Sebastian Reyn

"Throughout, Reyn's focus is on writing a detailed history of these various issues. But it would be wrong to think that he has produced merely a dry, traditional diplomatic history. [...] The result is an impressive level of complexity, out of which Reyn draws two sets of conclusions. At the end of the book, Reyn points to his grand themes: the clash between de Gaulle's conservatism and the generally liberal America of the 1960s; the lack of leverage of even such a powerful hegemon as the United States in this period; the fact that, while de Gaulle shifted European perceptions of America, his actions also altered the American view of the 'Old World', particularly by shattering the pre-1963 Atlanticist vision [...] Overall, this is an excellent study which deserves to be read by anyone with an interest in US foreign policy of the period."