in getting the deal done will do this and not feel bad about it. Each side has to do their own due diligence and negotiate on the basis of their findings. The religious mocking is also a bit grating to me. The author should have focused on how the professional actions of the brothers were contrary to fundamental religious tenets. But the reality is that people do and say what they have to in order to gain acceptance by the public for their plan of action.

This is all addressed in the last chapter, where the author reveals his beliefs and biases, which is both refreshing and worrisome. I really enjoy history when it is presented as just the facts. Clearly this author tried to do that in his book, but was not 100 percent successful. Slapping a last chapter on that then answers the big questions addressed by the book is cheating in my view. That last chapter could have been the basis for the next book while allowing the current book to become a less biased "just the facts" history book. Then he could have done his point of view justice in the new book.

Anyway, the book may be a bit biased, but is highly recommended to see how corporations, the US, Russia, nationalism stepped into the void left by the fall of British imperialism. The focus in the book is on the US side of this, but the reader gets valuable glimpses into how all the players were playing in a brand new sandbox. I find the author's belief's chapter to be a bit naive, but since it was just slapped on at the end, I don't find it to diminish the value of the book.

how much damage to the world a few men can do

well written and exceptionally well read. engaging and balanced. part of history we don't hear enough of.