Inner Circles: How America Changed the World

by Alexander Meigs Haig Jr., Charles McCarry

Haig gives an inside look at the government and discloses such shocking revelations as Johnson's theories on the assassination of JFK, the indecision in the Oval Office at the beginning of the Vietnam War, Kissinger's confrontation with J. Edgar Hoover, and more. "Contains perceptive and candid analyses of episodes in American foreign policy."--New York Times Book Review.

Genres: Biography, History

610 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 1992

About the author

United States Army general who served as the United States Secretary of State under President Ronald Reagan and White House Chief of Staff under Presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford. He also served as Vice Chief of Staff of the Army, the second-highest ranking officer in the Army, and as Supreme Allied Commander Europe commanding all U.S. and NATO forces in Europe.
A veteran of the Korean War and Vietnam War, Haig was a recipient of the Distinguished Service Cross, the Silver Star with oak leaf cluster, and the Purple Heart.

Reviews

[Lewis Weinstein]

Imagine you're writing a historical novel exploring how the relationship of the U.S. and China was impacted by the Nixon 1972 visit to China. You have an extensive outline and over 275 pages written and then you discover a book by a man who was a significant participant in many of the most crucial events you're writing about. What a find! Haig's accounts are perceptive and well written and I am finding his observations to be very useful, although I may have my characters argue with him about some things. I have not read the other sections of the book - Watergate, Reagan, etc - but for my purposes the hundred or so pages of Inner Circles I did read is a fantastic resource.

[Joe Mazerolle]

Those who know what a left winger I am would be shocked to see my rating on this book. There's plenty of things that I would never see eye to eye with Alexander Haig on. However his memoirs are a long yet fascinating read. He came from very humble beginnings to work his way into the inner power structure of the United States, and takes you on the journey step by step. Also offers plenty of insight into the Nixon and Regan administrations. A great read for political science students.

[Phillip]

This book ended up growing on me most likely because its bulk is dedicated to my favorite topic: The Nixon Presidency. I really didn't like Haig at first with his fawning over MacArthur and his pooh-pooh'ing the seriousness of the Cuban Missile Crisis. I thought he was just writing through right-wing glasses. But from the Johnson Administration onwards, he got interesting. Of course, I was glued during his Nixon years, and I learned even more about Dick Nixon. Haig glazes over the Reagan years unfortunately, but mainly because he wrote another book about that time. Recommend for anyone interested in the presidency, foreign policy, or the history of the 60s and 70s.