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In the Nation’s Service: The Life and Times of George P. Shultz
Deftly solving critical but intractable national and global problems was the leitmotif of George Pratt Shultz's life. No one at the highest levels of the United States government did it better or with greater consequence in the last half of the 20th century, often against withering resistance. His quiet, effective leadership altered the arc of history. While political, social, and cultural dynamics have changed profoundly since Shultz served at the commanding heights of American power in the 1970s and 1980s, his legacy and the lessons of his career have even greater meaning now that the Shultz brand of conservatism has been almost erased in the modern Republican Party.
This book, from longtime New York Times Washington reporter Philip Taubman, restores the modest Shultz to his central place in American history. Taubman reveals Shultz's gift for forging relationships with people and then harnessing the rapport to address national and international challenges, under his motto "trust is the coin of the realm"―as well as his difficulty standing up for his principles, motivated by a powerful sense of loyalty that often trapped him in inaction. Based on exclusive access to Shultz's personal papers, housed in a sealed archive at the Hoover Institution, In the Nation's Service offers a remarkable insider account of the behind-the-scenes struggles of the statesman who played a pivotal role in unwinding the Cold War.
This book, from longtime New York Times Washington reporter Philip Taubman, restores the modest Shultz to his central place in American history. Taubman reveals Shultz's gift for forging relationships with people and then harnessing the rapport to address national and international challenges, under his motto "trust is the coin of the realm"―as well as his difficulty standing up for his principles, motivated by a powerful sense of loyalty that often trapped him in inaction. Based on exclusive access to Shultz's personal papers, housed in a sealed archive at the Hoover Institution, In the Nation's Service offers a remarkable insider account of the behind-the-scenes struggles of the statesman who played a pivotal role in unwinding the Cold War.
496 pages, Hardcover
First published January 10, 2023
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
March 14, 2025
Review of In the Nation’s Service:
George Shultz has long been overlooked despite his long service in government, academia, and business, culminating in his pivotal role on ending the Cold War as Secretary of State for President Reagan. Philip Taubman’s biography of Secretary Shultz is somehow the first independent, comprehensive biography of Shultz ever. Taubman, a veteran diplomatic correspondent, reveals Shultz at his best and also when the veteran statesman stumbled, such as when he served as Treasury Secretary during Watergate or initially refused to listen to his grandson about the corrupt company Theranos. But Shultz’s important work in bringing freedom and democracy to Eastern Europe and reducing the threat of nuclear war, working on behalf of his boss President Reagan, should be what readers should most remember about George Shultz. Although more detail about his pre-State life would have been ideal and the author errs when implying Reagan might’ve had Alzheimer’s before he left office, Taubman provides a much needed addition to the Cold War historiography and a vital look at one of the most underrated figures of the late 20th century. Rating: 3.75/5
George Shultz has long been overlooked despite his long service in government, academia, and business, culminating in his pivotal role on ending the Cold War as Secretary of State for President Reagan. Philip Taubman’s biography of Secretary Shultz is somehow the first independent, comprehensive biography of Shultz ever. Taubman, a veteran diplomatic correspondent, reveals Shultz at his best and also when the veteran statesman stumbled, such as when he served as Treasury Secretary during Watergate or initially refused to listen to his grandson about the corrupt company Theranos. But Shultz’s important work in bringing freedom and democracy to Eastern Europe and reducing the threat of nuclear war, working on behalf of his boss President Reagan, should be what readers should most remember about George Shultz. Although more detail about his pre-State life would have been ideal and the author errs when implying Reagan might’ve had Alzheimer’s before he left office, Taubman provides a much needed addition to the Cold War historiography and a vital look at one of the most underrated figures of the late 20th century. Rating: 3.75/5
January 20, 2024
Phenomenal book about a phenomenal man. I’m so fortunate to have worked for him.
November 8, 2025
I want to start with a quote from the book before I give my full review on it. “Without Reagan the Cold War would not have ended but without Shultz Regan would not have ended the Cold War.” -Mikhail Gorbachev. I wouldn’t realize how important that quote would be. I understand that quote better now coming to the end of the journey of this book. If President Ronald Reagan wouldn’t have been elected in 1980 then the Cold War wouldn’t have ended. George Shultz was the diplomatic hand of the Reagan administration. He knew that diplomacy was the key not taking a hardline against the Soviet Union as others in the Reagan Administration like Secretary of Defense Casper Weinberger and the early team of Reagan’s (NSC) National Security Council. This early team included Richard V. Allen (1981-1982) his background was as a longtime conservative foreign policy thinker and one of Reagan’s campaign advisers.
He believed the US should confront Soviet expansionism and not negotiate with it. He helped set up President Reagan’s initial foreign policy team. He was sidelined by internal power struggles and ethics controversies which lead to his resignation in early 1982.
William P. Clark (1982-1983) would replace Allen. Clark was Reagan’s close friend and former California aide. He was not a foreign policy expert. He was strongly anti-communist and aligned with the Reagan Revolution. He oversaw the NSC during a period of escalation which include (SDI) Strategic Defense Initiative and the Evil Empire Speech. Clark distrusted State Department moderates and preferred military strength over diplomacy. Under Clark the NSC often clashed with Secretary of State George Shultz.
