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The Brothers
- John Foster Dulles, Allen Dulles, and Their Secret World War
- Narrated by: David Cochran Heath
- Length: 13 hrs and 28 mins
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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.
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Two outstanding people in the US Government
- By Nina Donnard on 11-05-09
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The Devil's Chessboard
- Allen Dulles, the CIA, and the Rise of America's Secret Government
- By: David Talbot
- Narrated by: Peter Altschuler
- Length: 25 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
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An explosive, headline-making portrait of Allen Dulles, the man who transformed the CIA into the most powerful - and secretive - colossus in Washington, from the founder of Salon.com and author of the New York Times best seller Brothers.
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Disturbing. Makes you question the company line.
- By KTS on 02-06-16
By: David Talbot
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Kissinger: Volume I
- 1923-1968: The Idealist
- By: Niall Ferguson
- Narrated by: Malcolm Hillgartner
- Length: 34 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
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No American statesman has been as revered and as reviled as Henry Kissinger. Once hailed as "Super-K" - the "indispensable man" whose advice has been sought by every president from Kennedy to Obama - he has also been hounded by conspiracy theorists, scouring his every "telcon" for evidence of Machiavellian malfeasance. Yet as Niall Ferguson shows in this magisterial biography, the idea of Kissinger as the ruthless arch-realist is based on a profound misunderstanding.
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Riveting
- By Jean on 11-10-15
By: Niall Ferguson
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Ben-Gurion
- A Political Life
- By: Shimon Peres, David Landau
- Narrated by: Michael Prichard
- Length: 7 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
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Shimon Peres was in his early 20s when he first met David Ben-Gurion. Although the state that Ben-Gurion would lead through war and peace had not yet declared its precarious independence, the "Old Man", as he was called even then, was already a mythic figure. Peres, who came of age in the cabinets of Ben-Gurion, is uniquely placed to evoke this figure of stirring contradictions - a prophetic visionary and a canny pragmatist who early grasped the necessity of compromise for national survival.
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Great Perfomance, Less than Stellar Story
- By Alexander on 01-02-12
By: Shimon Peres, and others
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After Fidel
- The Inside Story of Castro's Regime and Cuba's Next Leader
- By: Brian Latell
- Narrated by: Stefan Rudnicki
- Length: 10 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
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In this compelling, behind-the-scenes account, former top CIA officer and Cuba expert Brian Latell examines the extraordinary Castro brothers and the impending dynastic succession of Fidel's younger brother, Raul. Exploring the brothers' remarkable relationship, he reveals how Fidel and Raul have collaborated, divided responsibilities, and resolved disagreements for more than 46 years, a challenge to the notion that the little-known Raul has been an insignificant player.
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Very Informative Read
- By BH FL on 04-09-08
By: Brian Latell
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The Road Not Taken
- Edward Lansdale and the American Tragedy in Vietnam
- By: Max Boot
- Narrated by: Henry Strozier
- Length: 27 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
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In chronicling the adventurous life of legendary CIA operative Edward Lansdale, The Road Not Taken definitively reframes our understanding of the Vietnam War. In this epic biography of Edward Lansdale (1908-1987) best-selling historian Max Boot demonstrates how Lansdale pioneered a "hearts and mind" diplomacy, first in the Philippines, then in Vietnam. It was a visionary policy that, as Boot reveals, was ultimately crushed by America's giant military bureaucracy.
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An honest look at Vietnam Nam and USA
- By Catherine on 01-16-18
By: Max Boot
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Eisenhower
- The White House Years
- By: Jim Newton
- Narrated by: John H. Mayer
- Length: 19 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
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If you think of our 34th president as little more than the babysitter-in-chief during the prosperous fifties, think again. Dwight Eisenhower was bequeathed an atomic bomb and was the first American president not to use it. He ground down Joseph McCarthy and McCarthyism until both became, as he said, "McCarthywasm".
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A simpler time?
- By Ray on 11-12-11
By: Jim Newton
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Citizens of London
- The Americans Who Stood with Britain in Its Darkest, Finest Hour
- By: Lynne Olson
- Narrated by: Arthur Morey
- Length: 17 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
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Here is the behind-the-scenes story of how the United States forged its wartime alliance with Britain, told from the perspective of three key American players in London: Edward R. Murrow, Averell Harriman, and John Gilbert Winant. Drawing from a variety of primary sources, Olson skillfully depicts the dramatic personal journeys of these men who, determined to save Britain from Hitler, helped convince a cautious Franklin Roosevelt and a reluctant American public to support the British at a critical time.
