The Wise Men: Six Friends and the World They Made Audible Audiobook – Unabridged

Evan Thomas (Author), Jonathan Reese (Narrator), Walter Isaacson (Author),

451 ratings

See all formats and editions

Price

New from

Used from

Kindle

"Please retry"

$12.99

—

Audible Audiobook, Unabridged

"Please retry"

$0.00

Free with your Audible trial

Hardcover

"Please retry"

$37.99

$83.00

$9.32

Paperback

"Please retry"

$13.94

$4.39

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, self-cast 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.

Listening Length

33 hours and 27 minutes
Author

Evan Thomas, see all
Narrator

Jonathan Reese
Audible release date

January 29, 2013
Language

English
Publisher

Random House Audio
ASIN

B00B78OGK4
Version

Unabridged
Program Type

Audiobook
See all details

Read & Listen

Switch between reading the Kindle book & listening to the Audible narration with Whispersync for Voice.
Get the Audible audiobook for the reduced price of $9.99 after you buy the Kindle book.

Special invitation from Audible!

One credit a month to pick any title from our entire premium selection to keep (you’ll use your first credit now).
Unlimited listening on select audiobooks, Audible Originals, and podcasts.
You will get an email reminder before your trial ends.
$14.95 a month after 30 days. Cancel online anytime.

Learn more about Membership

List Price: ~~$35.00~~

You Save: $5.01 (14%)

By completing your purchase, you agree to Audible’s Conditions Of Use

Sold and delivered by Audible, an Amazon company

People who viewed this also viewed

Page 1 of 1Start OverPage 1 of 1

People who bought this also bought

Page 1 of 1Start OverPage 1 of 1

Related to this topic

Page 1 of 1Start OverPage 1 of 1

Product details

Listening Length	33 hours and 27 minutes
Author	Evan Thomas, Walter Isaacson
Narrator	Jonathan Reese
Whispersync for Voice	Ready
Audible.com Release Date	January 29, 2013
Publisher	Random House Audio
Program Type	Audiobook
Version	Unabridged
Language	English
ASIN	B00B78OGK4
Best Sellers Rank	#21,180 in Audible Books & Originals (See Top 100 in Audible Books & Originals) #117 in Military Strategy History (Books) #140 in Historical Biographies (Audible Books & Originals) #182 in Biographies of Politicians

Customer reviews

5 star		72%
4 star		18%
3 star		6%
2 star		1%
1 star		2%

How customer reviews and ratings work

Top reviews from the United States

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

Jay Harmon

Comprehensive and Engaging

Reviewed in the United States on May 27, 2017

Verified Purchase

As happens frequently in biographies, the authors fell in love with their subjects; praise for the 6 main members of the Cold War "Establishment" far outweighs criticism. Averell Harriman and Dean Acheson get the most thorough attention among the 6 subjects, and rightfully so.

I took away one star because the authors largely see the foreign policies of Republican presidents Ike, Nixon and Reagan through the eyes of the Wise Men, instead of objectively. Only when Nixon "comes to his senses" and asks Acheson and Harriman for advice does he receive some praise. Ike's foreign policy era is portrayed as one to be endured until the Wise Men are allowed back in the inner circle under JFK. Their total disdain for Reagan is clear; no mention of the reasons for end of the Cold War and Reagan's active part in it.

However, the 5-star section of the book is clearly the LBJ-Vietnam era. Wow, they really can't stand LBJ as a human being and politician, but his (and the Wise Men's) agony over the Vietnam war is written about almost lyrically. The authors convey the complicated global factors of the war in an admirable, even-handed, almost sympathetic way.