The other players included Secretary of Defense Casper Weinberger. He was a loyal Reagan ally.He had worked previously as budget director under Presidents Nixon and Ford. He was deeply skeptical of arms control and believed the Soviets couldn’t be trusted. Focused on a massive US Military and opposed major concessions in arms talks. And William Casey who was head of the CIA (1981-1987) he was a former OSS officer and Reagan’s 1980 Presidential Campaign manager. He was aggressively anti-Soviet Union. He oversaw covert operations against communism worldwide. He was also the architect of the Reagan Doctrine which supported anti-communist movements in Afghanistan, Central America, and Africa. There were also outside influences beside the NSC team in place chief among them UN Ambassador Jeane Kirkpatrick who argued that authoritarian regimes were preferable to communist ones. So when George Shultz replaced Alexander Haig as Reagan’s Secretary of State in 1982 Shultz slowly shifted President’s Reagan’s policy from confrontation toward engagement. That idea took time. Shultz had to overcome resistance from this early NSC team especially Clark and Weinberger which I didn’t know that much about and the author Phillip Taubman does a good job of explaining this to the reader. By 1984-1985 when Robert “Bud” McFarland and then later John Poindexter who both took over as National Security Advisor. By then President Reagan’s thinking had evolved opening the door to his historic summits with Gorbachev.
Taubman does a good job with writing biography of George Shultz he does glaze over his personal life, Iran Contra, the era of the Middle East when Reagan was President, and Shultz time with Elizabeth Holmes and Theranos and his cutting ties with Tyler his grandson who figured out about Holmes and Theranos and told his grandfather and became a whistleblower of the company. What Taubman did well with is his chapters and the time he spent on explaining the Cold War and the Soviet Union. So if your looking for a book that properly explains the Cold War and what happened in Reagan’s administration if your looking for a book about Shultz that explains his time after being Secretary of State and more of his handling of different things outside of the Soviet Union also look further for other titles.
What can you expect from 456 page biography on a Secretary of State that helped end the Cold War. If you as a writer went into detail about every little thing your biography on said person would be longer then 456 pages. So I expected some give and take as a reader. But all in all I will give this book 5 stars.
He believed the US should confront Soviet expansionism and not negotiate with it. He helped set up President Reagan’s initial foreign policy team. He was sidelined by internal power struggles and ethics controversies which lead to his resignation in early 1982.
William P. Clark (1982-1983) would replace Allen. Clark was Reagan’s close friend and former California aide. He was not a foreign policy expert. He was strongly anti-communist and aligned with the Reagan Revolution. He oversaw the NSC during a period of escalation which include (SDI) Strategic Defense Initiative and the Evil Empire Speech. Clark distrusted State Department moderates and preferred military strength over diplomacy. Under Clark the NSC often clashed with Secretary of State George Shultz.
The other players included Secretary of Defense Casper Weinberger. He was a loyal Reagan ally.He had worked previously as budget director under Presidents Nixon and Ford. He was deeply skeptical of arms control and believed the Soviets couldn’t be trusted. Focused on a massive US Military and opposed major concessions in arms talks. And William Casey who was head of the CIA (1981-1987) he was a former OSS officer and Reagan’s 1980 Presidential Campaign manager. He was aggressively anti-Soviet Union. He oversaw covert operations against communism worldwide. He was also the architect of the Reagan Doctrine which supported anti-communist movements in Afghanistan, Central America, and Africa. There were also outside influences beside the NSC team in place chief among them UN Ambassador Jeane Kirkpatrick who argued that authoritarian regimes were preferable to communist ones. So when George Shultz replaced Alexander Haig as Reagan’s Secretary of State in 1982 Shultz slowly shifted President’s Reagan’s policy from confrontation toward engagement. That idea took time. Shultz had to overcome resistance from this early NSC team especially Clark and Weinberger which I didn’t know that much about and the author Phillip Taubman does a good job of explaining this to the reader. By 1984-1985 when Robert “Bud” McFarland and then later John Poindexter who both took over as National Security Advisor. By then President Reagan’s thinking had evolved opening the door to his historic summits with Gorbachev.
Taubman does a good job with writing biography of George Shultz he does glaze over his personal life, Iran Contra, the era of the Middle East when Reagan was President, and Shultz time with Elizabeth Holmes and Theranos and his cutting ties with Tyler his grandson who figured out about Holmes and Theranos and told his grandfather and became a whistleblower of the company. What Taubman did well with is his chapters and the time he spent on explaining the Cold War and the Soviet Union. So if your looking for a book that properly explains the Cold War and what happened in Reagan’s administration if your looking for a book about Shultz that explains his time after being Secretary of State and more of his handling of different things outside of the Soviet Union also look further for other titles.
What can you expect from 456 page biography on a Secretary of State that helped end the Cold War. If you as a writer went into detail about every little thing your biography on said person would be longer then 456 pages. So I expected some give and take as a reader. But all in all I will give this book 5 stars.
May 4, 2024
Not bad but long winded.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews