The Wise Men

Six Friends and the World They Made

By: Walter Isaacson, E. Thomas

Narrated by: Jonathan Reese

Six close friends shaped the role their country would play in the dangerous years following World War II. They were the original best and brightest, whose towering intellects, outsize personalities, and dramatic actions would bring order to the postwar chaos, and whose strong response to Soviet expansionism would leave a legacy that dominates American policy to this day.

In April 1945, they converged to advise an untutored new president, Harry Truman. They were Averell Harriman, the freewheeling diplomat and Roosevelt’s special envoy to Churchill and Stalin; Dean Acheson, the secretary of state who was more responsible for the Truman Doctrine than Truman and for the Marshall Plan than General Marshall; George Kennan, selfcast outsider and intellectual darling of the Washington elite; Robert Lovett, assistant secretary of war, undersecretary of state, and secretary of defense throughout the formative years of the Cold War; John McCloy, one of the nation’s most influential private citizens; and Charles Bohlen, adroit diplomat and ambassador to the Soviet Union.

Together they formulated a doctrine of Communist containment that was to be the foundation of American policy, and years later, when much of what they stood for appeared to be sinking in the mire of Vietnam, they were summoned for their steady counsel. It was then that they were dubbed “the Wise Men.” Working in an atmosphere of trust that in today’s Washington would seem quaint, they shaped a new world order that committed a once-reticent nation to defending freedom wherever it sought to flourish.

Great book, awful pronunciation

How it’s possible to find a narrator who can’t pronounce the most basic words properly — or find a producer who can’t help — would be funny if the subject matter weren’t so interesting.

amazing historical biography

fantastic inside view of US place in 20th century world history, focusing these incredible decision makers.

I felt like I related to each of the book’s subjects as if I was a contemporary

Well written and read. The era they served our nation still influences us today and will continue to do so for many years to come

Revelatory information, distractingly poor performance

Thus is a worthy listen if you are genuinely interested in connecting some essential historical dots across 20th century history. The Wise Men’s influence reaches out even to foreign and military policy in the 21st century. Sadly, the somewhat embarrassing performance of the narrator, who’s wooden style and penchant for mispronunciation (example “Stah-LEEN” rather than “Stalin” throughout) is one of many renderings that make this otherwise interesting book a chore to endure. I recommend the content, but not the narration performance.

Great Story, Terrible Narrator

It is a testament to the book that the terrible narration doesn't cause you to quit listening. I almost gave at the beginning but the compelling subject and the writing kept this worthwhile despite the narration. The narration is more than distracting, it's a discredit to the authors and their subjects.