65 people found this helpful

Helpful

Joseph Sciuto

A MUST READ

Reviewed in the United States on July 5, 2019

Verified Purchase

"The Wise Men: Six Friends and The World They Made," is an extraordinary, thought-provoking, and captivating look at the six men, most of whom were graduates of the famous Groton school and later graduates of Yale, Harvard, and Princeton who helped shape American foreign policy for way over fifty years. Often working in the private sector as bankers, Wall Street Insiders, and Railroad Tycoons they immediately responded to the call whenever their government and president sought their advice and council... Taking government jobs as Secretary of State, Ambassadors, Secretary of War, and National Security Advisor... Working for Presidents FDR, Truman, Eisenhower, Johnson, Kennedy, Nixon, Carter, and Ronald Reagan. They differed in political philosophy, some leaning left while others leaned right; yet together they were the chief architectures of the Marshal Plan, convincing President Truman about the importance of rebuilding Western Europe after World War 2, despite Congressional and public reluctance to the idea, keeping lines of communication open with the Soviet Union, despite its aggressive takeover of Eastern Europe, building the alliance that came to be called NATO, and which was a major deterrant to Soviet aggression and fighting Communism wherever it spread leading us into two unpopular wars in Korea and Vietnam.

The six men, Averell Harriman, Dean Acheson, George Kennan, Robert Lovett, John McCloy and Charles Bohlen are hardly household names, even to individuals who think of themselves as knowledgable about American history, but their contributions to American greatness and America's status as a World Power is undeniable and as a nation we should be thankful for their unselfish duty to country... even if at times their philosophy and policies lead us down the wrong path.

A must read. Highly recommend.

26 people found this helpful

Helpful

Dennis L. Harris

Where Have They Gone ?

Reviewed in the United States on May 15, 2021

Verified Purchase

After reading this fully engrossed story of these great patriots,one has to be depressed and sad and worried at the state of our democracy.
Our politicians are shallow,opportunists ,who for the most part have no moral compass and listen to the rabble and hatred of the mob..
This book should be required reading for our college students..then perhaps they will see the light,educate themselves and carry forth the goodness that America once promised and mostly delivered

12 people found this helpful

Helpful

A Great Collaboration from Thomas and Isaacson

Reviewed in the United States on November 14, 2017

Verified Purchase

I'm a fan of both Thomas and Isaacson so I went into this wish really high expectations and this detailed book didn't disappoint. If you've read any of Evan Thomas' books such as " The Very Best Men: The Daring Early Years of the CIA " or " Sea of Thunder: Four Commanders and the Last Great Naval Campaign 1941-1945 " then you will be familiar with his style of tracing the lives of several characters in one book. I have always enjoyed his style of biography that shifts from character to character in different chapters. Great read.

23 people found this helpful

Helpful

Top reviews from other countries

Overseas Reviewer

Six biographies in one and extremely well done, if fawning in places

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 22, 2008

Verified Purchase

This is a very enjoyable history of the origins of the cold war and national security policy making into the 70s. It's much better at covering the period between 1944 to the mid 50s than it is for the later stuff, partly because the protagonists had a more central role earlier and then found themselves on the periphery. Discussing Vietnam policy making through the experiences of the six leaves a lot undiscussed, but it isn't bad.
The early chapters are not particularly interesting, except from the fact that they provide a vivid and surprising insight into the world of the east-coast aristocracy (1st half 20C), which is probably necessary for a full appreciation of what follows.

Apart from the less informative later chapters, the only other grievance that I can cite is the fact one does get the impression that the authors have been a little less critical of their subjects (and JFK) than is reasonable. It is also perhaps too harsh on LBJ.

7 people found this helpful

Inara L

Five Stars

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 27, 2015

Verified Purchase

Everyone should read this book - how America & Israel shaped and own the financial markets

One person found this helpful

john murphy

Five Stars

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 24, 2016

Verified Purchase

A must read for the student of the Cold War

One person found this helpful

dan

Comprehensive

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 6, 2018

Verified Purchase

A good walkthrough recent American history

One person found this helpful

Caomhin

not for eveyones eyes

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 29, 2015

Verified Purchase

Eye opening read

One person found this helpful

See all reviews

The Wise Men: Six Friends and the World They Made Audible Audiobook – Unabridged

Read & Listen

Free with Audible Trial $0.00

Buy with 1-Click $29.99

People who viewed this also viewed

People who bought this also bought

Related to this topic

Product details

Customer reviews

Top reviews from the United States

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

Top reviews from other countries

Free with Audible Trial

$0.00

Buy with 1-Click

$29.99