Zbig

The Life and Times of Brzezinski, America's Great Power Prophet

De: Edward Luce

Narrado por: Michael David Axtell

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

An intimate and masterful biography of Zbigniew Brzezinski—President Carter’s national security advisor and one of America’s leading geopolitical thinkers—from one of the finest columnists and political writers at work today.

Zbigniew Brzezinski was a key architect of the Soviet Union’s demise, which ended the Cold War. A child of Warsaw—the heart of central Europe’s bloodlands—Brzezinski turned his fierce resentment at his homeland’s razing by Nazi Germany and the Red Army into a lifelong quest for liberty. Born the year that Joseph Stalin consolidated power, and dying a few months into Donald Trump’s first presidency, Brzezinski was shaped by and in turn shaped the global power struggles of the twentieth and early twenty-first centuries. As counsel to US presidents from John F. Kennedy to Barack Obama, and chief foreign policy figure of the late 1970s under Jimmy Carter, Brzezinski converted his acclaim as a Sovietologist into Washington power. With Henry Kissinger, his lifelong rival with whom he had a fraught on-off relationship, he personified the new breed of foreign-born scholar who thrived in America’s “Cold War University”—and who ousted Washington’s gentlemanly class of WASPs who had run US foreign policy for so long.

Brzezinski’s impact, aided by his unusual friendship with the Polish-born John Paul II, sprang from his knowledge of Moscow’s “Achilles heel”—the fact that its nationalities, such as the Ukrainians, and satellite states, including Poland, yearned to shake off Moscow’s grip. Neither a hawk nor a dove, Brzezinski was a biting critic of George W. Bush’s Iraq War and an early endorser of Obama. Because he went against the DC grain of joining factions, and was on occasion willing to drop Democrats for Republicans, Brzezinski is something of history’s orphan. His historic role has been greatly underweighted. In the almost cinematic arc of his life can be found the grand narrative of the American century and great power struggle that followed.©2025 Edward Luce (P)2025 Simon & Schuster Audio

Incredible Fun Book; Serious Subject

Zbig by Ed Luce is a sumptuous and most fun work about a global treasure. The book reminds us that the US won’t get an extraordinary human being serving government like Zbig Brezinsky anymore. Looking forward to watching a film based on this book. And yes, a Zbig bubblehead, please.

Excellent!!

Remarkable account of a great man! Well written and very well researched ! Recommend this work highly for understanding the history of our times.

The writing was impeccable

Ed Luce has done the world a real favor with this fantastic biography - it’s a page turner and full of high minded ideas and sometimes salacious anecdotes

Excellent.

As much a review of recent history as an autobiography, this is a fascinating study of an uncompromising, highly informed, and often right, advisor to many leaders. Compared to today’s uninformed and uninterested elected leaders, we sorely miss leadership like this.

A little too long

Zbig was certainly an interesting man who had great intelligence and vision. It was enjoyable reading about his character and quirks. Our country was lucky to have such a patriot.
On the downside the book was often times too detailed and could drag. The narrator was great, very distinctive and easy to understand. I enjoyed the book it was just a little too long.