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If we are together nothing is impossible
- By Susan on 03-06-10
By: Lynne Olson
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Kissinger
- A Biography
- By: Walter Isaacson
- Narrated by: Malcolm Hillgartner
- Length: 34 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
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By the time Henry Kissinger was made secretary of state in 1973, he had become, according to a Gallup poll, the most admired person in America and one of the most unlikely celebrities ever to capture the world’s imagination. Yet Kissinger was also reviled by large segments of the American public, ranging from liberal intellectuals to conservative activists. Kissinger explores the relationship between this complex man's personality and the foreign policy he pursued.
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A dissapointment
- By Mike From Mesa on 12-16-13
By: Walter Isaacson
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A Covert Action
- Reagan, the CIA, and the Cold War Struggle in Poland
- By: Seth G. Jones
- Narrated by: Jonathan Yen
- Length: 11 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
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In this gripping narrative history, Seth G. Jones reveals the CIA's involvement in a landmark victory for democracy during the Cold War. In 1983, while Soviet- backed Polish prime minister Wojciech Jaruzelski worked to crush a budding opposition movement through martial law, the CIA launched a sophisticated intelligence campaign supporting dissident groups. With President Ronald Reagan's support, American funds bankrolled clandestine newspapers, broadcasting, and information warfare. This initiative, code-named QRHELPFUL, proved vital in establishing a free and democratic Poland.
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A passionate true story
- By Chris Cembrzynski on 02-15-19
By: Seth G. Jones
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It was supposed to be a moment of great optimism, a cause for jubilation. The Congo was at last being set free from Belgium—one of seventeen countries to gain independence in 1960 from ruling European powers. At the helm as prime minister was charismatic nationalist Patrice Lumumba. Just days after the handover, however, the Congo’s new army mutinied, Belgian forces intervened, and Lumumba turned to the United Nations for help in saving his newborn nation from what the press was already calling “the Congo crisis.”
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A brilliant, timely book
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What listeners say about The Brothers
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Jean
- 09-26-14
A duel biography
I found this book most interesting. I knew some of the information contained in the book but this is the first time I had seen in presented in this manner. I was aware of the Dulles brothers but it did not register with me that they were both in power at the same time. The Dulles family has served the government through many generations. John W. Foster was Secretary of State (1892-93) for President Benjamin Harrison. Eleanor Foster married Robert Lansing who served as Secretary of State under Woodrow Wilson. Under FDR Allan Dulles served a decade in the State Department then served in the OSS where he was sent to Switzerland. He was to commission Carl Gustav Jung to prepare psychological profiles of Hitler and other Nazi leaders. Kinzer portrays Allen as a facile, charming womanizer with a lifelong passion for the ethos of espionage. Kinzer paints Foster as a stridently moralistic cunning strategist in international commerce. The author writes “They made an ideal team: one brother was great fun and a gifted seducer, the other had uncanny ability in building fortunes.”
Foster served as a foreign policy adviser to Thomas Dewey, the Governor of New York. Forster became an avid critic of Stalin’s essays and speeches. In 1952 Dwight Eisenhower became President and appointed Foster as Secretary of State. Allen became director of the CIA. Never before had two siblings enjoyed such concentrated power to manage United States foreign policy until the Kennedy brother came to power.
Eisenhower adopted the Containment Doctrine developed by George F. Kennan. I read “The Kennan Diaries” in March of 2014. This book goes into depth about the containment strategy. The author covers in great detail, the six different nationalist and communist movements around the world that covert action was taken by the Dulles brothers. There are Iran, Guatemala, Vietnam, Indonesia, African Congo and Cuba. Kinzer blunt assessment of Foster’s intellect, quoted Winston Churchill’s disparaging verdict that the Secretary of State was “dull unimaginative, uncomprehending.”
Anyone wanting to know why the United States is hated across much of the world need look no farther that this book. “The Brothers” is a riveting chronicle of government sanctioned murder, casual elimination of “inconvenient” regimes, relentless prioritization of American corporate interest and cynical arrogances on the part of two men who were among the most powerful in the world.
