The Forty Years War

In this informative and revealing new book, Len Colodny and Tom Shachtman, two renowned investigative writers, trace the rise of the neoconservative ideology from its roots within the Nixon-era Pentagon to its present day results on the battlefield of Iraq. Tackling a span of forty policy-defining, and turbulent, years, Colodny and Shachtman explain how the neocons--who first emerged in response to the early Nixonian policies of "accommodation"-have skillfully, and at times surreptitiously, influenced the foreign policy of the Reagan, George H.W. Bush, and George W. Bush administrations. Aided by newly released and declassified documents, THE FORTY YEARS WAR delves into the political development of minds such as Donald Rumsfeld, Dick Cheney, Paul Wolfowitz, Richard Paerle, and John Bolton-emphasizing the remarkable ideological connections that have led America from Vietnam to the Middle East. In this unparalleled account, Colodny and Shachtman shed light on the little-known Fritz Kraemer-a secretive, monocle-wearing Prussian whose hatred of tyranny, distrust of diplomacy, and unshakable faith in military power make him the geopolitical godfather of the neocon movement.
Drawing upon hundreds of hours of interviews-and deep research into the Nixon tapes and other archival materials-THE FORTY YEARS WAR is filled with revelations: Explosive evidence from newly uncovered taped conversations with Nixon, exposing his culpability in covering up a damaging military spy ring aimed at undermining the presidency. A reexamination of Ronald Reagan's foreign policy through the lens of the war between the Neocons and the pragmatists. Why George H.W. Bush's decision not to send troops to Baghdad during the Gulf War compelled neocons such as Cheney to redouble their hard military line, following Kraemer's lead. How the Neocons triumphed after 9/11, convincing George W. Bush to invade Iraq to demonstrate American military power and instill democracy. Why Kraemer's philosophy will outlive both him and the George W. Bush administration-already being embraced by two leading candidates to succeed Bush. With bold new disclosures and an acute attention to detail, this is the first book to tell the full story of the origins of the Neocons and how the ideas of a handful of men led an entire nation to war.