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As the twentieth century draws to a close,
the United States has emerged as the world's only superpower:
no other nation possesses comparable military and economic
power or has interests that bestride the globe. Yet the
critical question facing America remains unanswered: What
ought to be America's global strategy to maintain its exceptional
position in the world? It is this question that Zbigniew
Brzezinski tackles head-on in this incisive and pathbreaking
book.
The Grand Chessboard presents Brzezinski's
bold and provocative geostrategic vision for American preeminence
in the twenty-first century. Central to his analysis is
the exercise of power on the Eurasian landmass, which is
home to the greatest part of the globe's population, natural
resources, and economic activity. Stretching from Portugal
to the Bering Strait, from Lapland to Malaysia, Eurasia
is the "grand chessboard" on which America's supremacy
will be ratified and challenged in the years to come. The
task facing the United States, he argues, is to manage the
conflicts and relationships in Europe, Asia, and the Middle
East so that no rival superpower arises to threaten our
interests or our well-being.
The heart of The Grand Chessboard
is Brzezinski's analysis of the four critical regions of
Eurasia and of the stakes for America in each arena -- Europe,
Russia, Central Asia, and East Asia. The crucial fault lines
may seem familiar, but the implosion of the Soviet Union
has created new rivalries and new relationships, and Brzezinski
maps out the strategic ramifications of the new geopolitical
realities. He explains, for example:
- Why France and Germany will play pivotal
strategic roles, whereas Britain and Japan will not.
- Why NATO expansion offers Russia the
chance to undo the mistakes of the past, and why Russia
cannot afford to toss this opportunity aside.
- Why the fate of Ukraine and Azerbaijan
are so important to America.
- Why viewing China as a menace is likely
to become a self-fulfilling prophecy.
- Why America is not only the first truly
global super-power but also the last -- and what the implications
are for America's legacy.
Brzezinski's surprising and original conclusions
often turn conventional wisdom on its head as he lays the
groundwork for a new and compelling vision of America's
vital interests. Once again, Zbigniew Brzezinski provides
our nation with a philosophical and practical guide for
maintaining and managing our hard-won global power.
Zbigniew Brzezinski served as National
Security Advisor to the President of the United States from
1977 to 1981. He is a counselor at the Center for Strategic
and International Studies and a professor of American foreign
policy at the Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International
Studies at Johns Hopkins University in Washington, D.C.
His most recent books are Out of Control, The
Grand Failure, Game Plan, and Power and Principle.
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