The author blames the two brothers for most of the evil of the cold war on the other hand he gives little attention to their sister who was their opposite. Eleanor Lansing Dulles graduated from Harvard with a doctorate in economics. She worked for the State Department for over twenty years overseeing the reconstruction of the economy of post war Europe. She helped establish the International Monetary Fund and the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development. When her brother, John Foster Dulles, became Secretary of State he tired to remove her from State but she successful fought him. She was hailed as “The Mother of Berlin” for helping to revitalize Berlin’s economy and culture during the 1950s. She retired in 1962 and became a professor of economics at Georgetown University.
If you are interested in history, cold war, covert operation this is the book for you. David Cochran Heath did a good job narrating the book.
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- Karen O. Moriarty
- 06-14-14
Transnational Capitalism
Transnational capitalism is a phrase I picked up from the book. It is well-researched and the narrator is just fine. What is upsetting to me is that so much of our foreign policy and history over the last half century or more is because 2 terribly self-righteous men who sought to protect their own and their clients' wealth led us into calamitous events of epic proportion. I understand that there was hysteria about communism that now seems unwarranted with 20/20 hindsight. But, they dabbled in the affairs of other countries for sport. We are paying the price now.
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- Angela
- 10-26-13
Cold war and intrigue - who could ask for more
If you could sum up The Brothers in three words, what would they be?
Fascinating, well-researched, thoughtful
What was one of the most memorable moments of The Brothers?
Hearing the behind the scene stories of cold war events
Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?
all of the above
Any additional comments?
I just finished listening to Stephen Kinzer's extremely well written and researched book about the Dulles Brothers and their place in American history. The book reads like a novel but is full of great research about the 1950's, the cold war and beyond. I was mesmerized by the scope and even- handedness of the author's words. I recommend this book for all who want to have a clearer understanding of a very difficult period in our country's history. This book is a clear and fearless look at our past. The narrator of the book did an excellent job. Llisten to the audio of Stephen Kinzer's book - The Brothers- it's well worth your time.
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- Ksquared83
- 10-16-14
Fascism Incorporated: The Dulles Legacy
What did you love best about The Brothers?
As someone who has learned a great deal about Allen Dulles through the lens of the JFK assassination, I was pleased to learn that a full spec biography of the Dulles brothers had finally been released. To be blunt, their legacy has quite possibly led to the decline and possible end of America as we know it. This book exposes the sordid marriage between capitalism, evangelism and militarism. While those things didn't exactly start under the Dulles brothers, they certainly exacerbated their use in the creation of post war American Foreign policy.
The saddest aspect of their legacy can still be seen today in the blind, flag waving, money grubbing, anti progress stalwarts that dominate both the right wing as well as the left. If you want to know who the early CIA was, just imagine the neighborhood bully who picked on you as a child as he grew up, got in trouble with the law and instead of being held to task for his crimes was instead given a job by a covert wing of the government to wreak mayhem in foreign lands, even assassinating leaders to pave the way for Pro western, business friendly dictators, trained by US of course, to take control of their resource rich nation.
Most children have played 'Cowboys and Indians' or some variant involving good guys and bad guys, but most children grow out of this naive view of the world and recognize the world for the multi cultural melting pot that it actually is. The Dulles brothers, were not those children. They saw the world in purely black or white, us vs them, Christianity vs all other religions and they made sure to spread that view throughout the third world and beyond to achieve their ends no matter the cost.
Yeah, that's about the best part of the book right there.
What other book might you compare The Brothers to and why?
Oddly, I would actually compare this book 'The Brothers' to another book "Brothers" by David Talbot. The two books are diametrically opposed only in the character of their subjects. The Dulles brothers were the stark opposite of the Kennedy brothers and yet both of their histories intertwine throughout some of the most dangerous moments in recent American history. Where the Dulles brothers created bloodshed and chaos to drive the flames of the Cold war, the Kennedy brothers tried, in their later years, to clean up the mess, thus leading to the inevitable conflict between the clans.
Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?
I found the subject matter very interesting but the overall narration, while still good, was very monotone in parts and it was easy to lose track, especially if you're listening to it at work.
Any additional comments?
This is an important book for anyone interested in the true history of the United States, and not the flag waving propaganda spouted by ultra right wing and slightly less right wing 'left wing' to have on their shelf. If you want a sequence of books to truly understand the nature of this country as it is today, I would recommend you have Oliver Stone's Untold History of the United States, followed by this book, and to round off the trilogy, JFK and the Unspeakable by Jim Douglass. Read those three books at the least and you'll have a far better understanding of our modern problems and conflicts than you will ever get from corporate media.
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- Mark W. Huddleston
- 05-13-16
Lefty bias
Interesting writing, but really biased toward anti-US view of the world. Revisionist history. The Soviets were peaceful folks who never did anything untoward. All problems in the post WW 2 world were a result of US mischief.
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- HARRY
- 02-12-16
Interesting but biased
Clearly, the world we live in today is strategically very different and full of facts not available to the Dulles brothers. Although I am not a fan of the Dulles' body of work, the author vilifies the two in light of the current world situation with but a cursory tip of the hat to the old adage of "Hindsight is 20/20."
All in all, a good read.
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- JSR1972
- 04-18-15
Solid story with a not so solid narration
Is there anything you would change about this book?
This book was much more about Allen Dulles, but shouldn't I have expected that? John Foster was a bore in real life and his story is about a bore - still it's interesting but as a result of his amazingly wrongheaded and, well, stupid/idiotic/ignorant/foolish/boneheaded actions throughout. I must confess from the start, going into the book, I held the opinion that were these two never born, the USA would be much better off. After the book, I am more certain than ever. Of 20th Century figures, I can't say I "hate" too many, but I genuinely despise these two men in just about every single thing they came to represent. The results of their actions are bad enough, but the way they represented the US makes my skin crawl. They embody everything that started the US ship sinking at a quicker rate. (I can't say started it sinking as the Federal Reserve was already in place, for example, the ww1 debacle, and they played no role in staging our ww2 entry.) They played a massive role - the premier role it may be rightly argued - in our butchering of and needless spending sprees in the cold war. I won't even get into Allen's likely involvement but at the very least certain tacit approval of the assassination of JFK. They were both terrible fathers and this speaks volumes about them, IMO. "They were from another time" is a cop-out. For how the two were such opposites they had a lot in common: were both always right and dead set on their way only (entertained zero alternate viewpoints and never attempted or even considered consensus) and were absentee fathers. They also seemed to believe that God gave them special abilities which exempted them from having to mix with the the "common people". John Foster used religion in ways I found revolting, but spoke volumes about the man. They are two men not best forgotten because politics is presently rife with more of them so lest we forget what these two cost our country and world, we best keep them around.
How would you have changed the story to make it more enjoyable?
Change the narrator.
How did the narrator detract from the book?
I don't think I judge narrators too harshly, but I gotta give this one a thumbs down. He put on a voice whenever he spoke female quotes that, were I a woman, I'd have found extremely insulting. I found it more annoying, but could certainly see that it would be offensive to many - like just over half the population for starters.
Any additional comments?
I found it interesting how the author, at the end, made an attempt to rebuild the two after telling their stories had effectively destroyed them. I don't know if the publisher asked him to put that in at the end, but it came across as "Still, they tried hard and they gave most of their lives in working to make America a better place. They were products of their time" blah blah blah. The author was certainly aware that just by giving us the very facts of their lives, he exposed them as two of the most destructive forces in American history? Thus, I take that closing with grain a salt. They should be remembered, but remembered for all they butchered both policy and human beings because the list is very very long.
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- K Leddy
- 03-28-15
Excellent but one-sided
I enjoyed this book and would recommend it, but it is largely a re-write of Overthrow and it does not present enough rationale for why Eisenhower and the American people supported the Dulles brothers view of the world. The book begs for a counter-balancing account of the Soviet actions in the world in the 1950s. Kinzer blames irrational mass hysteria for creating an American mindset that encouraged the overthrow of many governments during the Eisenhower and Kennedy administration's, but that is too simplistic. There were real reasons for the fear and Kinzer should have acknowledged that. It would have made for a better history.
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- Bruce Lynn
- 12-14-15
A History of American Involvement in World Affairs
Any additional comments?
To quote from Gordon Goldstein's review of this book in The Washington Post, "Kinzer, a former foreign correspondent for the New York Times, displays a commanding grasp of the vast documentary record, taking the reader deep inside the first decades of the Cold War. He brings a veteran journalist’s sense of character, moment and detail. And he writes with a cool and frequently elegant style. The most consequential aspect of Kinzer’s work is his devastating critique of John Foster Dulles and Allen Dulles, who are depicted as jointly responsible for acts of extreme geopolitical myopia, grave operational incompetence and misguided adherence to a creed of corporate globalism." I really couldn't say this much better.
I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in the history of the CIA and America's involvement in foreign affairs since WWII. I especially appreciated the last chapter of the book where the author looks at the brother's in light of their upbringing and contemporary world events.
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- Wayne A. Keup
- 11-23-15
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.
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